Sponsored by Indiana Native Plant & Wildflower Society (INPAWS) – North Chapter

Saturday afternoon
April 21, 2018

Open to INPAWS members & the public

The Pumpkinvine Nature Trail replaces most of an abandoned railroad from Goshen to Shipshewana, about 16 miles. The section of the trail around mile 4.5 has a nice wildflower display from mid-April to mid-May. On April 21, 2017 there were about 15 species blooming, but Spring 2018 may be different. John J. Smith, a member of INPAWS and the Friends of the Pumpkinvine, will lead the hike.

There are two options for this event — a 10-mile round-trip bike ride or a one-mile round-trip hike.

Wildflower Bike Ride

Bikers will meet at the Abshire Park parking lot at 2:15 p.m. on Saturday, April 21 to ride together the five miles to the intersection of the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail and County Road 33. Abshire Park is in Goshen on State Road 4 (1302 East Lincoln Ave.), less than one mile east of the Elkhart County Courthouse. There is a large lot at Abshire Park, for parking and unloading bikes. The trail begins near the parking lot. We will ride bikes together to mile marker 5.0. En route we will stop briefly at two-or-three places to see what’s blooming, but the best wildflower display is near mile 4.5. We will meet hikers at mile 5.0 to begin the hike
at 3 p.m. The hike will end at 4:30 p.m. Bikers will return to Abshire park at their own pace. Note: Bikers must preregister by contacting johnjaysmith39@gmail.com or at (574) 533-9496 by April 16. There is a limit of 15 bikers.

Wildflower Hike

Walkers are to meet at 2:45 p.m. at the Abshire Park lot (see directions above) to car-pool to County Road 33, where there is space for only two vehicles. The hike will begin at 3 p.m. and end by 4:30, when the car-pool will return to Abshire Park. Note: Hikers must pre-register by contacting johnjaysmith39@gmail.com or at (574) 533-9496 by April 16. There is a limit of 10 hikers.

We will go rain or shine, unless there are thunderstorms; call John at (574) 903-0191 if the weather is uncertain.