Pleasant Run Greenway facts for kids

The Pleasant Run Greenway, also called the Pleasant Run Trail, is a special path in Indianapolis, Indiana. It's made for people to walk, bike, or rollerblade. This trail is about 6.9 miles long. It stretches from Ellenberger Park all the way to Garfield Park. Along its way, it passes through Christian Park. The greenway mostly follows the Pleasant Run Creek as it flows through the city. Much of the trail is part of the historic Indianapolis Park and Boulevard System. Sometimes, the path uses regular city sidewalks when there isn't enough space along the creek.

Building the Trail: How It Started

Planning the Greenways

In 1994, the Indianapolis Department of Parks and Recreation had a big idea. They wanted to create a network of "linear parks" across the city. These would be long, narrow parks, often following rivers or old railway lines. They called this the Indianapolis Greenways Plan. The Pleasant Run area was chosen as one of 14 important corridors for these new trails.

Construction and Opening

Work on the Pleasant Run Greenway began in 1997. It took about a year to build. The trail officially opened in August 1998. A lot of the greenway was built within the existing Pleasant Run Parkway. This parkway itself was built much earlier, in the 1920s, as part of the larger Indianapolis Park and Boulevard System.

Trail Surface and Markers

Most of the greenway is made of Asphalt. It is usually between 5 and 12 feet wide. However, in Ellenberger Park, the path changes to crushed limestone. Also, in some spots, the trail uses existing sidewalks along city streets. You'll find markers every quarter-mile along the greenway. The first marker in Ellenberger Park is "mile 2." This is because there are plans to make the trail even longer in the future, extending it further east.

Exploring the Pleasant Run Greenway: The Route

Starting Point: Ellenberger Park

The Pleasant Run Greenway begins in the southwest part of Ellenberger Park. This park is located in the Irvington neighborhood. From there, the trail follows the north side of the creek. It heads west and then south. It leads to the Kin Hubbard Memorial, which is a small park area.

Crossing Streets and Parks

From the Kin Hubbard Memorial, the trail goes south along Emerson Avenue. It crosses over the creek there. Then, it heads west on Washington Street, crossing the creek again. For a short distance, it runs along the north bank of the creek. It then turns south, crossing Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive. A path connects here to Thomas Carr Howe Community High School. The greenway continues along the north bank. Both the trail and the parkway then go under the CSX railroad bridge.

At Brookville Road, the trail crosses from the south bank back to the north bank. It then goes through Christian Park. Inside Christian Park, the greenway connects with several other paths.

City Sidewalks and Bridges

When the trail reaches English and Avon avenues, it moves away from the creek. Here, it uses sidewalks along English Avenue. It continues on sidewalks to Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive. The greenway then goes west between the parkway and the creek until Keystone Avenue. At Keystone, it again uses sidewalks. It goes south on Keystone and then east on Prospect Street. Finally, it meets the creek again. You'll see signs marking the trail in these areas where it uses city sidewalks.

Towards Garfield Park

From Prospect Street, the greenway runs along the north side of Pleasant Run Creek. It passes by Orange Park. Near Spruce Street, there's a special bridge for walkers and bikers. This bridge takes the trail to the south side of the creek. The trail continues west under the Interstate 65 bridge.

At Shelby Street, the greenway meets another path called a cycle track. This track connects to the Indianapolis Cultural Trail to the north. West of Shelby Street, the greenway turns south with the creek. It goes through the southeast part of the Bates–Hendricks neighborhood. South of Beecher Street, the trail goes under the Indianapolis Belt Railroad tracks. It then enters the northern edge of Garfield Park. Here, it travels on a boardwalk under the Raymond Street bridge. The Pleasant Run Greenway officially ends at Pagoda Drive inside Garfield Park. However, several other paths within the park connect to it.

Future Plans: More Connections!

There are exciting plans to make the greenway even longer!

Connecting to Other Trails

One idea is to extend the trail further south and west from Garfield Park. Eventually, it could connect to the Wapahani Trail, which runs along the White River. Another possible extension is north and east from Ellenberger Park. This would go towards Shadeland Avenue and the Pennsy Trail.

New Connections Completed

A connector path was finished in 2011. This path runs north along the west side of Shelby Street. It connects the Pleasant Run Greenway to Fountain Square and the Indianapolis Cultural Trail. These connections help people explore more of Indianapolis by foot or bike!