While asphalt roads are ablaze with heat, I’m astride my bicycle under dappled green canopies, gliding through treelined trails and passages beneath the bustling streets. There’s a creek cascading over rocks, it races alongside, and we interlace as the stream snakes under the planks of wooden bridges. Mentally merging with my surroundings, I entertain the fairy-tale illusion of the speeding bicycle morphing into my galloping (Sagittarian) centaur self. Making my way along the covert course within the enchanted forest, it’s dark and cool, the breeze encircles my body, flowing through my mane as I inhale the rich earthly aroma. My innate biophilial instincts satiated, the mind silenced by the melodious birdsong, I drift away with the current of the creek…
Indian Creek Trail beneath College Boulevard Bridge
This is my commute and more importantly imagination at play. I avoid many of the exhaust ridden streets and travel 15 miles to work by bicycle via the parks and recreation trails from Midtown to Town Center.
I link together the trails of Mill Creek Park to the Trolley Track, and my favorite, Indian Creek Trail. On days I want a break from my zealous expedition however, whether it be extreme weather conditions or that I’m just wanting to read, I’ll take the KCATA bus #57 from the Country Club Plaza to 103rd and Wornall where I can access Indian Creek Trail behind the posh QT.
If you haven’t had the pleasure of riding this wooded trail, I highly suggest making a trip, there’s a mystical beauty to the forest that stirs the soul.
Check out this map of the Indian Creek Trail for more detailed information.
KC SpokesPeople 
Great entry! How do you get from the Trolley Track to the Indian Creek Trail? Holmes?
IF you can get past the sink hole + barrier near Troost on the Trolley Trail, ride to the end at Dodson. Turn right onto Prospect, cross the RR Tracks and follow Prospect, crossing the bridge over the Blue River. Continue south on Blue River Road, and immediately after the RR trestle, turn right, go around the bend, then left on 95th St. (NOT Bannister, yet). Ride through the Federal complex. You can follow the KCATA sign routes to Bannister Road. Then ride on Bannister to Lydia to connect to the Indiana Creek Trail. This is probably a little farther; it is very nice when there are no sink-hole stoppages between Holmes and Paseo on the Trolley Trail. (There’s even a way to ride around them by going up to 85th, but that complicates a commute). BTW: you will also see the Troost MAX for a bus connection on Bannister Road.
I looked it up on the map and it looks like a more pleasant ride than climbing Holmes and it’s only a mile or so more. I’ve followed the Trolley Track to the end a few times and I agree it’s a nice ride, didn’t think about connecting with Indian Creek there. Something new to try out,
thanks for the info!
Took this route yesterday and good riddance Holmes. There’s some nice scenery along those roads. I hadn’t been on the south end of trolley track in awhile, you use to be able to ride around those barriers but I had to dismount and lift my bike over. Still, I think it’s the most serene part of the trail.
Yes, the hills of Holmes, not the most scenic but it’s a good workout! I like to ride as much of the trail as I can so I head east on Bannister, south on Lydia, there’s an entrance to the trail after going over the bridge. If there’s a better way to connecting those two trails, I’d sure like to know!
Exactly what I was going to ask. I currently work at the Sprint Campus, and have dreams of riding all the way from home (Gladstone) to the campus, but truthfully the southern end of the route is the most concerning because of traffic. I love the trails here in JoCo, but getting to them from the North is not an easy task right now. For now I do a hybrid commute, driving 2/3 of the way, parking in a public lot, and riding the bike the rest of the way in. The trail (not really scenic and definitely in the thick of exhaust-riddent traffic) on Metcalf is actually very nice, but I would prefer the Indian Creek trail route if I could connect to it without dodging too many cars.
I do a hybrid ride to the Sprint campus from midtown via the JO to 95th and Metcalf, picking up the Indian Creek trail at 103rd & Metcalf and taking it to Lamar, then into the campus via 115th.
Another way to do it is to get to the Indian Creek trailhead at 99th and Holmes, and again, taking the trail to Lamar. I ride the whole way home, usually via Somerset Rd to Jarboe then Belleview. If I take the trail I’ll go to Holmes then cut over at 85th to either take Oak or the Trolley Trail if I’m not in a hurry.
Wow, Linda, that’s an impressive trek. I don’t think I’ve ridden the trail on Metcalf, I’ll have to check it out. I’m in hopes that we’ll get more trails to connect to Indian Creek, its such a lovely trail.
I’ll be trying out Indian Creek for the first time tomorrow, all because of this article! Thanks for the inspiration. I’ll have to drive to it, of course. The area I live in (by the Legends) is bike friendly times zero.
One of my favorite recreational routes is a mix of the Indian Creek and Tomahawk Creek trails. The latter has a few intense hills.
It’s a nice one, I think tomahawk might be the one I take to work actually.
Hooray! Welcome to the forest, Heather! Maybe we’ll cross paths. If you happen to see a hunter green Surly Trucker, that’s me!
I’m going to try this.
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