Community Notice

Hiking 10 results
Photographer M.J. Bower photographed more than 30 murals in Bloomington to create a Bloomington Mural Trail. This mural, ‘Love This City,’ was painted by Eva Allen on the side of Mother Bear’s Pizza’s east-side location in spring 2019. The full list of murals is at the end of the article, as is a link to The Bloomington Trail Map. | Photo by M.J. Bower

The Murals of Bloomington — Photos and Trail Map
M.J. Bower
Murals provide “a splash of color” in downtown Bloomington during the winter when most natural color has gone dormant, writes M.J. Bower. She photographed more than 30 local murals for this photo essay on an art form that has existed since prehistoric cave paintings. She also created a Bloomington Mural Trail for some outdoor winter fun. Click here to see the Murals of Bloomington and Trail Map.
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Hikers wander along the trails at Sycamore Land Trust’s Porter West. Writer Jonah Chester describes the preserve as a “diamond in the rough,” with sinkholes, a former composting site, and a cemetery. | Limestone Post

Porter West: Sycamore Land Trust’s ‘Diamond in the Rough’
Jonah Chester
A lot goes into preserving the natural beauty of an area — but sometimes that means just letting it be. Sycamore Land Trust’s Porter West Preserve, for example, includes a former composting site, sinkholes, and a cemetery. Writer Jonah Chester explores how SLT manages problems like invasive species in such “diamonds in the rough.” Click here to read the full story and to see many photos of Porter West.
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Community Notice

Feeling idle in the post-holiday lull? Writer and LP editor Dason Anderson has compiled a list of 12 happenings to get you out and about this winter season. Indoors, outdoors, alone or with friends, there’s something to do for everyone until spring comes again. | Photo by Tim Gouw, Pexels

Beat the Cold with These 12 Winter Events
Dason Anderson
Feeling idle in the post-holiday lull? Writer and LP editor Dason Anderson has compiled a list of 12 happenings to get you out and about this winter season. Indoors, outdoors, alone or with friends, there’s something to do for everyone until spring comes again. Click here to read the full story.
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Where once there was a trailhead near Crooked Creek Road on the Tecumseh Trail, Matt Flaherty encountered logging equipment and a trail in ruin. | Courtesy photo

Resistance to the DNR’s Logging of Yellowwood
Limestone Post
Several diverse groups have mobilized in recent months to oppose logging in Yellowwood State Forest. The resistance comes to a head this week, as forest advocates, including hundreds of scientists, are asking Gov. Eric Holcomb to call off the plan to cut down trees in Yellowwood’s backcountry and old-growth forest areas. Click here for the full story and how to get involved.
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Where once there was a trailhead near Crooked Creek Road on the Tecumseh Trail, Matt Flaherty encountered logging equipment and a trail in ruin. | Courtesy photo

A Hike on the Tecumseh Trail Now Ends in Destruction
Matt Flaherty
Matt Flaherty has traveled the Tecumseh Trail by hiking and camping on it with friends in late summer, running the marathon course in October, and running all 42 miles on one winter’s day. The last trip, though, ended when they reached the southern trailhead and found it had been destroyed by logging trucks. Click here to read the full story.
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Community Notice

Fastpacking mixes "trail running for fitness and backpacking for pleasure," says adventure-travel writer Michael Waterford. | Courtesy photo

Outfitted: Fastpacking, the ‘Sexy Hybrid’ of Trail Running and Backpacking
Michael Waterford
Adventure-travel writer Michael Waterford says the best way to see more fauna and foliage on long-distance trails is by fastpacking — the “sexy hybrid” of trail running and backpacking. Calling fastpacking “the stripped-down, all-out pursuit of mileage in the forest,” he offers these tips for your first fastpacking trip. Click here to read the full story.
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The American Discovery Trail is a 6,800-mile, coast-to-coast phenomenon that is the first of its kind in the country. Much of it travels along existing trails, such as this one in the Harrison-Crawford State Forest in southern Indiana. | Photo by Ron Eid

From the B-Line Trail to the Pacific Ocean — Hiking the American Discovery Trail
Ron Eid
Imagine hiking from the B-Line Trail to the Pacific Ocean (or the Atlantic) without ever leaving an official hiking trail. For years, hiking enthusiasts have been working on the American Discovery Trail, a coast-to-coast trail that passes through southern Indiana. Connecting it to the B-Line, via the Knobstone Trail, isn’t far-fetched. Click here to read the full story.
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Deckard’s Outdoors: Leonard Springs Nature Park
Trent Deckard
If you’re looking for a quick hike to see fall color up close, check out what Trent Deckard calls Bloomington’s best-kept secret. The main trail at Leonard Springs Nature Park is just over a mile long and takes you by two caves, a wetland, an erstwhile dam, and the springs. And the entire trail is lined with hardwoods that should be showing color for a few more weeks. Click here to watch the video.
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Community Notice

Deckard’s Outdoors: Beanblossom Bottoms Nature Preserve
Trent Deckard
In the premiere video of his series, “Deckard’s Outdoors,” in which he explores local nature preserves, parks, and other outdoor spaces, Trent Deckard films Beanblossom Bottoms Nature Preserve. Managed by Sycamore Land Trust, this unique wetlands has a 2 1/2 mile raised boardwalk trail that offers chances to see flora and fauna such as rare orchids, the endangered Indiana bat, Kirtland’s snake, and even bald eagles. Click here to watch the video.
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The Strahl Lake Trail wraps around a beautiful lake in Brown County State Park. | Photo by Miranda Addonizio

6 Great Places to Run Wild Near Bloomington
Jen Hockney Bratton
Ultramarathoner Miranda Addonizio tells Jen Hockney Bratton her favorite off-road running trails in southern Indiana, where you'll discover waterfalls, caves, and lush forests — for letting go of urban anxiety and putting in some wild miles. Click here to read the full story.
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Community Notice