Two towns, one trail
The South Adams Trail — locals just call it the Berne–Geneva Trail — is a paved bike and walking path linking Berne and Geneva through some of the prettiest countryside in Adams County. It began in 2006 when a group of Berne and Geneva citizens set out to build a recreational trail for all ages and abilities, and today it's a smooth, wide ribbon of asphalt that welcomes bikes, walkers, and runners alike. Reviewers call it a hidden gem, and they're right.
Riding a piece of history
The trail follows the corridor of the old Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad, a passenger line that once carried travelers between Cincinnati, Ohio and Mackinaw City, Michigan, running from just after the Civil War until it was abandoned in 1967. Pieces of that history are still underfoot: the trail crosses the Wabash River on an original railroad bridge built by Carnegie Steel in 1897 — and near the southern end you'll find the 1879 Ceylon Covered Bridge, making this one of the few trails anywhere that connects two historic bridges.
What you'll see
This is quiet country riding at its best — farm fields, river bottoms, and wildlife everywhere. Trail users report red-headed woodpeckers, songbirds, chipmunks, and rabbits along the way, and on a weekday afternoon you might have the whole thing to yourself. The grade is gentle (it's an old rail line, after all), making it friendly for kids, casual riders, and regular road bikes.
Ride, then eat
A trail ride is the best appetite-builder Berne has. Start in town with coffee at one of the local shops, ride south past the covered bridge, and roll back into Berne ready for a tenderloin, a taco salad, or a well-earned cone at Grandma Stutzman's. Pedal to Geneva and back and you've officially earned the peanut butter cup pie.