The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Radius Indiana celebrated the opening of the Monon South Trail’s longest new section to date on May 2.

The 5.5 miles of trail in the town of Borden consist of both paved and crushed stone surfaces. The newly opened trail section goes from the west end of Borden to Deam Lake Road, a crossing near Deam Lake State Recreation Area.

“With the opening of this newest section of the Monon South Trail, we’re looking forward to welcoming more visitors to Deam Lake State Recreation Area,” said Maddy Conner, DNR chief of staff. “Next Level Trails is all about connecting people to the outdoors and important destinations, and we’re excited to see this new link added through the Monon South.”

Including previous openings in Mitchell and Orleans, the Monon South now has more than 9 miles of trail open to the public.

“When our team was planning Phase 1 construction of the Monon South Trail, we pushed the boundaries of our budget to make sure that we built this connection to Deam Lake,” said Jeff Quyle, president and CEO of Radius Indiana. “Providing the ability for Deam Lake visitors to visit Borden by walking or biking gives an immediate example of the power this trail will have to connect our communities, provide outdoor recreation, and revitalize communities with trail-related business opportunities.”

Next Level Trails (NLT) funded the purchase of the 62.3-mile corridor on behalf of New Albany and Radius Indiana for the combined sum of $5.5 million. DNR granted Radius with an additional $22.3 million to support Phase 1 development, which is expected to be completed by August, offering Hoosiers and visitors alike over 20 miles of hard-surface trail along the historic former Monon Railroad rail line.

NLT is the largest infusion of trails funding in state history. The $180 million program is administered by the DNR and facilitates critical trail connections within and between Hoosier communities. 43 of the 89 NLT projects are complete, totaling more than 116 miles of trail built since the program’s inception. Several projects are under construction, with many more slated to break ground this year.