North Loop Trail
Photo: ken ratcliff, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 2.0 mi
- one way
- 231 ft
- climb
- 895 ft
- high point
- Point to point
- route
- Jun, Aug–Oct
- best months
North Loop Trail is a short, easy hike in Indiana, about 2 miles long and roughly 0.8 miles from the town of Mount Liberty. It is a point-to-point route, with a high point of about 895 feet and a low of about 678 feet, and the climb totals about 231 feet of gain. The trail is rated easy, and the steepest stretch comes at about 0.8 miles in, with a grade of about 19 percent. The trail is part of a network of short routes in the area. South Loop Trail and Old Road Trail both start within about a tenth of a mile, and Cut-Thru Trail is about half a mile away. For a longer outing, Saddle Barn Trail lies about 4.5 miles off. Late spring and early fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Columbus show May highs around 75°F and September highs around 80°F, with September also seeing the fewest wet days of the year.
Local outfitters
- Rusted Moon Outfitters48 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · Jun, Aug–Oct
Best time to visit North Loop 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.
Jan
39° / 21°
11 wet · 4 snow
Feb
43° / 24°
10 wet · 3 snow
Mar
53° / 32°
12 wet · 1 snow
Apr
66° / 42°
13 wet
May
75° / 53°
13 wet
Jun
83° / 62°
11 wet
Jul
86° / 65°
10 wet
Aug
85° / 63°
8 wet
Sep
80° / 55°
7 wet
Oct
68° / 44°
8 wet
Nov
54° / 34°
9 wet
Dec
43° / 26°
11 wet · 2 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Columbus, IN, 11.3 mi away at 609 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: ken ratcliff, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Cut-Thru Trail
Next door
0.51-mile point-to-point trail in Indiana with 104 ft elevation gain.
Photo: Serge Melki from Indianapolis, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Hhc Trail
~11 min drive
A 3.88-mile point-to-point trail through Indiana's countryside.
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Columbus People Trails
~19 min drive
A 19.49-mile point-to-point trail connecting Columbus parks and green spaces.
Photo: Elizabeth Nicodemus, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Fire Tower Trail
~8 min drive
Point-to-point trail to an Indiana fire tower with scenic overlook views.
Photo: 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.
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Nebo Ridge Trail 1
~21 min drive
Challenging 16.46-mile out-and-back ridge hike in Indiana.
Photo: Elizabeth Nicodemus, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Strahl Lake Trail
~9 min drive
Easy point-to-point lakeside trail in Indiana with scenic water views.
HIKE
Ogala Trail
~15 min drive
6.92-mile out-and-back hike in Indiana with 1,199 ft elevation gain
Photo: b_nicodemus, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Discovery Trail
~9 min drive
0.51-mile loop trail in Indiana with 82 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Brown Co. "D"
~16 min drive
Accessible 4.21-mile out-and-back woodland trail in Brown County, Indiana.
Route details
- Distance
- 2.0 mi
- Climbing
- About 231 ft
- Summit
- 892 ft
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- About 1 hour
Other routes up Downey Hill
Questions about this route
How long is the North Loop Trail on Downey Hill?
About 2.0 mi.
How much elevation gain is on the North Loop Trail?
About 231 ft of climbing round trip.
How hard is the North Loop Trail?
It is rated easy.
How long does the North Loop Trail take?
About 1 hour round trip.
How many routes go up Downey Hill?
3: South Loop Trail, Old Road Trail and North Loop Trail.
Conditions and forecast on Downey Hill
Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at the summit and route start for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
