Indiana · Hiking

Cut-Thru Trail

Cut-Thru TrailPhoto: ken ratcliff, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
0.5 mi
one way
37 ft
climb
914 ft
high point
Point to point
route
Jun, Aug–Oct
best months

Cut-Thru Trail is a short, easy hike in southern Indiana, about half a mile long and rising only 37 feet from start to finish. It is a point-to-point route, with the high point at 914 feet and the low at 854 feet, and the steepest stretch comes at about 0.34 miles in, with a 5% grade. The nearest town is Mount Liberty, about 1.2 miles away. The trail is best done in late spring or early fall. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Columbus, Indiana, show May highs around 75°F and September highs around 80°F, with September also seeing the fewest wet days of the year. The trail is part of a network of short loops in the area. North Loop Trail and South Loop Trail both lie about half a mile away, and Old Road Trail is at a similar distance. For a longer outing, Fire Tower Trail is about 4 miles off.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · Jun, Aug–Oct

    Best time to visit Cut-Thru Trail

    Best months: June and August–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      39° / 21°

      11 wet · 4 snow

    2. Feb

      43° / 24°

      10 wet · 3 snow

    3. Mar

      53° / 32°

      12 wet · 1 snow

    4. Apr

      66° / 42°

      13 wet

    5. May

      75° / 53°

      13 wet

    6. Jun

      83° / 62°

      11 wet

    7. Jul

      86° / 65°

      10 wet

    8. Aug

      85° / 63°

      8 wet

    9. Sep

      80° / 55°

      7 wet

    10. Oct

      68° / 44°

      8 wet

    11. Nov

      54° / 34°

      9 wet

    12. Dec

      43° / 26°

      11 wet · 2 snow

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Columbus, IN, 11.7 mi away at 609 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Old Road TrailPhoto: ken ratcliff, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Old Road Trail

Next door

0.84-mile point-to-point trail in Indiana with 163 ft gain.

Hhc TrailPhoto: Serge Melki from Indianapolis, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Hhc Trail

~10 min drive

A 3.88-mile point-to-point trail through Indiana's countryside.

HIKE

Columbus People Trails

~20 min drive

A 19.49-mile point-to-point trail connecting Columbus parks and green spaces.

South Loop TrailPhoto: ken ratcliff, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

South Loop Trail

Next door

2.89-mile point-to-point trail in Indiana with 581 ft elevation gain

Crooked Creek LoopPhoto: aspidoscelis, Public Domain Dedication (CC0) (via Flickr)

Crooked Creek Loop

~16 min drive

5.24-mile loop in Indiana with 1,167 ft elevation gain.

HIKE

Nebo Ridge Trail 1

~20 min drive

Challenging 16.46-mile out-and-back ridge hike in Indiana.

North Loop TrailPhoto: ken ratcliff, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

North Loop Trail

Next door

North Loop Trail is a 1.99-mile point-to-point trail in Indiana.

HIKE

Ogala Trail

~15 min drive

6.92-mile out-and-back hike in Indiana with 1,199 ft elevation gain

Fire Tower TrailPhoto: Elizabeth Nicodemus, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Fire Tower Trail

~7 min drive

Point-to-point trail to an Indiana fire tower with scenic overlook views.

HIKE

Brown Co. "D"

~16 min drive

Accessible 4.21-mile out-and-back woodland trail in Brown County, Indiana.

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors