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Print Friendly MapThe Rivergreenway is an impressive 50+ mile linear park that is part of a growing network of trails in the cities of Fort Wayne and New Haven. The Rivergreenway connects neighborhoods, historical attractions, waterways, and 15 city parks. The trail consists of four main pathways, named for the rivers they parallel and the entire trail system is paved with a few short boardwalk sections. With portions of the route directly beside rivers, flooding is possible, so check the official trail website for updates.
The northern branch of the Rivergreenway runs from Shoaff Park south to downtown Fort Wayne along the St. Joseph River (St. Joseph Pathway). The southern branch starts just past Tillman Park at Southtown Centre and runs along St. Marys River (St. Marys Pathway) heading north to meet the St. Joseph Pathway. The St. Joseph and St. Marys Rivers converge in downtown Fort Wayne to form the Maumee River that runs east alongside the third segment of trail (Maumee Pathway) into New Haven. This river corridor and trail system provides an unlimited opportunity for recreation, fitness, and conservation. The Yarnelle Trail heads southwest from downtown and continues all the way to the Eagle Marsh Nature Preserve and the Lutheran Hospital campus. The trail network connects residential and downtown business districts, linking residents with their places of work.
The northern St. Joseph Pathway starts at Shoaff Park. The path travels mostly along the west side of the St Joseph River and is completely paved. It crosses back over the St. Joseph River on an expansive pedestrian suspension bridge to the Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne campus. The trail goes north through the campus to St. Joe Road. It also continues south over Coliseum Boulevard and connects to Johnny Appleseed Park across the river. The path continues south adjacent to the river to a scenic overlook at the convergence of the rivers.
The southern St. Marys Pathway starts in Southtown Centre and nearby Tillman Park. The trail runs along the east side of the river to Foster Park, a large community park with its own 2-mile loop. From Foster Park, the path crosses over St. Marys River and includes some lovely wood platforms that extend over the river. Some of these are narrow, so pay attention for cyclists or other users coming from the opposite direction. The route travels to Swinney Park with an option to go west to connect to the Wabash & Erie Canal Towpath Trail that runs southwest to the Lutheran Hospital of Indiana.
As you continue north out of Swinney Park, a short on-road section passes through a lightly trafficked residential street, resumes on a separated trail to Lawton Park, comes up behind the Historic Old Fort, and connects to the St. Joseph Pathway.
From the Historic Old Fort, travel along the trail on Spy Run Avenue (US 27) to connect to the Maumee Pathway, which heads to New Haven. This section of trail also connects to a different segment of the St. Joseph Pathway that mirrors the first on the other side of the St. Joseph River. Heading east on the Maumee Pathway, the trail passes through pretty residences along a raised levee for a mile. It then drops into woodlands away from the river to a scenic overlook of the Hosey Dam.
The route continues along the Maumee River through woodlands to Memorial Park (accessible off a spur). The remainder of the trail, from Memorial Park to Moser Park, is wooded and runs along the Maumee River and creekbeds with heavy tree canopy. This parklike section includes four wood ramps and passes Kreager Park, which can be accessed by a road crossing. Kreager Park has its own trail loop to extend your ride. The path ends after crossing over active rail lines and dropping back down a series of wood ramps into a final wooded stretch to a small fishing pond at Moser Park.
To reach the Shoaff Park trailhead, take I-69 S to Exit 312A or I-69 N to Exit 312B, and head south on Coldwater Road. In 0.3 mile turn left onto E. Washington Center Road, which becomes St. Joe Center Road. Go 1.8 miles, and turn left onto St. Joe Road. Continue 0.6 mile and turn left into Shoaff Park to find the trailhead next to the parking lot.
To reach the trailhead in New Haven’s Moser Park, from I-469 take Exit 19, and head northwest on Lincoln Hwy./IN 930. In 1.3 miles turn right onto Green St. Go 0.2 mile and turn left onto Lincoln Hwy. again. Go 0.6 mile and turn right onto State St. In 0.2 mile continue straight to enter the parking lot at Moser Park and find the trailhead next to the parking lot.
To reach the Tillman Park trailhead from I-469, take Exit 11 and head north on US 27. In 3.5 miles turn left onto S. Hanna St., go 0.3 mile, and turn right into Tillman Park after crossing E. Tillman Road.
Parking for the Rivergreenway can also be found on city streets and in a number of parks along the trail’s route. Please see the map for all locations and detailed directions.
I’m not sure how this trail is a 5 star trail? The surface is mediocre with fragments, roots, and bumps. It’s confusing with multiple turns and trail closures. It’s unsafe with crossings at busy intersections and sections running along side busy roads. My husband and I used our road bikes. We were disappointed with the section we rode. Maybe other sections are better? We will not be returning or recommending this trail to others for biking.
We parked at East Winney park which allowed us to return to our car between doing branches of the trail. There are no bathrooms there, but there are plenty full service restrooms along the trail. We did the entire trail and adding in the side parks you can optionally do and a brief detour for lunch we ended up with 75 miles. I think if you stuck to the trails themselves you'd be looking at around 50-55 miles. Our favorite path was the one going east to New Haven as that path is the most secluded and follows the river which is visible for most of the way. What is particularly nice is that these are not straight boring rail trails through corn fields. There is a lot of variety and distractions along the way. There are a few short bits in town that are a bit trafficy but they're quickly forgotton as most of the ride is along the river and through parks.
Once you get to know the trail, it’s great. There are a lot of points around downtown that I had to have my phone out to navigate. We rode the trail a few times over the weekend and by the second try at it, we were good.
great riding one of the prettiest sections is from Fort Wayne to New Haven along the Maumee River
Nice surface, it was nice not to be on the roads listening to cars.
One of the best perks of living near the Rivergreenway is the ability to commute to work. The Rivergreenway connects most of Fort Wayne. It is well maintained and is a great way to see the city!
The path was well paved and the signs were visible. It was cool to go through downtown Ft. Wayne and see the historic fort. It was also nice to see the biking depot and some beautiful homes along the trail.
Stayed at Holiday Inn Express across from Allen County Indoor Arena.Ran across pedestrian bridge over St Joseph River towards IUPFW campus.Initially went South towards downtown but trail eventually followed city road after about 3/4 mile.Turned around and went North past bridge through campus.Gorgeous route there!Leaves were peaking during visit.Would advise crossing bridge and just running through campus trail rather than going South from bridge.Enjoyed this run in Fort Wayne.
Rode this trail in the summer of 2014 from near the old fort to IPFW (the trail was closed northward at US 30 due to recent storm debris clogging the trail), and from the old fort to New Haven. The trail is well-marked and was in good shape, with the occasional areas that need repairs which all trails have. The trail offers a variety of scenery, from neighborhoods to rural settings near New Haven. We look forward to returning to Fort Wayne in order to explore the other bike trails that the city offers.
Just love the greenways and will always make it a priority to live near one. Really a hidden gem in our city!
My wife and I spent three days in Fort Wayne just so we could explore most of the trails offered and indulge in some good food. Our first day started at Tillman park on the south side and heads North to intersect with all the spurs and trails that make up Fort Wayne's trail system. My wife stopped at Swinney park to take a rest while I went west to Rockhill park just to check it out and see what it had to offer. When I got back to her we both continued east to Guildin Park where she took another break and I continued over to The Old Fort Wayne fort where I took a tour and headed back. Not being familiar with the area and its trails I was kinda lost what with all the spurs and name changes on the signage. If it hadn't been for my GPS I would still be there trying to find my way back to an irritated wife. If you are like us you need a map to find your way around. They are offered at several places including some of the trail heads and bike shops. Over the next two days we went to New Haven to go west on the portion we hadn't done which by the way was the portion I liked best. It is the most unique of the entire system. You will have to try it to see what I mean. I ended up at the Fort again so I turned and went back. There are a couple of detours along this section due to construction on the levee and to some kind of city utility but they are short and well marked. The third day we took the Wabash and Erie canal towpath on the west side very near our hotel. It goes through some marshland and is very tranquil. It leads you to Swinney park and the tie in to the rest of the trails. Overall a very nice ride. All the trails are in pretty good shape and are all paved. Signage is lacking in some spots and confusing in others due to constant name changes but aside from that a very good experience.
A group of us [7] road the rail Sunday am [7-25-10] and found it to be a low traffic ride that provides great views of the Allen County parks and river views. We entered at the trail head off of Smith Road in the southwest corner of the county. Views of the preserved wetlands was quite nice. Boardwalk underpasses have been installed that allow the rider to travel uninterrupted around bridge crossings and provide a continuous view of the rivers. The access to the Foster Park - St Mary's ride takes you over some street bridges which have new side rails to protect the bike and foot traffic as well. The old fort is still accessible to riders off the trail. Look for the Rivergreenway maps to avoid getting confused when transitioning from one arm of the trail system to another. The northeast arm is being extended to New Haven with the construction of a new boardwalk-bridge and is not accessible. Logged about 27 mi.
The Rivergreenway is a great network of trails. I regularly ride the St. Marys and Maumee Pathways. On occasion I get up to the St. Joseph Pathway but it's currently a short path that will be expanded upon in the coming years. If you look closely along the rivers you'll see signs of beavers! This is most easily noted near the Old Fort on the St. Marys Pathway and on the Maumee Pathway near the Coliseum Blvd bridge. What I really enjoy about the Rivergreenway is all of the tree cover and green space within the city. The Maumee Pathway is especially green and provides trail users with a peaceful setting along the river and it connects the cities of Fort Wayne and New Haven. Newcomers may find it difficult to navigate; however, signs are posted along each pathway for directions and if you follow the signs, you should be just fine. If possible, pick up a copy of the Rivergreenway brochure/map and the visitors center downtown for easier navigation!
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