Find the top rated trails in Waukee, whether you're looking an easy walking path or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
The Bill Riley Trail delivers a short but immersive trail experience in a tranquil natural setting. The trail begins at the southern end of the Walnut Creek Trail, and follows the creek into Ashworth Park, ...
This scenic Chichaqua Valley Trail runs for 27 miles between Berwick (which lies just northeast of Des Moines) and Baxter, passing through the small communities of Ira, Mingo, and Valeria along the way. ...
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 ...
Residents enjoy getting outside and onto this popular Urbandale trail thanks to its ease and connectivity to neighborhoods, parks and other trails. The trail begins just above Douglas Avenue, crossing ...
Residents enjoy getting outside and onto this popular Urbandale trail thanks to its ease and connectivity to neighborhoods, parks and other trails. The trail begins just above Douglas Avenue, crossing ...
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. ...
The Gay Lea Wilson Trail, named for a local advocate who first conceived of a network of trails in eastern Polk County in the 1980s, will eventually link several central Iowa communities and open space ...
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The 16.5-mile Great Western Trail in central Iowa is built on a former rail bed for the Chicago Great Western, originally constructed in 1893. The trail crosses a few remaining remnants of prairie and ...
The Heart of the Warrior Trail runs east-west through Waukee, a small city in the Greater Des Moines area. On its east end, the trail begins in Lions Park. Here, it connects to the popular Clive Greenbelt ...
The High Trestle 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: ...
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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 Moines ...
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 ...
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 ...
The Jordan Creek Trail runs through the affluent Des Moines suburb of West Des Moines, linking houses and apartments to schools and recreational amenities. The trail follows EP True Parkway and Jordan ...
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 concession ...
The Martin Luther King Jr Trailway tears off from the Meredith Trail and heads west along the MLK Jr Parkway in Des Moines, Iowa. The Meredith circles back and meets the MLK Jr trail at SE 15th Street. ...
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 ...
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 Raccoon ...
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 ...
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 ...
To the residents of Lastrobe, the Lincoln Avenue Rails to Trails Greenway is more than a simple off-road path: it also a social asset, a place where community members of all ages and walks of life can ...
The Raccoon River Valley Trail runs along an abandoned railroad right-of-way that was first built in the 1870s to carry rail traffic between Des Moines and the Great Lakes region. The route encompasses ...
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, Rock Island & Pacific railroad. This National ...
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, ...
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 ...
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The Walnut Creek Trail serves as an important trail connector in West Des Moines. On its northern end, it seamlessly links to the Clive Greenbelt Trail, which heads west and, in turn, connects to the Raccoon ...
The Waveland Trail runs through the historic neighborhoods of Waveland Park, Waveland Woods and Waterbury in western Des Moines. Along the way, the trail passes a community center, library, golf course ...
The West Des Moines Levee Trail was named in 2015 as one of the Top 10 most frequented trails in the Des Moines trail network. The trail is the connector between two other popular trails, Jordan Creek ...
The Bill Riley Trail delivers a short but immersive trail experience in a tranquil natural setting. The trail begins at the southern end of the Walnut Creek Trail, and follows the creek into Ashworth Park, ...
This scenic Chichaqua Valley Trail runs for 27 miles between Berwick (which lies just northeast of Des Moines) and Baxter, passing through the small communities of Ira, Mingo, and Valeria along the way. ...
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 ...
Residents enjoy getting outside and onto this popular Urbandale trail thanks to its ease and connectivity to neighborhoods, parks and other trails. The trail begins just above Douglas Avenue, crossing ...
Residents enjoy getting outside and onto this popular Urbandale trail thanks to its ease and connectivity to neighborhoods, parks and other trails. The trail begins just above Douglas Avenue, crossing ...
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. ...
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The Galloping Goose Trail is so called for the nickname of the old railroad that once ran through the area and upon which the trail sits. As of 2012, about 0.5 mile of trail have been built northeast of ...
The Gay Lea Wilson Trail, named for a local advocate who first conceived of a network of trails in eastern Polk County in the 1980s, will eventually link several central Iowa communities and open space ...
The 16.5-mile Great Western Trail in central Iowa is built on a former rail bed for the Chicago Great Western, originally constructed in 1893. The trail crosses a few remaining remnants of prairie and ...
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 ...
The Heart of the Warrior Trail runs east-west through Waukee, a small city in the Greater Des Moines area. On its east end, the trail begins in Lions Park. Here, it connects to the popular Clive Greenbelt ...
The High Trestle 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: ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
The Jordan Creek Trail runs through the affluent Des Moines suburb of West Des Moines, linking houses and apartments to schools and recreational amenities. The trail follows EP True Parkway and Jordan ...
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 concession ...
The Martin Luther King Jr Trailway tears off from the Meredith Trail and heads west along the MLK Jr Parkway in Des Moines, Iowa. The Meredith circles back and meets the MLK Jr trail at SE 15th Street. ...
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 ...
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 Raccoon ...
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 ...
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 ...
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, but ...
To the residents of Lastrobe, the Lincoln Avenue Rails to Trails Greenway is more than a simple off-road path: it also a social asset, a place where community members of all ages and walks of life can ...
The Raccoon River Valley Trail runs along an abandoned railroad right-of-way that was first built in the 1870s to carry rail traffic between Des Moines and the Great Lakes region. The route encompasses ...
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, Rock Island & Pacific railroad. This National ...
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, ...
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 ...
The Walnut Creek Trail serves as an important trail connector in West Des Moines. On its northern end, it seamlessly links to the Clive Greenbelt Trail, which heads west and, in turn, connects to the Raccoon ...
The Waveland Trail runs through the historic neighborhoods of Waveland Park, Waveland Woods and Waterbury in western Des Moines. Along the way, the trail passes a community center, library, golf course ...
The West Des Moines Levee Trail was named in 2015 as one of the Top 10 most frequented trails in the Des Moines trail network. The trail is the connector between two other popular trails, Jordan Creek ...
The Bill Riley Trail delivers a short but immersive trail experience in a tranquil natural setting. The trail begins at the southern end of the Walnut Creek Trail, and follows the creek into Ashworth Park, ...
This scenic Chichaqua Valley Trail runs for 27 miles between Berwick (which lies just northeast of Des Moines) and Baxter, passing through the small communities of Ira, Mingo, and Valeria along the way. ...
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 ...
Residents enjoy getting outside and onto this popular Urbandale trail thanks to its ease and connectivity to neighborhoods, parks and other trails. The trail begins just above Douglas Avenue, crossing ...
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. ...
The Galloping Goose Trail is so called for the nickname of the old railroad that once ran through the area and upon which the trail sits. As of 2012, about 0.5 mile of trail have been built northeast of ...
The Gay Lea Wilson Trail, named for a local advocate who first conceived of a network of trails in eastern Polk County in the 1980s, will eventually link several central Iowa communities and open space ...
The 16.5-mile Great Western Trail in central Iowa is built on a former rail bed for the Chicago Great Western, originally constructed in 1893. The trail crosses a few remaining remnants of prairie and ...
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 ...
The Heart of the Warrior Trail runs east-west through Waukee, a small city in the Greater Des Moines area. On its east end, the trail begins in Lions Park. Here, it connects to the popular Clive Greenbelt ...
The High Trestle 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: ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
The Jordan Creek Trail runs through the affluent Des Moines suburb of West Des Moines, linking houses and apartments to schools and recreational amenities. The trail follows EP True Parkway and Jordan ...
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 concession ...
The Martin Luther King Jr Trailway tears off from the Meredith Trail and heads west along the MLK Jr Parkway in Des Moines, Iowa. The Meredith circles back and meets the MLK Jr trail at SE 15th Street. ...
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 ...
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 Raccoon ...
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 ...
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 ...
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, but ...
To the residents of Lastrobe, the Lincoln Avenue Rails to Trails Greenway is more than a simple off-road path: it also a social asset, a place where community members of all ages and walks of life can ...
The Raccoon River Valley Trail runs along an abandoned railroad right-of-way that was first built in the 1870s to carry rail traffic between Des Moines and the Great Lakes region. The route encompasses ...
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, Rock Island & Pacific railroad. This National ...
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, ...
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 ...
The Walnut Creek Trail serves as an important trail connector in West Des Moines. On its northern end, it seamlessly links to the Clive Greenbelt Trail, which heads west and, in turn, connects to the Raccoon ...
The Waveland Trail runs through the historic neighborhoods of Waveland Park, Waveland Woods and Waterbury in western Des Moines. Along the way, the trail passes a community center, library, golf course ...
The West Des Moines Levee Trail was named in 2015 as one of the Top 10 most frequented trails in the Des Moines trail network. The trail is the connector between two other popular trails, Jordan Creek ...
The Clive Greenbelt is an urban multi-use trail, so it's crowded. It's not built for speed so if you're training for a race, this is not the right resource for you. If, on the other hand, you just like to get out and explore and ride at a leisurely pace, this is hard to beat. The surface is reasonably smooth and in good shape. Signage is awesome. The first time I rode it I found it easy to get where I wanted to go. This is no small thing as there are many spurs off the trail into surrounding neighborhoods. Connectivity is very good. If you live here, you can use it to get to shops, schools, places of employment, restaurants, etc. The woods are thick along most of the trail and you follow a creek so even though you're crossing the heart of a metro area it still has somewhat of a wilderness feel to it. You'll likely encounter a lot of traffic including families with kids and dogs, walkers, other bikers and people who just want to enjoy nature. It's a great community resource and everything an urban trail should be.
I've been across some pretty spectacular bicycle bridges such as the Bob Kerrey Bridge over the Missouri between Omaha and Council Bluffs, the Big 4 Bridge in Louisville and the Purple People Bridge in Cincinnati but Iowa's High Trestle is hands down the best. The bridge is the centerpiece of a beautiful paved, flat and fast trail. If you can, go at sundown and see the blue lights come on. It's so special that my wife and I are planning to move here so that we can ride it every day.
We had heard good things about this trail, but it has far exceeded our expectations! Thank you Iowa!
If you are on a fat bike this one should be on your list. There are large sections of crushed limestone, some very short sections of pavement and some good deal of trail that is not groomed well.
On my fat bike the "not groomed well" sections make me very happy.
The only complaint I would voice is that it is not marked well. Riding east from Slater I had to cut it short in Maxwell as I lost the trail.
Note: this is for gravel bikes and fat bikes. For roady-racers try the High Trestle trail
We loved this trail. Like others said, there is a part east of Mingo that is in poorer condition, however, we parked at the trailhead in Bondurant which is phenomenal. Rode to Mingo and back giving us 30 miles. Had lunch in Bondurant at Founders Irish Pub which was great with outdoor seating. After lunch we rode west for 6 miles, it then connects to two other trails. It is in excellent condition. Much of it is concrete. Back in Bondurant is a new Brewery named Reclaimed Rails with a great selection of craft beers for after a long ride. Highly recommended!
About 3 years ago my wife and I used to ride this trail a lot. It scenery is gorgeous and the trail WAS smooth. Yes, it is a little dangerous in spots. If you zone out and your wheel were to go off the trail, in spots, you would plummet 20 – 30 onto rocks and or Over rocks. (Stay aware and have all your life and health insurance paid on time.)
However, last nite I rode the trail from Bondurant to Baxter. After passing thru Mingo the trail became awful. The surface looks and feels like they poured oiled on it, and then sharp shards of crushed white rock. It is wavy, bumpy and absolutely horrible on your tires and wheels. If someone were to lay their bike down, the road rash would look like someone took hundreds of shards of glass and ran them over your body.
This goes on for about 4 – 5 miles until you pass IRA.
What is sad is that the bartender in Baxter claims that Jasper County was granted funds to fix it and this is what they did. Now they claimed they were going to resurface it this spring. But, didn’t.
Between Bondurant and Mingo I came upon many people riding bikes. From Mingo to Baxter, about 10 miles, I did not come upon any people riding bikes.
This ride was my second trail ride in Iowa, my first one being the Raccoon River Valley Trail. Outstanding trails! The Trestle Bridge is a great reward for pedaling 20 or so miles. We started at the town of Ankeny, trail end. It felt like it was slightly up hill most of the way. It may be a cycling illusion that it is always uphill, but I would try coming from the other direction next time. We stopped at the town of Slater and ate lunch at the Nite Hawk Bar and Grill, right on the trail. There were at least 30 bikers eating and drinking here. We had some sandwiches and hit the trail to the town of Woodward to finish our ride. I wish we has saved our appetite to eat instead at the Whistlin' Donkey at the end of the trail. The food smelled awesome from the trail. Many bikers already there eating, drinking and listening to music. I really wish my state had trails like this! You must ride this trail if you get the chance. I rate this trail for beginners and up.
95% of this ride is smooth riding. It is rough from Yale to Jefferson. Whoever repaired this part of the trail should be forced to get on a bike and ride it. This should be repaired ASAP. Now for the rest of the ride, we LOVED IT! We ate lunch in the town of Perry at David's Milwaukee Diner. The food was good, the service great, prices fair and most of all ... Air Conditioning.
We stopped in the town of Dallas Center and ate ice cream at the Korner Kone Ice Cream and Deli, which is right off the trail about 150 ft away. AC was great. It might seem we are in need of AC a lot, but the heat index was almost 100% during our ride. We didn't see the reported Mountain Lion (LOL) but we saw deer, geese, rabbits, grass hoppers, birds and even a mouse walking on the trail. I was so glad I brought two 24 oz bottles of drink, I think a third bottle would have been better. We crossed paths with about 15 different riders on the loop, and all were friendly. One person had a Bluetooth speaker playing their music, which is NOT a bother at all. Really, in passing it is only for a few seconds. So I upgrade the riders in IOWA to very polite and trail friendly over one interview here. Summary: You need to ride this trail if you get the chance. I drove 600 miles to do it, and i am glad I did!
My wife and I rode this trail in May and what a gem we discovered. We rode from the west trail head to the east and back. The trail is level and has many great scenic views along the journey. The trail is all asphalt and the trail is much wider then what we are typically uses to traveling on. The high point is The High Trestle. Offering spectacular views during the day Even more spectacular in the evening. The lights are blue and no picture can do it justice. You need to experience the trail and trestle on your own. The trail at night also offers the sounds of crickets, frogs and a host of other night life from way below. The evening air was cool and with a balmy breeze.On our trip the trail was mildly traveled during the day and our return trip to the Trestle in the evening. We found the travelers to be very pleasant and helpful. We highly recommend this trail to be visited both during the day and even better in the evening.
We are rookies in our 60's, trying to increase our mileage. We started our morning parked at the Bondurant depot, hoping to get all the way to Baxter. Morning temp was about 66 with slight breeze blowing. A few miles east of Bondurant, we began the long winding gentle slope down to the Skunk river- all great pavement, and mostly in shade. After the Skunk river, pavement quality deteriorates a little and eventually becomes packed gravel, but still OK for my road bike. A slight incline toward Valeria (past which there is a beautiful grove of big cottonwood trees right next to the trail). Then down somewhat to Mingo where there is a nice pavilion and bathroom right by the trail. More open and some poorer quality surface as you get further east, but there are nice views of Iowa farmland. The long gentle grade up to Baxter has better pavement and more shade. Trail ends at the caboose in Baxter. Temp was 87 when we arrived in Baxter, we had quite an appetite so we went to the Blue Ribbon café, on the highway at south end of town (actually just up the hill on the highway from the trail). Café is open 7 days, you might check on their hours before going there. We took a brief rest, then headed back. Return trip that afternoon was in slightly warmer conditions but we had plenty of water and snacks. The grade coming back into Bondurant is easier than we thought it would be. Trail is well maintained, and well used. We saw all kinds of bikes on the trail- kids, fat tires, and speedsters with their Tour de France lightweights. Had a great time on the trail; we made the 46 mile round trip in 6.5 hours including all stops. Keep in mind there are no services on the trail between Bondurant and Baxter.
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