Cardinal Greenway -Muncie

This middle third of the Cardinal Greenway continues northwest from the Economy and Muncie areas to Gaston.  To the northeast is Prairie Creek Reservoir.  An equestrian trail segment parallels the main trail here, and there are additional equestrian miles over a branch trail that follows the lake's western shore.

 

Continuing on, the non-horse trail comes into the Muncie and Ball State University area.  If you wish to do more off-trail exploration, there's the Children's Museum in Muncie.  Ball Sate, named for the family of the canning jar company, has a number of places and things to do and see, including a planetarium and art museum.  The National Model Aviation Museum is found in Muncie too.

 

Finally, let's not forget as you stride or ride along the Greenway that in the late 1800's to very early 1900's, America's first major and very large oil field was discovered here.  Hence, the names of some of the towns like Gaston and Gas City, Indiana.  Though much was wasted and overdrilling reduced pressure for extraction of the remaining oil, most of it is estimated to still be underground, technologically and economically out of reach-until recently anyway.

 

These fossil fuel deposits are attributed to this region's very ancient past, when it was located in a tropical latitude, and at times much of it was covered by a biologically rich, shallow sea.