The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Hamilton County Tuesday opened the recently completed Steven Nation Community Pathway outside the town of Cicero.
The 2.45-mile asphalt multi-use trail was constructed by the county with help from a $1,047,670 Next Level Trails (NLT) grant. The award was announced by Gov. Eric J. Holcomb in March 2021 as part of the second grant round of NLT. The project included a partnership with Hamilton County Tourism.
“Through Gov. Holcomb’s Next Level Trails initiative, Indiana is a national leader in supporting communities as they build networks of new connections through trails,” said Dan Bortner, DNR director. “Across the state, trails bring communities together, and the new Steven Nation Community Pathway in Hamilton County continues that vital connection.”
The completed project follows Jackson Street from Cicero to White River Campground and Strawtown Koteewi Park. Inside the park, the new trail connects to the pedestrian bridge over the White River to link with Strawtown Koteewi’s trail network.
The trail is named for Nation, a Hamilton County councilor, retired Superior Court judge and former Hamilton County prosecutor who founded the Hamilton County Youth Assistance Program for at-risk students.
“Naming this trail after Steve just made good sense,” said Mark Heirbrandt of the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners. “He has dedicated his life to connecting people and bringing them together as a community, just like this trail will connect and build community between our northern towns in Hamilton County.”
As part of Gov. Holcomb’s Next Level Connections initiative, NLT is the largest infusion of trails funding in state history. The $150 million program is administered by the DNR and facilitates critical trail connections within and between Hoosier communities.
Including the Steven Nation Community Pathway, 16 of the 75 NLT projects are complete, totaling 52.45 miles of trail built since the program’s inception. An additional 54 miles is under construction, and 140 more miles are in the pre-construction phase of development under the grant program.
More information about the NLT is at on.IN.gov/NextLevelTrails.