Page last updated on December 12, 2023 at 1:57 pm
The Griffy Loop Trail and Accessible Fishing Pier project is being completed at Lake Griffy to provide greater safety, accessibility, and connectivity at the Griffy Lake Nature Preserve. While an improved trail and causeway has been in the Griffy Lake Master Plan for decades, this project is being completed now with funding largely from a 2018 Bicentennial Bond. The project is being completed in four phases.
The map shows the progress as of December 2023, with more information on each phase below. The Dam Crossing, Causeway Trail, and North Shore Trails are open. Park users may now park at the parking lot below the Griffy Dam and access the trails from the west.
The eastern end of the South Shore Trail is anticipated to be fully connected by Dec. 15, 2023. Please stay off of trails while they are closed. Additionally, please stay off of trails during the freeze/thaw cycle, when muddy conditions can negatively affect the trail's surfacing.
Work on reestablishing and rerouting connector trails will continue in 2024. A fourth phase of the project to improve the trails on the north shore is currently being planned.
Phase One – Causeway and Accessible Fishing Pier
This phase, completed in July 2022, constructed the retaining wall and .25-mile multi-use path along Headley Rd, connecting the northern and southern trails around Griffy Lake. This path improved safety, as pedestrians no longer need to walk along the edge of the road to access these trails. It also created an accessible fishing pier directly west of the existing Griffy Lake Nature Preserve parking lot.
Additionally, this phase also constructed the stairs and .5-mile new hiking trail along the south shore, connecting the causeway to existing IU Research and Teaching Preserve trails. This section of trail was meant to serve as a pilot project for future trail improvements.
E&B Paving, Inc. constructed the causeway and road improvements and Spectrum Trail, LLC, completed the hiking trail. The total cost of phase one was $2,330,797, with $1,661,000 in funding from the Bicentennial Bond, $477,417 from general obligation bonds, $76,300 from the general fund, and $116,000 from public works funding for the east side guardrail.
Phase Two – Griffy Dam Trail Crossing
Phase Two of the project created an official trail across the top of the Griffy Lake dam as well as a new set of stairs to improve access from the dam parking lot. The trail across the top of the dam is constructed out of packed quarter minus (gravel) and will connect to existing trails at the north and south ends of the dam. Phase Two began in June 2023 and was completed in December 2023.
Contractor Scenic Construction built a trail, stairway access point, and fence across the top of the dam for $348,420. Funding for the construction came from the North Kinser-Prow Road Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district. The new access point will allow users to park below the dam to access both the south and north shore trails.
Phase Three – Griffy South Shore Trail Improvements
Phase Three of the project involves constructing a new 4.5-mile hiking trail along the south shore of Griffy Lake, connecting the south end of the dam (Phase II) to the new causeway trail constructed as part of Phase I. The existing trail on the south shore is heavily eroded, difficult to follow, and does not follow current environmental best practices for trails. The trail project will eliminate social and informal trails and create a better, easier to follow trail for users. The new trail has been approved by the state Division of Nature Preserves, which operates a Nature Preserve on the south shore.
The Board of Park Commissioners in April 2023 approved a contract for $210,625 with Spectrum Trail Design to design and build the new trail on Griffy Lake's south side. Spectrum Trail Design is still finalizing some portions of the trail, which connects the dam to the Griffy Lake causeway trail at Headley Road. Funding for the trail construction came from the Bicentennial Bond series issued in 2018.