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Loop Trails near Indianapolis

The directory currently contains 13 quality-checked routes matching this guide near Indianapolis. Their average mapped distance is 4.0 km and average recorded ascent is 84 m (276 ft); the longest route in the set is 15.8 km.

This subset represents 57% of the 23 quality-checked routes near Indianapolis.

Every route in this set is classified as a loop and returns to its starting area. A loop can still reuse part of the same path. Within this set, 9 routes (69%) are rated easy, 1 (8%) are rated hard or expert, and 13 (100%) 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

0.7 km

Whitetail Ravine Trail

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

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

10 m

Prairie View Trail

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

Return logistics

6 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

Hard

Indiana · United States

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

Indiana · United States

Distance
15.8 km
/ 9.8 mi
Elevation gain
305 m
Typical duration
3 hr 47 min
Easy

Indiana · United States

Distance
1.4 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
21 m
Typical duration
19 min
  • Mountain
Easy

Indiana · United States

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
19 m
Typical duration
11 min
  • Canyon and gorge
Easy

Indiana · United States

Distance
1.3 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
10 m
Typical duration
17 min
  • Alpine meadow
Moderate

Indiana · United States

Distance
0.9 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
10 m
Typical duration
12 min
  • Forest
Easy

Indiana · United States

Distance
4.2 km
/ 2.6 mi
Elevation gain
152 m
Typical duration
1 hr 7 min
Easy

Indiana · United States

Distance
0.8 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
28 m
Typical duration
12 min
Easy

Indiana · United States

Distance
0.6 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
6 m
Typical duration
8 min
Easy

Indiana · United States

Distance
4.4 km
/ 2.7 mi
Elevation gain
64 m
Typical duration
1 hr 1 min
  • Mountain
Moderate

Indiana · United States

Distance
4.9 km
/ 3.1 mi
Elevation gain
105 m
Typical duration
1 hr 11 min

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
Three Lakes TrailIndiana15.6 km364 m3 hr 48 minHardApril to October
Low Gap TrailIndiana15.8 km305 m3 hr 47 minModerateApril to October
Red-Tailed Ridge TrailIndiana1.4 km21 m19 minEasyApril to October
Whitetail Ravine TrailIndiana0.7 km19 m11 minEasyApril to October
Prairie View TrailIndiana1.3 km10 m17 minEasyApril to October
Woodland WayIndiana0.9 km10 m12 minModerateApril to October
Hitz-Rhodehamel LoopIndiana4.2 km152 m1 hr 7 minEasyApril to October
Barred Owl TrailIndiana0.8 km28 m12 minEasyApril to October
Big Waulnut Crossing TrailIndiana0.6 km8 m8 minEasyApril to October
Paw Paw PathwayIndiana0.6 km6 m8 minEasyApril to October

Three Lakes Trail, Low Gap Trail, Red-Tailed Ridge 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.

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