Best Biking Trails in Elkhart County

If you’re looking for new places to take your bike and have a fun afternoon biking around the trails of Northern Indiana then check out today’s guide on Elkhart County Bike Trails.

Elkhart County is home to some of the most scenic bike trails around, giving you lots to look forward to and will make your bike ride a memorable experience as you explore each of these trails.

But first, let’s give some background to Elkhart County if you’re new to the area.

Elkhart County is home to around 100,000 people who live among its 7 cities:

• Elkhart
• Goshen
• Nappanee
• Wakarusa
• Middlebury
• Bristol
• Millersburg

Each of these cities has several parks for biking which means you’ll have endless options to find new places to explore. The drive from Elkhart to Middlebury is about 30-45 minutes max, so all of these cities are within an hours drive or less of each other with most being 10-15 minutes to hop from city to city by car.

There is one bike trail that spans multiple cities, allowing you to hop on and off at your convenience. This is known as the famous Pumpkin Vine Nature Trail. Here’s what you need to know about it.

Pumpkin Vine Nature Trail

The most notable bike trail in Elkhart is the Pumpkin Vine Nature Trail which spans 17 miles from Middlebury to Shipshewana to Goshen, Indiana.

It takes you through the heart of Amish Country in Middlebury, Indiana and continues through Shipshewana, another noticeable Amish community in Elkhart County. Middlebury is home to the famous Essenhaus restaurant if you want to stop for a quick bite to eat before resuming your bike ride across the 17 mile trail.

As you progress to Goshen, you’ll find various things to do downtown Goshen, if you wish to stop for a break along your bike ride. These include things like the Goshen Brewing Co, The Electric Brew, JoJo’s Pretzels, Shanklin Park, and more.

Here’s a map that shows just how long the trail is.

Oxbow Park Bike Trails

Oxbox Park is located between Elkhart and Goshen which many locals consider Dunlap but the park technically has a Goshen address. Oxbow park is a large park with many trails to ride your bike from open land to wooded areas.

Boot Lake Nature Trails

As the name suggests, Boot Lake is the center point with a park and nature trails crafted around it, giving you scenic views as you explore this park.

Located on the north side of the city of Elkhart, Boot Lake is nestled back in some private land in the county, making it a fun getaway for the day to ride the trails on your bike. The trails have a few different loops to give you options so you don’t get bored taking the same loop over and over again.

Downtown Elkhart River Walk

Take a scenic ride through downtown Elkhart and see the rich history of Elkhart from the Lerner Theatre to Hotel Elkhart to the famous train station.

There is also the River Walk trail that spans around the Beacon Health & Fitness Center, Nibco Water Park, and continues around downtown Elkhart, following next to the Elkhart River, giving a scenic ride.