The Northern Route
Ride north toward Gaston for ten-miles before reaching another SAG stop with great refreshments that are always welcome during the sometimes warm days of July. From the Gaston rest stop riders can return back down the trail to complete a twenty-mile loop of relatively flat, scenic Delaware County countryside.
Or, riders may continue north on a road path that connects the Marion portion of the Cardinal Greenway to the twenty-seven mile stretch that passes though Muncie.
The connecting roads are in great shape and well marked as they go through Mathews and Jonesboro before hooking into the "rails to trails" conservatory that runs between Jonesboro and Marion. An additional SAG stop can be found near the start of this part of the Greenway. The Cardinal Greenway through Marion offers several bridges as it passes above potions of the surrounding nature. Getting there is well worth the extra mileage and there is a lot to see along the county roads that make it possible. A few short rolling hills between Mathews and Jonesboro add to the scenery make this part a bit more challenging, but there's no need for granny gears or anything that the typical cyclist would find too difficult. It's well worth the 27-mile trip to Marion to see everything along the way there and to take in this unique piece of the Greenway.