WHITE LICK CREEK TRAIL
Length: 3.5 miles / Surface: paved / Location: Plainfield / Connects to: Vandalia Trail, Clark’s Creek Trail, Hummel Park Loops, Sugar Grove Trail, Recreation Center Loop Trail / Total trail system length: 15.5 miles
PARK AND GO
The trail is accessible by ample free parking areas, so put some thought into choosing where to station your wheels. The Friendship Gardens at South Center Street and Stafford Road, for example, are a great picnic spot.
TRAINING DAYS
From June 6 to August 9, a Summer Fun Run race series hosts free, noncompetitive jaunts at a different Hendricks County park every Wednesday from 6 to 7 p.m. Runners can time themselves on designated 1-mile or 5-kilometer courses. Two dates correspond with White Lick Creek Trail landmarks: Hummel Park (June 28) and the Al & Jan Barker Sports Complex (July 5). Complete eight of the 10 runs and receive a commemorative T-shirt.
CRITTER X-ING
Beware overzealous squirrels darting across the path in heavily wooded Hummel Park: Runners have reported being followed and even getting nipped on the ankle(!).
HIGH OVERHEAD
You’ll find some of the system’s most shaded portions just west of the recreation center on the Vandalia Trail, or just south of there on a curvy section of the White Lick Creek Trail protected by canopy. The leg of the trail that parallels Center Street, on the other hand, offers minimal coverage, so load up on SPF and wear a hat.
TEMPERATURE CONTROL
An $11 day pass gives you access to the Richard A. Carlucci Recreation and Aquatic Center’s lap pool, as well as its weight-lifting equipment, indoor basketball courts, and 0.1-mile indoor track. The facility also offers Zumba, yoga, and martial-arts classes. A separate admission fee gets you into Splash Island outdoor water park and its lazy river and six-lane lap pool.
COOL DOGS
All Plainfield trails are canine-friendly, and there is a registration-required Bark Park at Swinford Park. On September 9 and 10, Splash Island throws a Puppy Pool Party ($10), allowing dogs to swim restraint-free. You can check the website for designated times based on your pet’s weight, and make sure their meds are up to date.
GIVE ME LIBRARIES
The Plainfield–Guilford Township public library has placed several Little Free Library boxes around the town’s trail system. Users can donate unwanted books or pick up a title to peruse while resting trail-weary feet.
DINE AND DASH
In Plainfield’s idyllic town center, historic Oasis Diner retained its old-school aesthetic after a 4-mile move from the east side of town in 2010. Trail users can pop over to the postcard-perfect greasy spoon for “Kansas City–Loaded” biscuits and gravy, or handcrafted soda.
CIRCULAR REASONING
Runners looking forward to a post-workout reward tuck a few dollars in their waistbands for a stop at cash-only Al’s Donuts near the trailhead. And they know to get there early—way early: It’s open from 2:30 to 9 a.m., and usually runs out of product well before closing time.
NICE (TRAIL) HEAD
Of course, runners looking for a more grown-up reward might instead hit Brew Link Brewing for a pint in the sunny tasting room.
TRAIL GUIDE
Mini-Marathoner Vince Rightley, 51, lives in Brownsburg but drives to Plainfield for distance runs. “When you’re doing a longer run, it gets boring running the same loop over and over,” says Rightley, who uses the trail a few times a week. “There is no traffic. You can get away from everything except the trees. I can get 10 miles in without worrying about cars.”
This article is part of “Hot on the Trails,” IM’s road-free guide to exploring Central Indiana.
