Healthy Communities of Henry County continues to grow local trails, connecting towns the way the interurban lines did 100 years ago.
This summer, Healthy Communities of Henry County cleared the way for and constructed a quarter-mile crushed stone addition to the National Road Heritage Trail (NRHT) east of Dunreith.
Healthy Communities of Henry County (HCHC) has been a local nonprofit since 1993. The National Road Heritage Trail (NRHT) in rustic and tree lined with open fields and connects the three towns of Raysville, Dunreith and Lewisville.
“A gap in the NRHT has been filled and allows area citizens to use the trail instead of the highway shoulder, increased safety for trail users and users in nature instead of US 40,” said HCHC Trail Director Jeff Ray.
Since the National Road Heritage Trail opened in August 2009, HCHC has added parcels and developed rustic portions. Each section is now four miles long. The new quarter-mile addition fills a gap and connects to the open four miles of the NRHT from County Road 225W to Lewisville.
“Dunreith citizens had been reluctant to use the NRHT going east or west since there was a one-mile gap between CR 225W and State Road 3 along U.S. 40,” Ray said. “Trail users will now be able to use the NRHT off road, instead of detouring to US 40 and CR 225 W for this quarter-mile.”
In June, local contractor Evan Taylor, who had worked for the Raintree Trails System in the past, completed a 400-foot section of crushed stone trail east of Railroad Street in Dunreith.
Volunteers from Healthy Communities, along with the volunteers from the National Road Heritage Trail, did initial clearing of the overgrown corridor in Lewisville from Williams Street to 1st Street and across the old railroad bridge to prepare for the project.
“NRHT volunteers worked one Saturday a month from June through October to help with this project, and a contractor did the heavy work of digging up stumps and trees,” said Ray.
Greenways Foundation in Indiana
The addition was funded by a $10,000 grant from the Greenways Foundation in Indiana.
“The grant only helped with the East Dunreith project, but the continued work inspired others to get involved,” Ray said.
Greenways Foundation awarded a total of $82,000 in 2025 to support trail planning, construction, maintenance, and community engagement projects across Indiana. The nonprofit organization saw “a significant increase in interest and demonstrated need” during the 2025 grant cycle, compared to the four previous years.
The foundation noted major drivers behind the surge in application include the loss of NextLevel Trails (NLT) state funding and the uncertainty of federal funding while Hoosiers’ desire for better quality of life, outdoor recreation, alternative transportation and local economic development continues to grow.
“The volume and diversity of applications this year clearly show how important trails are to Indiana communities,” said Executive Director Khepri Hazel. “Communities are stepping up with strong ideas and partnerships at a time when traditional funding sources have diminished.”
More information about the Greenways Foundation grants program and a complete list of the 2025 awarded projects is available at greenwaysfoundation.org.
Other local projects
Other projects for HCHC in 2025 included giving away at least 2,500 trees, hosting the Raintree Ride and recognizing Earth Day and Rails to Trails Day.
HCHC also partnered with Henry County Removes Invasive Plant Species (HC-RIPS), New Castle Climate Fest and Henry County Solid Waste Management District in 2025.
Other group partners include the Henry County Community Foundation, BP Lightsource, Town of Dunreith, NRHT Inc., Henry County Board of Commissioners and the New Castle-Henry County Economic Development Corp.
While Henry County citizens and guests can walk, run or bicycle on the 20 miles of open trails for free, HCHC volunteers continue to maintain and pave the way to safe experiences.
The group relies on donations, memberships and grants to keep everything going for trail users and good health for the community. An annual $25 membership helps keep the work going. Donations can be mailed to HCHC, PO Box 921, New Castle, IN 47362. Follow Healthy Communities of Henry County on Facebook and learn more at hchcin.org.