Peninsula Trail is a 9.8 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Bloomington, Indiana that features a lake and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. Dogs and horses are also able to use this trail.
dog friendly
kid friendly
birding
camping
fishing
hiking
horseback riding
nature trips
trail running
walking
beach
forest
lake
views
wild flowers
wildlife
Grubb Ridge Loop Parking
*we found an E-collar at the beach section of this trail today. Pertainer brand with a black colllar. I put it on the bulletin board in the flyer box.*
Great hiking spot. Gets muddy and slippery on parts of the trails from the hose back riding.
Great trail for novice backpackers. We only saw a handful of people while we were on the trail, but the camp sites by the lake get full as the day goes on. Very dog friendly.
This isn't a terribly challenging trail, plan on 2 hours or so to get from trailhead to camp. Great trail for a beginner or if you are taking someone backpacking for the first time. You get a little challenge and a pretty good payoff of lake views. Several easy to find campsites make for a comfortable stay with beautiful lake views. Enjoy!
Awesome one nighter on Dec 2 weekend. Beautiful views. Didn't see much wildlife, although we did see an eagle cruising over Lake Monroe. Last weekend of hunting season, we did hear numerous gun shots in the evening and morning. Encountered one hunter who was processing his deer on the trail. I'll do this trail again, but not during hunting season.
The trail was beautiful! Well marked. It is also well maintained. We chose a camp site out by the beach. A great weekend!
Hiked in for the weekend and found a great campsite. They're not all easy to find- just look for the fire rings. Wonderful fall weather and great views. The hike in was pretty moderate but felt like it went quickly.
Great hike! Took my 8 year old son and spent the day fishing at our awesome campsite. The hike itself wasn’t difficult and the change leaves made for a pleasant time. I really enjoyed the old forest pine trees. We caught several bluegill and a bass from the shore.
Favorite trail in Indiana, and one of the finest in the Midwest. A short distance right outside of Bloomington makes this an easy weekend trip. My law school buddies and I hiked this trail four or five times and would drive down from Indianapolis to hit the trail.
The scenery is great, and the terrain isn't extremely difficult. The views of the lake at the end of the peninsula are beautiful and with proper planning you can find some beautiful campsites. The campsites are level for the most part, and are very well-used so there are established stone fire pits everywhere. Further, all the tree cover provides a lot of great spots to put up the hammock!
Love the camp sites at the end of the trail. Bring water shoes, the rocks are way hard on the feet.
great trail gorgeous view the campsites are directly by the lake! lovely weather. Bring a swim suit cause you are probably going to want to swim in the lake!
Parking: Park in the Grubb Parking lot. It's not really a parking lot. It's a giant clearing with gravel on the ground. Everyone crambs their cars into it like a giant puzzel. I arrived at 8am on a Sunday morning. Almost every spot was taken. That's because people were back packing from Friday, Saturday. I was able to get a spot.
Trail. If you take the Grubb Trail to the Peninsula Trail it's about 5 miles in one direction. It took me about an hour and 50 minutes. The terrian on the Penninsula Trail is slightly down hill heading to Monroe Lake. That means it's up hill on the way back. You don't notice the slope of the terrain until you head back.
Camp sites: Absolutely beautiful view of the lake. Breathtaking sunsets.
Swimming: Bring water shoes if you plan on swimming. The beach is all sharp, slippery rocks. No flip flops or sandles. WATER SHOES!
Went to Deam in June for 4 days and 3 nights and had an awesome time. The peninsula trail was not too bad a hike at all. From the lot it took me about two hours to get there. I added some extra weight to my pack with a fishing pole and it was worth it. The first night I caught my dinner from the lake. Some advice, take something to hang your food. I had a raccoon come into my camp the first night and tore a hole in my pack for some nuts I forgot I had in there. Mosquitos weren't bad. I didn't use bug spray the whole time. The ticks on the other hand were EVERYWHERE! Overall it was an awesome experience for my first solo trip. I met some cool people and learned a few things.
Had an amazing time--pretty flat, easy to follow trail. The ~4 miles of gravel road to get to the trailhead tested my car's suspension, but it was a really nice, well kept road. Filtered water for our group right from the lake (pre-filtered it through a bandana before going through a Sawyer Mini) and had no problems. Great spot!
Easy, flat trail. Amazing camping - one of my favorite backpacking spots!
Grub Ridge Loop to Peninsula Trail.
Just under five miles one way, the trail is very easily identifiable. Gorgeous view of Lake Monroe at the end, with several first come first serve sites with a lake view.
Not easy to get lost on, short one way distance, and minimal elevation gain makes it a great spot for beginners.
Nice hike to the camp sites, exquisit sunset viewing, peacefull. Definately worth the walk!
Great trail with a rewarding view of Lake Monroe at the end. Minimal elevation gain so even the most inexperienced hiker can enjoy themselves Personally, I utilize the bypasses to the left and right to avoid the muddy spots made from horse traffic.
Had a wonderful time.
The trail was a bit muddy in places, but was to be expected because of the recent rain.
The view from our campsite was beautiful.
Only issue was someone across the way play music late in the night.
This is a great trail out & back , was pretty muddy on this trip , but on dryer times it would be great , The lake is a welcome reward at the end , 5.1 miles one way
was a great time. with great views
A little bit muddy but great hike!
Awesome weather and amazing sunset!
Was a bit muddy in several places, keep your eyes open for trail bypasses to the left and right to help stay dry.
We had a great time hiking and camping out by the Lake. Trails were a little muddy, but we had a lot or rain last week. Will be returning as soon as possible.
Loved it! GORGEOUS sunset over the lake! Will return annually!
Went out yesterday for a overnight backpacking trip with my son. The trail was challenging and clean until you get to the camping area by the lake. People apparently feel quite free to leave their trash on the ground...it looked like the camping section of a WM had exploded. Great trail just the same.
beautiful
very popular spot but the people are great everybody was quiet and respectful gorgeous views and a stunning hike.