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Dog-Friendly Hikes near Bloomington

The directory currently contains 12 quality-checked routes matching this guide near Bloomington. Their average mapped distance is 6.1 km and average recorded ascent is 131 m (430 ft); the longest route in the set is 15.6 km.

This subset represents 19% of the 62 quality-checked routes near Bloomington. Its average distance is 6.1 km, compared with 9.2 km across the full local set.

These routes either have dogs marked as allowed or meet the directory’s dog-score threshold. Current land-manager rules take precedence. Within this set, 4 routes (33%) are rated easy, 1 (8%) are rated hard or expert, and 3 (25%) are recorded as loops. Ratings are computed from available distance and elevation data and do not establish current terrain or access.

Data refreshed September 2026

Choose by the details

How do these routes differ?

A closer look at the first 6 routes in this page’s default ordering. These comparisons describe this sample, not the entire destination or a field-tested recommendation.

Shortest mapped distance in this sample

1.9 km

Ogle Lake Trail

Compare the climbing too; shortest does not necessarily mean easiest.

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

19 m

Terrill Ridge Trail

6 of 6 have ascent data. Missing measurements are excluded.

Return logistics

2 recorded loops

Check start and finish for every option. An unknown shape does not mean a loop, and a loop does not establish access to its start.

Plan the return journey →

Distances follow stored route lines; ascent and time are estimates. Current access, surface and technical difficulty need separate checks. How to turn a comparison into a shortlist.

Trails

w:Hickory Ridge Fire Tower , looking up from the bottom, located in the w:Charles C. Deam Wilderness Area of w:Hoosier National Forest in Southern w:Indiana . The fire tower is the only remaining tower of eight that used to exist within the
Easy

Terrill Ridge Trail

Indiana · United States

Distance
2.9 km
/ 1.8 mi
Elevation gain
19 m
Typical duration
38 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
Easy

Ogle Lake Trail

Indiana · United States

Distance
1.9 km
/ 1.2 mi
Elevation gain
29 m
Typical duration
27 min
  • Lake
Moderate

Axsom Branch Trail

Indiana · United States

Distance
4.0 km
/ 2.5 mi
Elevation gain
108 m
Typical duration
59 min
  • Forest
Platanus occidentalis , Griffy site of the Indiana University Research and Teaching Preserve, south side of Griffy Lake east of the causeway, Monroe County, Indiana, 8 Jul 2012.
Easy

Griffy Creek Trail

Indiana · United States

Distance
2.8 km
/ 1.7 mi
Elevation gain
33 m
Typical duration
38 min
  • River
Moderate

Sycamore Trail

Indiana · United States

Distance
7.5 km
/ 4.7 mi
Elevation gain
113 m
Typical duration
1 hr 44 min
  • Forest
Hard

Three Lakes Trail

Indiana · United States

Distance
15.6 km
/ 9.7 mi
Elevation gain
364 m
Typical duration
3 hr 48 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Strahl Lake Trail

Indiana · United States

Distance
2.3 km
/ 1.5 mi
Elevation gain
123 m
Typical duration
40 min
  • Lake
Moderate

Nebo Ridge Trail

Indiana · United States

Distance
13.1 km
/ 8.2 mi
Elevation gain
171 m
Typical duration
3 hr
  • Mountain
  • Forest
Moderate

Yellowwood Lake Trail

Indiana · United States

Distance
7.3 km
/ 4.5 mi
Elevation gain
141 m
Typical duration
1 hr 44 min
  • Lake
Moderate

Pate Hollow Trail

Indiana · United States

Distance
10.8 km
/ 6.7 mi
Elevation gain
357 m
Typical duration
2 hr 47 min
  • Forest
Moderate

Jackson Creek Trail

Indiana · United States

Distance
1.0 km
/ 0.6 mi
Elevation gain
33 m
Typical duration
16 min
  • River
Moderate

Martin Hollow Trail

Indiana · United States

Distance
4.1 km
/ 2.6 mi
Elevation gain
86 m
Typical duration
59 min
  • Forest

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Terrill Ridge TrailIndiana2.9 km19 m38 minEasyApril to October
Ogle Lake TrailIndiana1.9 km29 m27 minEasyApril to October
Axsom Branch TrailIndiana4.0 km108 m59 minModerateApril to October
Griffy Creek TrailIndiana2.8 km33 m38 minEasyApril to October
Sycamore TrailIndiana7.5 km113 m1 hr 44 minModerateApril to October
Three Lakes TrailIndiana15.6 km364 m3 hr 48 minHardApril to October
Strahl Lake TrailIndiana2.3 km123 m40 minEasyApril to October
Nebo Ridge TrailIndiana13.1 km171 m3 hrModerateApril to October
Yellowwood Lake TrailIndiana7.3 km141 m1 hr 44 minModerateApril to October
Pate Hollow TrailIndiana10.8 km357 m2 hr 47 minModerateApril to October

Terrill Ridge Trail, Ogle Lake Trail, Axsom Branch Trail currently rank highest in this filtered set according to the directory score. Open an individual route to inspect its mapped line, elevation profile, data source and planning caveats. Check live access, conditions and local rules with an official source before travelling.

Frequently asked questions

Plan with more confidence

All planning articles →

Choosing a route

How to choose a hike beyond the difficulty label

Compare distance, climbing, route shape and missing information to build a shortlist that fits your day.

Read article →

Understanding the map

Read an elevation profile without misreading the climb

Understand total ascent, net height change, profile scale and the section breakdown on each mapped route.

Read article →

Planning your day

Build a hiking time plan with room for your own pace

Separate moving time, climbing allowance and stops, then explore how changing your assumptions changes the plan.

Read article →

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