Veteran’s Memorial Trail: New Link to Cross Cross Path

(stock image courtesy: Pixabay/Micky Estes)

Another step in creating a transcontinental walking trail was celebrated over the weekend in northwest Indiana with a ribbon cutting along the Veterans Memorial Trail.

The ceremony, held virtually, marks the first mile of the new trail in Lake County.

The local path, when completed, will link Hebron to the City of Crown Point.

The Veterans Memorial Trail is another link of the 220-mile stretch of the Indiana leg of the national Great American Rail Trail.

“What a milestone for Indiana, the Town of Hebron and the City of Crown Point. Indiana is no stranger to dreaming big when it comes to walking and bicycling projects,” said Ryan Chao, president of the Rails to Trails Conservancy.

Governor Eric Holcomb’s Next Level Trails grant program helps fund the creation and maintenance of walking trails in the state.

“And it provides a model for other states to follow—you’re showing the country how you get trails built and with a priority on making connections between people and places. It’s really something to applaud,” said Chao.

Chao said the Indiana portion of the Great American trail is comprised of 113 existing trail miles. More than 100 more miles are considered gaps in the path.

When completed the Great American Rail Trail will link 12 states and the District of Columbia.

Click here to learn more about the Indiana leg of the cross-country walkway.