Explore the best rated trails in Ames, IA. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Galloping Goose Trail (IA) and Brewer Creek Trail. With more than 84 trails covering 4260 miles you're bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
Although short, it’s sweet! 3.5 miles of paved trail with a few benches scattered along the way to stop, reflect and just enjoy! Have ridden it multiple times, in all seasons, and it never fails to given me pleasure.
Lately, it is clear that, though, visitors enjoy these trails own by the city of Polk County and Water Works, there is a glim of sadness of cruelty going on throughout these trails. As The Polk County City Council and parks administrators have up to "pimp" the natural beauty of their wilderness to be destroyed by the hunting, bicycle, land-escaping and real state developmental business and brewing business.
The wild animals, forestry, waters, flora are being destroyed, in order to satisfy, not only the UNSATISFYING GREED OF THESE BUSINESS BUT THE POLOK COUNTY administrators in charge of it.
More and more trees are being cut down regardless if these are not ash trees, old. The fauna throughout these trails gets constantly injured and killed by visitors riding motorized vehicles and high speeding cyclist, drunk visitors shatter their beer bottles throughout the homes of these animals, there is trash allover, even next to trash containers! The are hardly any signs asking visitors to through their trash away, and hardly any available trash and recycle containers!!! These trails are NOT WILDERNESS FRIENDLY are poor managed by not protecting the wilderness from the increased amount of visitors that show not responsibility for their actions throughout these trails. There are not signs to caution visitors to keep safe wildlife and they need to post signs to help injured animals. Seeing animals being hunted by bow-arrow is the cruelest scene I have ever experienced, and my visits to these trails have open my awareness of the dark side of their management.
Visitors need to be conscious that there are living beings throughout these trails and that they need to be considerate of the wildlife safety in them. There is not need for land escaping, as their natural beauty is best God
9/18/22: Rode from Cambridge to Slater. Fully paved on this section. Like others, I briefly lost the trail in Huxley - no signs!
We parked at the wonderful covered parking in Perry and took the trail 13.5 mile to Dallas Center. Great smooth paved trail! Mostly flat and easy because of that. Would recommend!
We have always enjoyed this bike trail. The views are great. We start in Carlisle and ride to Indianola and back.
However the trail seems to need some work to get it back in shape.
There are lots of areas that are rough. I hope it gets some attention soon. We would love to go back and try it again.
Need I say more. Lots of spurs. We are riding some of them tomorrow. We camped at cherry glen park
Daylight walk and ride in the rain were not enough. Went back for a night hike. Worth every minute.
A nice ride. The hub is a good place to start.
I rolled skated on it and it was well maintained. Have sporadic areas right off the trail where you can sit. You can also frisbee gulf
I definitely did not feel like i was in the city with this trail! Absolutely breathtaking.
We initially came into town to visit the Steamboat Rock Dam and Iowa River access point for kayaking. We then discovered the bike/walking trail which is one of the best we’ve seen. We already planned loading up our bikes and coming back to use it. We enjoyed the natural grasses and wild flowers along the trail. Viewing the Iowa River off the bridges was spectacular! I hope the people who live in this area appreciate the GEMs they have right here in town and utilize it to it’s fullest. Down the road about a mile we saw Inner Tube Rentals (lots loaded on busses ready to go) and they take you to the river and in you go, they pick you up down river. They have bike, kayak, canoe rentals as well. HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS TRAIL.
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