With the pedestrian connector from the Wabash River to West Terre Haute completed, a north-south trail route from the National Road Heritage Trail to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) is now a reality. SMWC has opened a new trailhead at the main campus entrance and worked with Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods (SPSMW) to designate and mark several trails on their combined grounds.
With grants from the Wabash Valley Community Foundation and the National Road Bicycle Club, SMWC repurposed the historic Gatehouse circa 1925 to serve as an information center and restroom for trail users.
West of the Gatehouse, Le Fer Lake was restored and encircled by a gravel trail in 2019, using a gift from the Hollie and Anna Oakley Foundation and effort and expertise contributed by the 181st Airborne and Vectren Foundation.
With monetary and logistical support from Vigo County Solid Waste Management, SMWC students recycled plastic caps and lids through the ABC Promise Program. These were made into benches and picnic tables, lending to a park-like setting around the lake.
Indiana Wildlife Federation environmentalists guided students, faculty and staff to understand and mitigate erosion, remove invasive species and cultivate native vegetation.
The recently built Mary and Bayless Butler Classroom offers a pavilion-like space for students to work and for College gatherings.
The Gatehouse and the multi-purpose educational and recreational trailhead site will be open for College and public use daily.
“From the start, we envisioned a beautiful and welcoming place for individuals, families, students and classes to enjoy nature and each other,” said Susan Dolle, SMWC director of grants development. “We’ve been blessed with so many community organizations and individual donors who have shared that vision.”
A trail task force with representation from SMWC and SPSMW mapped five campus trails with different themes. Besides the very visible Le Fer Lake Trail, people can follow marked sidewalks and roads on a Nature Education Trail which highlights several environmental habitats and County Big Trees on the grounds.
The two-mile perimeter trail follows marked gravel and paved roads through the combined SMWC and SPSMW grounds and is a favorite for runners because of its defined length, along with the beautiful scenery.
Two long-time favorite hiking/walking trails are found north of the Stables: the Astral Trail and Saint Joseph’s Lake Trail. These are both dirt trails for pedestrian use only, developed by the SPSMW.
The campus trail map is available in the Gatehouse, online at https://www.smwc.edu/about/campus-map and in a new regional Crossroads Trails app created by THRIVE. Additional trails may be developed in the future, highlighting different themes relevant to the history and architecture of the grounds, designated a Historic District in 2017.
The trail task force is coordinating with several organizations, including Vigo County, riverSCAPE and THRIVE, in planning the four-mile trail route between the National Road Heritage Trail in West Terre Haute and the new trailhead. There are two railroads, steep grades and several awkward intersections along the way.
The most likely scenario is a marked, “share-the-road” option along low traffic roads to provide a safer and more pleasant route for runners and bicyclers than is currently available. When complete, it will promote recreational activity and provide alternative transportation opportunities for the College, Sisters of Providence and several community neighborhoods.
Planners hope to eventually end up with a trail that connects Dewey Point, Lee Fields Park and the Saint-Mary-of-the-Woods trailhead with the Jackson-Schnyder Nature Preserve and Green Valley State Recreational Area, west of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. On a regional scale, this trail will eventually meet the south end of a trail route from Vermillion County and points north, as part of a statewide plan taking shape.
SMWC and SPSMW invite neighbors and visitors to enjoy these spaces and benefit from the new opportunities for physical activity, nature education, recreation and leisure. They are continuing to partner for a more livable and viable community.