Explore the best rated trails in Marshalltown, IA. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Grinnell Trail and John Pat Dorrian Trail. With more than 80 trails covering 4233 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.
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The Shaulis Road Trail is a ten-foot wide concrete trail that runs along the side of Shaulis Road in the sparsely populated southern edge of Waterloo, IA. The trails runs over gentle, rolling hills,...
The Cedar Valley Nature Trail follows the fertile Cedar River between Evansdale and Ely. The 69-mile trail comprises three former trails—the Cedar Valley Nature Trail, Cedar River Trail and parts of...
The Rock Creek Recreation Bike Trail is a paved multi-use trail that provides a connection between the small, charming college town of Grinnell and Rock Creek State Park, a popular destination for...
Nestled in the suburbs of Des Moines and traveling through the towns of Ankeny, Berwick, Pleasant Hill, and Altoona, the Gay Lea Wilson Trail is named for a local advocate who first conceived of a...
Running through suburban neighborhoods on the western edge of Johnston, IA, the Green Meadows North Trail offers a pleasant dose of nature and serves as a great recreational amenity for nearby...
A short, paved trail that connects neighborhoods and preserved open space to the Mark C. Ackelson Trail at Easter Lake Park, the Easter Lake Spine Trail is a useful asset to the community and forms a...
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Cedar Falls, Iowa serves as the endpoint of one of Iowa’s favorite regional trails, the Cedar Valley Lakes Trail, but also features an extensive network of multi-use paths and on-street bike...
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Black Hawk County’s Trolley Trail, also known as the Trolley Car Trail, runs for less than 2 miles in western Waterloo. The trail is the lone vestige of the Waterloo, Cedar Falls and Northern...
This is a shared-use path located on the east side of Northwest Beaver Drive in Johnston, Iowa. The trail connects residents to two recreational sites on the west shore of Saylorville Lake as well as...
The 12th Street Trail, occasionally referred to as the Pheasant Ridge Trail after the golf course it runs next to, is a wide concrete sidepath that stretches from Hudson Road to Union Road on the...
Providing a pleasant off-road route between the two Des Moines suburbs of Urbandale and Johnston, the Johnston to Urbandale Trail also serves as one of the main points of connection from Urbandale's...
Located just over thirty miles east of Des Moines, the small city of Newton boasts a charming midwestern feel - and complementing the city's charm is the lovely Newton Hike and Bike Trail, which...
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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...
It took a nearly a decade of work and collaboration between two Central Iowa communities and a host of other partners to move the JewEllsworth Trail from vision to reality. The trail sits in the...
A lovely concrete and asphalt path that traverses through a pleasant, tree-lined corridor in the southern edge of Cedar Falls, the Prairie Lakes Trail offers plenty of means of recreation and serves...
A multi-use sidepath that runs from University Avenue to 1st Street in Cedar Falls, the Hudson Road Trail helps provide off-road access to the campus of the University of Northern Iowa, and forms an...
Take a morning bike ride or evening stroll on the Des Moines River Trail. The paved trail diverges from the Meredith Trail and Prinicipal Riverwalk, continuing for 2.6 miles downstream to the James W....
Connecting Waterloo's urban center with a popular recreation area that supports the local ATV community, the Riverview Recreation Area Trail forms a vital link in the area's multi-use trail network...
The paved Chichaqua Valley Trail crosses 27 miles of central Iowa farmland between the northeastern Des Moines suburbs and the rural community of Baxter. The trail’s name, pronounced chee-chak-wah, is...
Stange Road trail connects residents of the Somerset neighborhood in north Ames, to the Iowa State University campus that lies directly south of it. The shared use path sits on the west side of Stange...
The Green Meadows West Trail is a short multi-use path that provides an off-road connection for the Green Meadows neighborhood to the rest of the Johnston area's network of trails, enabling residents...
Picking up from the end of the 1st Street Trail, the Union Road Trail continues the network of multi-use sidepath trails on the western edge of Cedar Falls, serving as the western section of a...
It may be hard to believe now when you see children laughing on the playground and neighbors out on a morning jog but Easter Lake and the park that surrounds it sit on the site of a coal mine that...
The 12th Street Trail, occasionally referred to as the Pheasant Ridge Trail after the golf course it runs next to, is a wide concrete sidepath that stretches from Hudson Road to Union Road on the...
The Kruidenier Trail cuts through beautifully landscaped areas around Gray’s Lake and leads you into downtown Des Moines. The park offers a permanent on-site bike rental facility, restrooms, and a...
The Rock Creek Recreation Bike Trail is a paved multi-use trail that provides a connection between the small, charming college town of Grinnell and Rock Creek State Park, a popular destination for...
The Summerset Trail links the two central Iowa communities of Indianola and Carlisle, both of which have embraced the trail, including providing helpful signs at each end with clear directions for...
Located just over thirty miles east of Des Moines, the small city of Newton boasts a charming midwestern feel - and complementing the city's charm is the lovely Newton Hike and Bike Trail, which...
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The Shell Rock River Trail, also known as the Butler County Nature Trail, connects the eastern edge of Clarksville with the community of Shell Rock. The trail runs through open fields and at times...
It took a nearly a decade of work and collaboration between two Central Iowa communities and a host of other partners to move the JewEllsworth Trail from vision to reality. The trail sits in the...
The Meredith Trail connects from downtown Des Moines west to Gray’s Lake Park. The trail picks up off where the Principal Riverwalk leaves off along the Des Moines River. At the confluence with...
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...
The paved Chichaqua Valley Trail crosses 27 miles of central Iowa farmland between the northeastern Des Moines suburbs and the rural community of Baxter. The trail’s name, pronounced chee-chak-wah, is...
The Heart of Iowa Nature Trail traverses classic Iowa farmland along the former route of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad, also known as the Milwaukee Road. The trail transitions...
Nestled in the suburbs of Des Moines and traveling through the towns of Ankeny, Berwick, Pleasant Hill, and Altoona, the Gay Lea Wilson Trail is named for a local advocate who first conceived of a...
Central Iowa's Pioneer Trail—which gets its name from the early settlers of Grundy County—is built on a former rail line that once connected the towns of Holland and Reinbeck and the communities in...
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...
The C.R Roberts Memorial Trail in Dysart picks up right on the western end of the Old Creamery Nature Trail which travels all the way to Vinton via Garrison. Unlike the latter trail, this trail is...
The Comet Trail is built upon an abandoned right-of-way of the old Chicago Northwestern Railroad. It runs for 7 miles between the town of Conrad (City Park) and just east of Beaman, traversing a...
A short, paved path that runs through open fields and clusters of trees alongside Beaver Creek, local residents use the Augustine Trail both as a convenient means of recreation and dog-walking, as...
The Rock Creek Recreation Bike Trail is a paved multi-use trail that provides a connection between the small, charming college town of Grinnell and Rock Creek State Park, a popular destination for...
Constructed on the west side of the four-lane highway that gives it its name, the US 63 Trail offers a surprisingly pleasant means of traversing the busy corridor on foot or bike. While many sidepath...
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...
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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...
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...
The Hubbard Prairie Trail is a one-mile rail-trail extending from the northwest edge of the small town of Hubbard in central Iowa to the Meier Wildlife Refuge. The refuge offers a pleasant place to...
Cedar Falls, Iowa serves as the endpoint of one of Iowa’s favorite regional trails, the Cedar Valley Lakes Trail, but also features an extensive network of multi-use paths and on-street bike...
South Skunk River is a tributary of the Mississippi River. In Ames, the Skunk River Trail brings residents closer to river and to nature. The shared use path sits on the shady west bank of South Skunk...
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...
The Praeri Rail Trail runs on an old section of railroad right-of-way between Zearing and Roland in central Iowa. Sections of the trail near Roland and McCallsburg have a crushed limestone surface,...
A short, paved trail that connects neighborhoods and preserved open space to the Mark C. Ackelson Trail at Easter Lake Park, the Easter Lake Spine Trail is a useful asset to the community and forms a...
The Johnston Interurban Trail, built on a corridor used by Iowa's Inter-Urban Railway from 1906 until 1948, provides an important connection for the area's top-notch trail system, which enables trail...
The High Trestle Trail is one of the most pristine and highly trafficked trails in Iowa—even at night. The trail’s popularity is largely due to its famous 130-foot-tall High Trestle Bridge, which...
The trail is made up of two as yet unconnected segments: the northern segment is about half a mile long, providing access to Grinnell Community Senior School, Lion's Park, and Iowa Valley Community...
The Summerset Trail links the two central Iowa communities of Indianola and Carlisle, both of which have embraced the trail, including providing helpful signs at each end with clear directions for...
Located just over thirty miles east of Des Moines, the small city of Newton boasts a charming midwestern feel - and complementing the city's charm is the lovely Newton Hike and Bike Trail, which...
Cedar Falls, Iowa is well known for being home to regional treasures like the Cedar Valley Lakes Trail, but what really makes the city special is its trail network. Miles of dedicated sidepaths, park...
Opened in 2016, the Carlisle Nature Trail is a beautiful way to experience the natural beauty of the small Iowa community of Carlisle, located about a dozen miles southeast of Des Moines. Running...
The Ewing Park Trail is a paved path, perfect for a short bike ride or jog, located in the city of Des Moines' Ewing Park. One of the city's largest public parks, the park is home to a popular lilac...
The Shell Rock River Trail, also known as the Butler County Nature Trail, connects the eastern edge of Clarksville with the community of Shell Rock. The trail runs through open fields and at times...
This trail is great for beginners & up. The new extension to Cordova Park has opened up another 4 miles of biking. https://www.marioncountyiowa.gov/maps/parks/Cordova%20Park.pdf
All year hiking. Dog friendly. Trail goes into Pella where you can enjoy the dutch bakeries, meat shops, sandwich shops, restaurants and stop at The Cellar Peanut Pub for a vast selection ciders & craft beers. Easy access to Iowa's largest lake. Great waterfront hiking as well. Boating, swimming, fishing, cabins along lake. Eagle nesting below the dam. Also the white pelicans are a joy to watch as well.
Had a nice, slightly windy 70 degree day in november and rode from Vinton to Dysart. Only saw 3 or 4 people on the round trip. Ride is flat and trail well maintained except near Dysart where there were a few trees down (but you could get around) and one bridge that was blocked with a detour sign although i did cross it and it seemed fine. Nice views of farms, a few bridges over creeks and once over the Cedar River. You can stop midway in Garrison and there is about a mile paved extension in Vinton. You could do it on a road bike if its dry although a hybrid might be a bit better. I had my mt bike and that was fine. It was past the nice leaf time but earlier in the fall and I would guess spring/summer there are enough trees it would be quite pretty. Very nice overall and i liked the low usage for the solitude. There are about five parking spots at the trailhead in Vinton (right at the end of 8th street and in Dysart it runs right through town so seemed like a lot of spots.
This is a beautiful section of trail for walking, running, biking. It is one of my favorite trails to ride when in Iowa. Rather flat paved path that runs along the river, and tree covered for a shady ride on warmer days.
This is one of the best rides we have found in Des Moines. Pretty level and wide. Couple of nice bridges including a covered one! Nice places to stop and rest and view the scenery.
There are no more trail closures due to construction. You can ride from Cordova Park trailhead to Pella if you choose.
Great ride, trail well maintained and the fall foliage was a perfect setting. The bridge after sunset was beautiful.
We are beginning bikers and older. Loved the wide paved path. Put in north of Carlisle and ride was great as was the view. Then we hit the HILL. Oh my. Benches on the way up and I can see why. We could ride up and took all we had to walk up. We turned around and what a ride down. whheeeee’. Won’t be doing this one sgsin
Started at Copper Creek and followed the trail out about 2 miles. Quiet, nicely paved wide walkway- few bikers but once we got around the lake- we didn’t see anyone else. Crosses over the road twice on our route but clearly marked and easy to get back on the trail.
As of Sept 15 the trail is clear from the South Skunk River to the Trail Head on Broadway in Des Moines. That gives you about 15 miles of clear trail with Bondurant as the center point. Just to the east of the Skunk River there are trees down. Valeria still has trees down going both directions, so that is still a no go. Even though the trail is clear in places keep in mind there are still branch up high that are loose, so pay attention especially if there is any wind.
We attempted to get on the trail in Valeria and found that the trail is still blocked by limbs and downed trees from the derecho.
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