State: IA, NE Length: 0.60 miles Surface: Concrete
The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge—named for the former Nebraska senator who helped secure much of its funding—opened in September 2008 as the first dedicated pedestrian bridge to connect two states. Omaha, Nebraska, and Council Bluffs, ...
State: IA Length: 2.60 miles Surface: Crushed Stone
The tranquil, tree-lined Boyson Trail runs along Indian Creek and Dry Creek in western Marion. The crushed limestone trail connects neighborhoods, shopping areas, and several parks (north to south): Boyson, Donnelly, Thomas, and Hanna. Restrooms ...
Rail-Trail
State: IA Length: 7.90 miles Surface: Asphalt, Concrete
The Cedar Prairie Trail is one in a series of trail systems throughout Cedar Falls, Iowa. The trail runs between the South Riverside Trail at Waterloo Rd. and the Sergeant Road Trail along Sergeant Road (US 63) just north of Shaulis Road south ...
State: IA Length: 12.60 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Cedar River Trail extends between Blairs Ferry Road NE (also the southern end point of the Cedar Valley Nature Trail) through downtown Cedar Rapids and 76th Avenue SW. At 76th Avenue, the trail becomes the Hoover Nature Trail. The 12.6-mile ...
State: IA Length: 6.50 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Cedar Valley Lakes Trail is one in a series of trail systems throughout Cedar Falls, Iowa. The trail runs between Main Street on the north bank of the Cedar River in Cedar City and Longfellow Avenue alongside Cedar Bend Park in Waterloo. ...
State: IA Length: 52 miles Surface: Asphalt, Crushed Stone
The Cedar Valley Nature Trail follows an abandoned railroad right-of-way of the old Waterloo, Cedar Falls & Northern, an interurban railroad system established in the early 1900s. The 52-mile trail is a linear park that courses through the Cedar ...
State: IA Length: 19.80 miles Surface: Asphalt
This scenic Chichaqua Valley Trail runs for 20 miles between just east of Bondurant and the town of Baxter, passing through the small communities of Ira, Mingo and Valeria along the way. The name is derived from a Native American word that early ...
State: IA Length: 13.50 miles Surface: Cinder, Crushed Stone
Cinder Path, stretching between the sleepy towns of Cheriton and Humeston in southern Iowa, might appear unassuming to those unfamiliar with Iowa's great trail history. But don't let the rugged surface or the untamed vegetation fool you—Cinder ...
State: IA Length: 8.50 miles Surface: Asphalt, Concrete
The Clive Greenbelt Trail meanders along the northern bank of Walnut Creek through the Des Moines suburbs of Windsor Heights and Clive. Because of the many twists and turns on the high-traffic trail, cyclists should watch out for runners and ...
State: IA Length: 0.75 miles Surface: Crushed Stone
The Copper Creek Trail runs for a short distance from the town of Preston, heading northwest along Copper Creek to meet with the Jackson County Recreation Trail. You'll find a nice picnic spot with a gazebo where the two trails meet.
State: IA Length: 1.80 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Denver-Jefferson Trail, also known as the Jefferson City Trail, offers a short north-south connector between the Waverly Rail Trail and the small city of Denver in eastern Iowa. At its southern end, you can access Brandt Park and the Denver ...
State: IA Length: 13.50 miles Surface: Asphalt
If every city in the United States had the foresight and commitment of Davenport, Iowa, we would be a perpetually pleased nation. While Davenport boasts a convenient location halfway between the increasingly bike-friendly cities of Chicago and ...
State: IA Length: 16 miles Surface: Concrete, Crushed Stone, Gravel
The Fairfield Loop Trail forms a 16-mile ring around the town of Fairfield, mostly in the outlying areas of the countryside. The trail links two major preserves and connects city and county parks. Along the way you'll pass through woodlands, ...
State: IA Length: 1.50 miles Surface: Crushed Stone
The Flint River Trail, when complete, will run for approximately 20 miles between downtown Burlington, Iowa, and the Big Hollow Creek Recreation Area in the northern part of Des Moines County. The trail will also link together other popular ...
State: IA Length: 1.80 miles Surface: Asphalt, Cinder
The Franklin Grove Heritage Trail rests on top of an abandoned Rock Island railroad corridor that runs through the heart of the small Iowan city of Belmond. The trail connects the residential section of Belmond to rural farming areas to both ...
State: IA Length: 12 miles Surface: Asphalt
When complete, the Gay Lea Wilson Trail will link several central Iowa communities and open space over a 35-mile course. The main completed section connects Des Moines with Pleasant Hill and Altoona to the northeast. Plans are to connect East ...
State: IA Length: 2.50 miles Surface: Concrete
While the open section of the Gay Lea Wilson Trail in Ankeny is only 2.5 miles long, plans call for an extension of the trail to meet the longer section of Des Moines' Gay Lea Wilson Trail as early as 2013. Construction will begin at the current ...
State: IA Length: 0.50 miles Surface: Ballast, Grass
Located in the quaint community of Lost Nation, the Gilroy Rustic Park Trail is one of the most picturesque places in Clinton County. The half-mile path is lined with trees and, although the trail is overlain with grass, the ballast of the former ...
State: IA Length: 16.50 miles Surface: Asphalt
The 16.5-mile Great Western Trail in central Iowa is built on an abandoned rail bed for the Chicago Great Western, originally constructed in 1893. The trail crosses a few remaining remnants of prairie and wetlands that include some of Iowa's ...
State: IA Length: 3 miles Surface: Asphalt, Concrete
The Grundy County Lake Trail circles its namesake 40-acre lake, where outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy fishing, boating, and many other recreational opportunities. The paved trail then continues north, crossing under Highway 20, and runs along ...
State: IA Length: 2 miles Surface: Crushed Stone
The Harry Cook Nature Trail runs for 2 miles from the edge of the small city of Osage, Iowa to the city's public Spring Park. The trail, which opened in the early 1990s, occupies the bed of an abandoned railroad corridor and winds through dense ...
State: IA Length: 25.80 miles Surface: Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass
The Heart of Iowa Nature Trail currently consists of two disjointed sections. The first stretches from the small city of Slater in the west to the tiny town of Collins in the east. This segment includes a brief on-road detour between 535th Avenue ...
State: IA Length: 27 miles Surface: Crushed Stone
Iowa's Heritage Trail runs for 27 miles between just west of city of Dubuque and the town of Dyersville to the west. The crushed-limestone trail follows an old railroad corridor of the former Chicago Northwestern line. You'll see remnants of ...
State: IA Length: 17 miles Surface: Concrete
This proposed 17 mile rail- to-trail project will extend the Raccoon River Valley Trail System from Herndon 17 miles west through Guthrie County to end at the Coon Rapids-Whiterock rural tourism destination area. This will complete a key segment ...
State: IA Length: 25 miles Surface: Asphalt, Concrete
The High Trestle Trail (f.k.a. the Ankeny to Woodward Trail) is named for the original railroad bridge that spans the Des Moines River between Madrid and Woodward, on the trail's northern end. This dramatic trestle is a work of art itself: a ...
State: IA Length: 2.60 miles Surface: Asphalt
The portion of the Hoover Nature Trail that runs from Cedar Rapids to Ely is both the northernmost section of the proposed 115 mile trail and the most developed. The trail runs between 76th Avenue Drive SW on the outskirts of Cedar Rapids to ...
State: IA Length: 115 miles Surface: Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Grass, Gravel
The Hoover Nature Trail is a planned rail-trail built on an abandoned Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad right-of-way. When complete, the trail will run through 6 counties and 16 towns between Cedar Rapids and Burlington. The trail will ...
State: IA Length: 0.80 miles Surface: Asphalt
The small city of West Liberty in Muscatine County, Iowa, is home to a short segment of the Hoover Nature Trail. The paved pathway parallels Elm Street and is anchored at its southern end by an old railroad depot built in 1897, which offers ...
State: IA Length: 3.50 miles Surface: Concrete
The Indian Creek Trail in Council Bluffs runs north along Indian Creek from busy US 275—where it meets the Veterans Memorial Trail and Lake Manawa Trail—to the southwestern edge of Sunset Park on 16th Avenue. The trail uses a tunnel ...
State: IA Length: 1.30 miles Surface: Asphalt, Concrete
Des Moines' Inter-Urban Trail was opened in 1998 on the abandoned tracks of the Urbandale streetcar line. Residents and visitors of Iowa could ride the electric-powered trolley from Urbandale to Des Moines for just a five cent fare from 1905 ...
State: IA Length: 11.10 miles Surface: Concrete
The Iowa 330/US 30 Trail stretches from just west of the small town of Melbourne to the outskirts of Marshalltown, the largest city and county seat of Marshall County, located close to the geographic center of Iowa. While consensus is lacking ...
State: IA Length: 18.20 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Iowa Great Lakes Trail was formerly known as the Dickinson County Spine Trail, and it is just that—the 'spine' of the great active transportation system in the Iowa Great Lakes region near the border with Minnesota. Included in this ...
State: IA Length: 6.50 miles Surface: Asphalt, Concrete
The Iowa Riverfront Trail in Council Bluffs spans the western side of the city along the Missouri River. For most of the trail's nearly 7-mile route, bikers, runners, skaters and walkers are treated to spectacular views of the skyline of Omaha, ...
State: IA Length: 5.60 miles Surface: Crushed Stone
The Jackson County Recreation Trail follows part of the Maquoketa River outside of Spragueville and Preston, through bucolic countryside of woodlands, farms and river lowlands. You can start the trail in the burg of Preston by taking the Copper ...
State: IA Length: 3.40 miles Surface: Asphalt
The John Pat Dorrian Trail, formerly known as the East River Trail, runs for nearly 3.5 miles from Pete Crivaro Park in south Des Moines to Birdland Park and Marina just north of downtown. At this northern endpoint, the trail seamlessly connects ...
State: IA Length: 13.80 miles Surface: Asphalt, Crushed Stone
The Kewash Nature Trail winds for nearly 14 miles between the towns of Keota and Washington. These endpoints were creatively combined to form the trail's name. The trail has a crushed limestone surface for most of its route, but the portion ...
State: IA Length: 7.50 miles Surface: Asphalt, Concrete
The Lake Manawa Trail in Council Bluffs links the city's industrial core along US 275 with Lake Manawa State Park, a popular destination for hiking, camping, boating, fishing and swimming. In the east, the trail begins at the Iowa West Foundation ...
State: IA Length: 4.70 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Lamoni Rail-Trail, also called the Lamoni Recreation Trail, is a delightful route through the downtown area, with a side loop through the campus of Graceland University. You can begin the trail at the Iowa Gateway Welcome Center (Exit 4 ...
State: IA Length: 0.25 miles Surface: Asphalt
This short trail runs through open space behind the town's high school, following a portion of an abandoned railway line.
State: IA Length: 10 miles Surface: Asphalt
As it runs directly through the heart of Marshalltown in central Iowa, access to the Linn Creek Recreational Trail is easy for many of the city's residents. They will want to take advantage of it, too: The trail offers a wide range of scenery—including ...
State: IA Length: 1.80 miles Surface: Concrete
Since 1994, the Little River Scenic Pathway has offered something for everyone to enjoy. Users can enjoy nature while hiking, biking, jogging or exercising at fitness areas along the trail or by taking a leisurely stroll and stopping for a picnic ...
State: IA Length: 1.60 miles Surface: Asphalt, Concrete
The 1.6-mile McVay Trail in Indianola provides a paved route for cyclists, walkers and joggers between East 5th Street and Pickard Park. The trail follows the bed of the former Chicago, Burlington and Quincy (CB&Q) railroad and is flanked with ...
State: IA Length: 2.20 miles Surface: Asphalt
The NIACC Trail in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, connects the campus of North Iowa Area Community College with the edge of downtown Mason City. The trail provides a convenient and safe alternative to biking or walking on busy US 18 for students ...
State: IA Length: 26 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Neal Smith Trail, which connects to the John Pat Dorrian Trail in downtown Des Moines, runs through a portion of Des Moines itself before leaving the city limits and ending in the north at Big Creek State Park. An aquaphile's paradise, the ...
State: IA Length: 5.20 miles Surface: Concrete
The Oralabor Gateway Trail is a 5.2 mile concrete-surfaced spur branching off from the Neal Smith Trail south of Saylorville Lake and just north of NW 66th Avenue. While running adjacent to suburban Iowa neighborhoods, the trail parallels Oralabor ...
State: IA Length: 14.50 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Ottumwa Trail System provides a scenic north-south route along the Des Moines River through the center of Ottumwa. Along the way, trail-goers can enjoy many of the city's natural treasures, including Gray Eagle Nature Preserve, Turkey Island ...
State: IA Length: 2.40 miles Surface: Concrete
The Pine Lake Trail runs through a heavily wooded state park of the same name, which is especially known for its 250-year-old white pine trees. The trail begins at Deer Park, a half mile east of downtown Eldora in central Iowa, before heading ...
State: IA Length: 20 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Prairie Farmer Rec. Trail (a.k.a. Winneshiek County Trail) was named for a radio show once broadcast throughout the Midwest. The trail occupies the right-of-way of the former Milwaukee Railroad, which ran between Calmar to Cresco through ...
The Puddle Jumper Trail is a 2 mile long rail-trail that connects the western Iowa communities of Orange City and Alton. The trail is surfaced with crushed quartzite and also features a bridle path for equestrian use along the main trail. In ...
State: IA Length: 82.40 miles Surface: Asphalt, Concrete
Two separate sections of the Raccoon River Valley Trail are currently open for use. The first and longest portion travels for 56 miles between Clive (west of Des Moines) in Dallas and Polk Counties and Jefferson in Greene County. From Clive, ...
State: IA Length: 6.30 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Readlyn Grump Trail offers a 6-mile paved path across Bremer County with views of open fields, several streams, and a bridge over Quarter Section Run. It begins at the terminus for the Waverly Rail Trail and travels to Readlyn's Water Tower ...
State: IA Length: 2 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Ringgold Trailway connects the eastern edge of the small city of Mount Ayr with Poe Hollow County Park, a little less than 2 miles away. The trail was built on a former railroad right-of-way, and a caboose rests at the western end of the ...
State: IA Length: 11.90 miles Surface: Asphalt, Concrete
Iowa's Riverfront Trail runs along the Mississippi River through the cities of Davenport and Bettendorf to its eastern endpoint near the large Alcoa plant in Riverdale. In the west, the trail starts as a loop around scenic Credit Island Park, ...
State: IA Length: 4 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Rock Island Old Stone Arch Trail travel 4 miles along an asphalt path atop an abandoned rail bed once owned by the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad. As the name suggests, the trail's main feature is a stone arch bridge, which is listed ...
State: IA Length: 15 miles Surface: Asphalt
When complete, the Rolling Prairie Tri-County Trail System will connect several communities and two state parks as it travels through quintessential northeastern Iowa prairie. Following an 80-mile east-west route, it will traverse the counties ...
State: IA Length: 33.20 miles Surface: Asphalt, Concrete
Note: A user fee is required for those 18 and older ($1 per day or $15 per year). The Sauk Rail-Trail runs for 33 paved miles between Swan Lake State Park in Carroll and Black Hawk State Park in Lake View. The trail links the communities of ...
State: IA Length: 9.90 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Sergeant Road Trail is part of the larger trails system in the Cedar Valley region of Iowa, which includes the cities of Cedar Falls and Waterloo. The trail parallels US 63—also known as Sergeant Road—from Waterloo to Hudson through ...
State: IA Length: 1.20 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Soldier Creek Nature Trail runs south from Snell-Crawford Park alongside residential neighborhoods in Fort Dodge. For most of its route, the trail is within just a few feet of Soldier Creek (hence its name). The trail ends in southern Fort ...
State: IA Length: 3.50 miles Surface: Asphalt
The South Riverside Trail is one in a series of trail systems throughout Cedar Falls, Iowa. The trail runs between Main Street at the Cedar Falls Recreation Center and the Greenhill Trail just west of US Highway 218. A spur on the west end takes ...
State: IA Length: 5.60 miles Surface: Crushed Stone, Dirt
The South Tama Recreation Trail connects the adjacent towns of Tama and Toledo in Tama County, Iowa. The original section of the trail, a 1 mile stretch built on an abandoned railroad corridor, opened for use in 2003. Since then, a number of ...
The paved Summerset trail extends between the McVay Trail in Indianola and Route 5 at 1st Street in Carlisle, following the old rail bed of the former Chicago, Burlington and Quincy (CB&Q) railroad. This National Recreation Trail passes among ...
State: IA Length: 19.60 miles Surface: Asphalt
The T-Bone Trail stretches nearly 20 miles between Audubon and Pymosa township in western Iowa. It's also part of the American Discovery Trail, a non-motorized route across the country. The paved pathway follows a former railroad right-of-way ...
State: IA Length: 39.90 miles Surface: Crushed Stone
The Three Rivers Trail runs for 33 miles from the tiny community of Rolfe—named for the Englishman who married Pocahontas—to just west of Eagle Grove, the largest city in Wright County. The trail occupies an old Chicago and North Western ...
State: IA Length: 3.70 miles Surface: Asphalt
Polk County's Trestle to Trestle Trail stretches from Des Moines to Johnston, one of its northern suburbs. The 3.7 mile asphalt trail, which runs near both heavily-wooded forest and the Des Moines River, has been a crucial link in central Iowa's ...
State: IA Length: 6.20 miles Surface: Asphalt
Most of northern Iowa's Trolley Trail is a straight line paralleling both 255th St./4th Ave. and the operational trolley tracks on the other side of the road. But what the Trolley Trail may lack in variety is more than made up for by its excellent ...
State: IA Length: 11 miles Surface: Asphalt, Concrete
Trout Run Trail forms an 11-mile loop around Decorah, providing access to many of the area's natural treasures and views of beautiful Iowa countryside. Although there are many places to hop on the trail, one of the best is the Decorah Fish ...
State: IA Length: 7.20 miles Surface: Concrete
The Valley View Trail spans the eastern side of Council Bluffs, Iowa, passing close to residential neighborhoods, retail hubs, parks and rural areas. Along the way, trail users can read historical markers for the Mormon Pioneer National Historic ...
State: IA, NE Length: 5 miles Surface: Concrete
Council Bluffs' Veterans Memorial Trail runs adjacent to US 275—also known as Veterans Memorial Highway—for its 5 mile route. On the non-highway side of the trail, runners, walkers, bikers and skaters are treated to a diverse landscape ...
State: IA Length: 13 miles Surface: Asphalt
The unusually-named Volksweg Trail connects the city of Pella in Marion County, Iowa, with Lake Red Rock, a large reservoir formed by the Des Moines River's Red Rock Dam. Pella was founded by immigrants from the Netherlands in 1847, so it is ...
State: IA Length: 63 miles Surface: Crushed Stone
The Wabash Trace Nature Trail is a 63 mile route, converted from a railroad right-of-way, coursing across the scenic southwest Iowa countryside from Council Bluffs to Blanchard at the Iowa–Missouri border. Don't let the "nature trail" part ...
State: IA Length: 18.50 miles Surface: Asphalt, Crushed Stone
The 18.5 mile long Wapsi-Great Western Line Trail follows the abandoned Chicago Great Western Railway grade between Riceville and the Iowa/Minnesota State Line. The corridor was originally built by the Minnesota & Northwestern Railroad in 1886. ...
State: IA Length: 7 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Waverly Rail Trail is one of northeast Iowa's finest scenic bike and hike trails. Beginning on the west side of the Cedar River in Waverly, the trail heads southeast and crosses an awe-inspiring bridge over Cedar River through downtown. ...
State: IA Length: 1.90 miles Surface: Concrete
Although one of the shorter trails in Council Bluffs' outstanding system, the Western Historic Trails Center Link provides an excellent connection between two longer trails. In the south, the trail connects to Veterans Memorial Trail at the ...
Mason City's Winnebago Trail connects MacNider Campground, East Park, residential neighborhoods and the city's municipal swimming pool with the Lime Creek Nature Center just outside city limits. Along its entire route, the aptly-named trail ...
State: IA Length: 2.60 miles Surface: Asphalt, Crushed Stone
The Wolf Creek Trail begins in Gladbrook, a small city about 70 miles northeast of Des Moines. The trail was established in 2001 by volunteers from the Gladbrook community who secured the right-of-way of the former Chicago Northwestern Railroad, ...