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Print Friendly MapThe Big 4 Trail is a developing rail-trail route across Boone County that will one day span 50 miles. Currently, three disconnected segments of the rail-trail are open. The name is a reference to the Big Four Railroad, which began serving the region in 1852. In 1861, Abraham Lincoln traveled this route on his way to his presidential inauguration.
This section of the Big 4 Trail—previously known as the Farm Heritage Trail—runs from Lebanon to Colfax in Clinton County, passing through a canopy of Indiana hardwoods, fields of corn and soybeans, and at its northern end, over the scenic Sugar Creek on an iron bridge. A mural celebrating the Big 4 Trail and its railroad history can be seen under the I-65 overpass near the Lebanon trailhead.
Future plans also include extending the trail south to a connection with the Big 4 Trail in Zionsville which further connects to a portion in Whitestown.
Parking is available at a number of locations along the trail, including at the northern end (105 S Columbia St, Colfax) and near the southern end (Sam Ralston Rd just south of Manor Dr in Lebanon). Visit the TrailLink map for all options and detailed directions.
See TrailLink Map for more detailed directions.
What a great trail. Mostly wooded. All hard surface. Extremely enjoyable!
Rode the Big 4, parking at Thorntown, riding to Colfax and back. The ride was roughly 6 miles one way with limited elevation. The asphalt path is good, a little bumpy out of Thorntown but smooths out for a nice ride. The path was cluttered with vegetation following the storms the day before. This part of the path is well covered providing good shade and wind block. Be sure to notice the birdhouses tucked into the trees as you near Colfax. Enjoy.
I’m an EBiker, and LOVE the solitude! Smooth, paved trail with very short paths invaded by fairly low tree roots. I stopped for lunch at STOOKLEYS which I HIGHLY recommend! Yum! I started in Colfax, at the trail end, and went almost to Lebanon, then turned back, (out and back.) BEAUTIFUL DAY!!
Started at Colfax park and rode through Thorntown to Lebanon. After a break, rode back to starting point. Right at 30mi roundtrip. Sections of trail inside town limits were very bumpy from roots. Probably older original trail sections. Rural sections newer and smooth.
As with most rail trails, this one has tons of invasives. Seems like it was in need of mowing and pruning the sides. It’s asphalt the entire way now which is nice. The bumps are not terrible, and the worst ones are painted in orange. It’s definitely worth doing once if you are from out of the area like me. However it doesn’t have a lot of features compared to some other trails I have been on. For some reason I prefer the Nickel Plate and Converse/Sweetser trails northeast of here. Still 4 out of 5 stars for me.
Great trail. A few bumps from tree roots but mostly smooth. It was very windy the day we rode but enough trees to provide a nice wind break. Started in Colfax-nice parking area. Didn’t notice a restroom. Thorntown got a little confusing to pick up trail but we figured it out. Great photo op Big 4 Trail painted mural under overpass.
Cycled from the trailhead at outside of Lebanon at Ralston to Colfax. It was a bit windy but such a lovely day! The trail has some bumps and ridges in several places but these tend to be grouped in segments and then you get to smooth sections and can get some good roll. We saw very few people and only two other cyclists. Once you get a away from the trailhead on Ralston the trail is quiet and you can enjoy zipping along and seeing the trees and fields. There are some creeks and bridge crossings. When you get to Thorntown the trail appears to deadend on a street with a gravel path across from you. Turn LEFT go down the street and turn right , you will see a blue bench labeled for the BIG FOUR. Follow along the street and you will look and cross to the left by the Lions Clin Oavikkion. FoRide the sidewalk until you link back up onto the trail on your way to Colfax.
The entire route is asphalted but a little bumpy when you first leave Lebanon, as well as, when you first leave Thorntown. This route is generally bordered with trees throughout thereby minimizing the effects of wind and excessive sunshine. The stretch from Thorntown to Colfax seemed to have an over abundance of wild black cherry and hackberry trees. Their fruits were all over the trail and were impossible to avoid at this time of the year. Ultimately, I enjoyed the solitude and remoteness of this section.
Had an amazing ride today. Weather helped but trail was great. Completely paved now from Lebanon to Colfax. A little tricky in Thornton but some locals helped us out.
smooth asphalt most of the trail with an area after their town about a mile with bumps — but very doable. Barely anyone on this trail and it’s mostly shaded. There is one area that weeds are growing up high but still plenty of room to ride. At Colfax got great milkshakes at pizza king before heading back. Total round trip 30 miles.
The trail north and south of Thorntown is great. The south section is now open. The Thorntown sections need work, many Bumps from buckled pavement. I wish the Town would fix the bumps
The Thorntown section has bumps on the pavement from Sugar Creek to Serum Plant road. The trail north of Sugar Creek is great. The section south of Serum Plant road is getting repaved and should be open in the fall. I wish Thorntown would repair their part they are responsible for maintaining.
We rode the trail today May 19,there is a tree down . I called Colfax clerks office and they said they will get to it. From past experience with the office,they are pretty quick on taking care of any problems. I also asked them when cutting the grass to blow the clippings into the grass not on the trail. The Thorntown section from Sugar Creek south, needs some repair. Various places on the trail have nickeled asphalt
I rode from Colfax to Thorntown today. There are intermittent patches of mustard garlic up and down the trail. I would like to see a clean-up planned for this part of the trail to clear the mustard garlic.
Beautiful smooth ride. Visit the Carnegie Library. The ladies love biking visitors. Check out the historic Rosenberger Building also.
This was a very bumpy ride it spots, but still a super nice trail. Worse than the bumps was the debris of sticks, hit one just right and blew a tire. Oh well, one of the things that comes with bike riding. I will return as soon as I fix my flat.
The trail is smooth for 3-4 miles from lebanon and 3-4 miles from colfax. The remainder is in very poor condition with severe and frequent buckling of the pavement. There's a half mile gravel section that is particularly rough. I also found the trail to only be 14.5 miles long. The middle section was so bad we took country roads to avoid it on our return trip. The 4 miles at the north end are the best with blacktop as smooth as glass and they paved all of the intersections that crossed over gravel roads. In the bottom 10 miles you ride through the gravel at cross roads. If the surface wasn't so bad it would be a lovel ride as the route is well shaded and quite pleasant
From Thorntown go from Pearl st one block north of the depot. The trail starts and is nicely paved from sugar creek all the way to Colfax. The section from sugar creek to the trail head has some bumps. After that great smooth trail. Don’t bother going south if is very bumpy with broken up asphalt. Lebanon is paving the downtown section first of the trail. It won’t be until 2023 before the section from Serum Plant road is redone I know that I will never take my grand kids on aonnthe city street part of the trail. Too many cars
Some areas are great and some news attention. Trail heads could Be marked better.
Going from Thorntown to Colfax is now open and is really nice. All paved round trip 11.01 miles. Going south to Lebanon is very rough. The new paving will not start from Sarum Plant road until 2023. The city of Lebanon got the contract to replace the trial. The are starting on the downtown trail in the city first. Very few will use it because not is too close to cars especially you have kids riding.
Today was my first rails to trails ride and this one was amazing. Love the scenery and I plan to add many more to my list and come back to this trail again.
This trail is shaded, and enjoyable — goes past farmland. I recommend a hybrid or mountain bike because some parts are bumpy old asphalt with some pea gravel. There are some roads to cross that are larger gravel. We got past thorntown and about 3-4 miles left of the trail to colfax was closed due to construction on a trail bridge. The workers said it should be open in a week or so. And you paved miles
Beautiful scenery! Peaceful & Quiet. The newer paved sections are awesome! It definately needs some attention to areas that are older. Even the gravely portions aren’t as bumpy as the older paved sections. Great afternoon ride. The parking area in Lebanon is well marked and even has tools if necessary.
Love this trail
This is way longer than 9 miles, I did Lebanon north for 12.5 and the end was nowhere in sight. It also goes south from trailhead, no idea how far. Great ride.
This is a great trail if you have a mountain bike. The first few miles are paved, but there are some sections that had some small gravel. It was mostly comfortable riding, but as I said-on my mountain bike. I would not take a road bike on the length of this trail. You have to do some crossing of country roads that aren't paved. It's a nice, peaceful ride overlooking some fields and beautiful scenery. The only issue I had is when the trail gets to Thorntown and when you cross the street-look for the blue markers on the pavement. I initially missed it, but found my way. The trail ends up on a bridge overlooking Sugar Creek. I am excited for them to finish the trail all the way to Colfax and then to Lafayette.
My wife and I ride this trail a lot. (age 63 and 65)we have one here in Crawfordsville but it is too short.
We have ridden the whole trail Thorntown to Lebanon and back 3 times in the last month. The sections around the cities and Hazelrigg are smooth. the rest is bumpy. Lebanon has filed for a grant from the state and wants to take over pave and maintain the trail from Lebanon to Surem Plant rd (Thorntown). (We started a bike riding group from church we wanted to introduce others to the trail and bike riding.)
Going north out of Thorntown the trail is 8/10 of a mile and then ends at Sugar Creek. I saw where Colfax got some grant money to connect to the trail south, we will see how long that takes. I'd give it a 5 star rate if it was paved smooth.
Great trail for walking, jogging or moutain biking but not so great for road bikes. I made the mistake of assuming the whole trail was paved like the pics I saw of the trailhead in Lebanon but about 3 miles north it goes from paved to hardpack/gravel. Lots of bumps and out right potholes so keep your eyes open, whether on bike or foot. It's not impassable to road bikes but if you do use that kind of bike do yourself a favor and let some of the air out of your tires. I inflated my 28mm tires from 60 psi to about 75 psi cause I wanted to reduce drag and go a little faster. I made the round trip of about 15 miles no problems but when I got home my front tire was flat, probably from a pinch flat. Other than back and forth on surfaces not a bad trail. Loved the little oasis about 5 miles north of the trailhead! Plenty of benches if you want to take a break and a port o potty. Thanks #BetterinBoone
Our scout troop completed a 20 miler (Thorntown to lebanon and back). It was a great time! Trail is in decent shape and has a lot better upkeep closer to Lebanon. With a little love and attention it will be a great trail! We can't wait someday to see this connected to Lafayette (Prophetstown trails) and scout to Whitestown/Indianapolis! Our Local Troop will be conducting several more hikes and try Bicycling MB on the trail. I see many opportunities for Eagle projects along the trail.
couldn't get to the trail head in thorntown the road was closed. So we got on off pearl st and franklin south of SR 47. the trail to start was paved. As soon as we got out of thorntown, the pavement was a little rough. As we headed south east it varied from a little rough to some lose gravel. The lose gravel ended about a 1/2 mile north of Hazelrigg rd. 300 n. it was new smooth pavement. We rode south about another mile and turned around. We ran across another rider who said the new pavement goes for a way the it was back to what was north of Hazelrigg. ( not as rough) He said when you get nearer to Lebanon it goes back to smooth pavement. We are working up the 20 mile round trip Thorntown to Lebanon. We did half today ( hazelrigg). (10 miles) We are both in our 60's and having ridden much over the past 15 years.
The canopy of hardwoods, the beauty of farmland and the peace of solitude all await you here. Probably need something bigger than 23mm tires though.
I rode this trail end to end on a fat tire bike and it was a little slice of heaven.
Overall a nice peaceful trail
Went for a 10 mile ride (5 out and back) starting at Lebanon trail head behind Menards. First 2.5 miles are newly paved and we'll maintained, after that I would recommend off road bike. My remaining 2.5 miles traveling north were a mix of old grumbles of asphalt,fine limestone, and grass. One small section about a city block long was deep small stone, the kind that doesn't compact and you just sink in. That all being said it was a nice ride with typical Indiana flat land views of fields.
I would not recommend this trail for road bikes. With a mountain bike or all-terrain tires you might be fine. If you start at Thorntown and head south, just after you pass the bridge the trail turns into very rough pavement and gravel, not crushed stone. The trail is in definite need of rehabilitation for road bike use. I have not attempted starting at the Lebanon end of the trail, so I don't know how conditions are closer to that town.
Rode 5 miles north and back from Lebanon trail head behind Menards on a recent evening. While not a perfectly smooth hard paved trail, we enjoyed the quiet peaceful ride through a mostly wooded area with fields on either side. A neat experience to think that we were riding the same corridor where Abraham Lincoln traveled by train so many years ago. You do need to keep an eye out for bumps and occasional branches, but since there were no other bikers on the trail while we were there, it was not hard to do that. And don't miss the good ice cream at the little stand as you leave the access road.Sorry, I forget the name, but the ice cream was memorable! A lovely ride with family!
The entry to the trail under the I-65 overpass in Lebanon is now open!
This is a peaceful trail, with beautiful, rural scenery the entire way. We really enjoyed the ride from Lebanon to Thorntown and back and stopped at the delightful little rest area provided by the Boone County Solid Waste District along the way.
The trail is definitely rough and rocky in places, but we navigated it easily with a mountain bike and a street bike. The grass on each side had just been mown, but there were quite a few branches down on the trail from the two raging storms the previous week. Some nearly blocked the path. The storms were so recent, though, that I think it's reasonable that the 9-mile path had not been yet cleared.
We found one thing confusing. The map in Thorntown references an equestrian trailhead, and there is a sign at one point marking an equestrian entry. Yet, there are signs on each side of every crossing indicating that no horseback riding is allowed. I think it needs to be stated more clearly on the signage what the policy is.
We were on the trail from 1:30 to about 5 p.m. on a Sunday, and we didn't see anyone else until we were almost back to our car at the Menard's trailhead. The solitude was nice, but I'd like to see more people take advantage of this lovely ride!
The trail has needed a lot a care done to it. pavement is falling apart grass growing in middle of the trail grass only cut when it so high it's needed a brush hog.
I feel this trail is in a declining state. Weeds are beginning to take over the trail. At one point just south of the granary there is a branch hanging down towards the trail that I could easily hit with my head. I almost reached up to touch it and just in time realized it was poison ivy. I am concerned at the decline. I enjoy walking as well as riding my bicycle on trails and hate to see this. Is there someway to improve the state of this trail? Also is there a way to get the "Danger Trail Closed" sign removed at Sam Ralston in Lebanon or get it reopened.
I enjoyed this trail but it had some rough spots. It is hard to get to on the Lebanon end. But, if you locate dead end road (really that's it's name) there is a small "trail head" where you might be comfortable parking. The trail is closed under I-65. So, starting in Thorntown is the better idea. It's a little rough and some spots are dangerously soft. Be ready for them and you'll be fine. I would not take a pure road bike on this trail. If you have moderately wide tires you'll be fine. Watch especially around the cell tower closer to Thorntown. Flat trail.
Frustrating. Arrived at trailhead in Lebanon only to see that the trail is closed.
Trail head in Lebanon is just east of I-65 north of SR 32 on Sam Ralston Rd and just north of the Menards. If travelling on the east bound lane of SR32 you need to go several blocks east and make a U turn to go back west so you can access Sam Ralston.
The trail is well maintained, mostly packed crushed rocks, very little loose gravel. Took us about 70 minutes from Lebanon to Thorntown.
When arriving on main street in Thorntown go north another block on Pearl St and the trail picks up again, paved now, and continues north less than 1 mile to Sugar Creek.
The Stookeys restaurant in Thorntown is nice!
Good parking off Sam Palston Rd in Lebanon. Good trail between there and Thorntown. Gravel mostly- asphalt in Thorntown. Mostly shaded/tree lined path. NOT as good for full road bikes! About 8.5 miles. Enjoyable ride!
Returning to trail after a automobile accident 3 years ago I can no longer walk due to my injuries but biking is it for me. My goals now after 3 years of learning to stand, walk ,etc, is to bike to Thorntown, have lunch and return to Lebanon , this past week I found the trail to Hazlerigg in bad shape compared to 3 years ago has all interest in trail fell through ? Looking forward to a better trail for bike riding in the future .
Shaded,, with a mix of asphalt and gravel, maintain in ok condition, great for mountain bike, cyclocross bike or detent bike... no for a full road bike.
Had a great time!
Runners and joggers using this trail will find it a nice change of pace from the traditional pavement runs like the monon. It is a nice balance between true trail running and city trails. Some work on getting parking even if it's small couple car gravel lots would be useful and some trees or fencing to separate from some rural homes would also be useful.
I also find it a great trail (although prohibited) to allow your running dog able to stretch their legs ahead of you as it is rarely crowded or dangerous, but picking up after them is difficult as no trash cans or stations are on this trail.
The day was perfect temperature and the trail was pretty well taken care of. Trail was mostly in between trees. Surface was not the best, the rock they used on trail does not compress like crushed limestone but rather stays loose and therefore like a typical gravel road you need to be careful, and of course there is a drag on tires when loose. Had difficulty finding the trailhead, direction on site were not explicite. We found it next to the large granery in town and parked in their lot. We decided the sheriff is the best resource for finding country trails, they know where everything is located.
I biked this trail from Thorntown South to Lebanon Sept 2012. It was a beautiful ride and we only encountered two others on the trail the entire day, even though it was a nice day. The only problem we had was finding the trailhead in Thorntown. We got mixed directions from the locals. One lady directed us North where we did find the trail, but it quickly ended in gravel, grass and limestone. It was not developed and I wouldn't suggest even trying it, unless you want to risk a flat tire. We finally found the trail South by biking past the grain elevators and through a community garden area. It would be ridiculously helpful to have a couple of trail markers in the public parking areas for those of us coming from out of town. Once we finally found the trail it was a great ride down to Lebanon. We turned around near the construction and returned. Pack snacks though as this trail is barren of any towns or areas with restaurants. Only in Thorntown or Lebanon.
Trail is only 1/4 of a mile from my home and very convenient. The Trail is clean and well maintained in it's natural setting.
The I-65 bridge that runs over the trail is under construction. If you want to ride most of the trail, it is best to start in Thorntown. The bridge work should be done by the end of November 2012. The horse part of it starts off of Serum Plant Road. The horses have their own trail. I think it only goes a mile or so. I would also like to add, this may not be a trail for road race bikes. A tire with some width to it works best on limestone.
Rode the trail today, March 20th 2012 started at the Lebanon Trailhead and rode the trail up to Thorntown. The trail has a lot of small gravel, cinder type surface, which makes it a little difficult to ride if you are not used to it. We stopped and ate at the Stookey's Restaurant in Thorntown, the food was very good. Not much in Thorntown, a small IGA and a few places to eat. Not much scenery along the way, we did see a dog, a couple of squirrels though. Otherwise kinda dull ride, 10 miles each way.
At the lebanon IN trail head there is a sign which forbids horses on the trail yet it is listed here as a horse accessible trail. do you have to access the trail at another location in order to ride horses? I live in Lebanon with 3 horses and would love to use this trail
thanks
I was going to have my wife hit the trail with me, but thought I should check it out first. The gravel parking lot at the trail head is easy to enter and exit, with room for over half a dozen vehicles. Once on the trail you head northwesterly on fine crushed stone on what looked like chip & seal. The trail has great tree coverage in the before 10:00 am of at least 75% shade. There are small railroad markers telling you what mile on the trail you are. The road crossings are well marked as are the stops before each crossing. Most of the roads the trail crosses are gravel of larger size than the trail. As you hit past the halfway point and cross another road, the trail heads to the right off the original trail due to a house that is now on there. As you pass the cellphone tower, becareful for the deeper gravel and less packing beneath. The mile before Thorntown is nicely paved and there is a new metal bridge taking you over a local road. The trail ends as you come upon the Sugar Creek Art Gallery (nice place to visit). At Thorntown you have a great restaurant, Stokey's for great catfish! If you go just three blocks ahead of where trail ends, you can pick up the trail again with a new name and travel to Sugar Creek. There the pavement ends and you have undeveloped trail into dense tree covered trail. From Lebanon to Thorntown and back is a easy quiet ride. If the local restaurants thought about it, they could start a discount for those using the trail. Stokey's at Thorntown and Trackside (in the old railroad station on SR 32) in Lebanon, both could profit from people using this one!
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