Find the top rated fishing trails in Carroll, whether you're looking for an easy short fishing trail or a long fishing trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a fishing trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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We rode the trail from the trail head on the far South End (Pymosa) to Audubon and back.
Highlights: Very Flat, the old trestle midway where the trail diverted was very cool to see. Nice stretch around Exira.
For awareness: The Asphalt is very cracked in a majority of the trail. You can see efforts to repair and smooth it out but still some 2-3 inch cracks for most of the trail.
We enjoyed the trail, the small towns and drove over to Elk Horn for the Dambo troll after riding as a bonus.
Discovered this comfortable place with great accommodations for two bike travelers. They offer a pullout sofa if you do not wish to share a bed. Indoor bike storage with a comfy bed and a hot shower! Distillery right next-door and two restaurants to fuel up in the morning to get back on the trail. Close to the panhandle of West Virginia. Their name is Harmony Trail Haven on Airbnb.
Rode the Raccoon River Valley trail round trip between Perry and Herndon on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. That turned out to be 27.2 miles. We parked at the Caboose Park in Perry. Interestingly, covered parking was available there. We could not find the bathrooms there, so not sure why Trail Link indicates bathrooms are available. The trail surface was fantastic; wide, smooth concrete with mowed grass on both sides. The grass had been recently mowed and the trail had been blown or swept clean. Wow! Nice! The bathrooms in the old depot in Dawson were available and in perfect condition. The trailhead in Herndon offers parking only; no water, no bathrooms. Overall, this was a great ride, one we will do again in the future.
We really enjoyed riding from Panora almost to Adel and back. Really shady areas to ride and several bridges. The trail was really nice. Another day we road from Perry to Waukee and back and that is pretty much a straight ride. That’s good for little ones to learn. We felt that we like the west ride better. All in all was a good experience for the parts we road on.
I live in Jefferson and ride this trail pretty much every day. It's a big part of the reason I moved to this corner of Iowa. I've ridden every inch of it multiple times. Here are some general observations:
1. If you want smooth concrete, the north leg from Waukee to Herndon is for you. It's the newest leg of the trail and it's in really good condition. The southern leg from Waukee to Herndon and the leg from Herdon to Jefferson are a mixed bag in terms of pavement condition. There are some bumps and divots, but none of it is terrible and anyone who says it is hasn't ridden a lot of rail trails in other parts of the world.
2. Amenities are a mixed bag. You'll often find restrooms closed and many of the towns have no services at all. Your best bets if you need to make a stop are the trailheads in Waukee and Jefferson along with Adel and Perry.
3. Cell coverage is adequate over the entire trail length. This is not quite the back of beyond, but it's getting close in some parts. I typically carry a spare tube and bike tool, just in case.
4. Trail required a permit when I first moved out here. It no longer does, at least in Greene County. Not 100% sure regarding Dallas and Guthrie. Back in the day, rangers would routinely stop me in both Dallas and Guthrie, especially on weekends.
5. A round trip on the entire trail, including the leg to and from Jefferson, comes in at just under 100 miles in length.
6. If it's solitude you crave, the southern loop from just west of Adel all the way up to Jefferson is usually pretty much empty.
7. Any type of bike will work. I typically ride a singlespeed gravel bike with 40 mm tires, but road bikes and trikes are just fine too. There are times I combine parts of the trail with gravel and minimum maintenance roads and on those occasions I'll ride my Surly Karate Monkey with 3" 650b wheels. Anything goes.
8. Speaking of which, there are some interesting side trips on gravel worth taking including the hop to Brenton Aboretum near Dallas Center, the Bonnie and Clyde monument at Dexfield Park near Redfield and Bays Branch Wildlife Area and Springbok State Park between Panora and Yale. Camping at Sportsman Park near Dawson or Springbok State Park.
In summary, the RRVT is an iconic rail trail...one that every cyclist should ride at least once.
I rode this trail in Sept 2024 before I knew it existed. I left a review on the HTT. SUPER connector trail between two great 5 star trails. I rode it on a weekday in late July 2025 and never saw a soul but I did see some wildlife.
I rate this 5 stars!
Traveling cyclist
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This trail has been extended all the way to Badger IA. Everything North of 170th street is nice new 10 foot wide concrete, they have done a great job of updating the old trail and bridges.
Ok section, kind of dull. Agriculture & cows. Found a bit of shade by a grain elevator for lunch. Several washouts filled with tumbleweeds as you get closer to Lind.
The Woodward-to-Perry Connector in the High Trestle Trail was long planned, requiring new bridges, land acquisition/donation and careful design. The result is spectacular. I rode this today on a cool Autumn day through harvested farm fields and along streams. The views are superb. The trail surface (paved concrete) is top notch. It crosses a few well-marked country roads but otherwise is a dedicated nature trail for hiking and biking. The entire route from Woodward to Perry is separated path except for two blocks of residential side street in Bouton. Although brand new, this trail is seeing use: groups of cyclists went by; numerous hikers and runners were out; and small kids on bikes near Perry were using it. It exits into residential streets in Perry that are well signposted to guide one to downtown or to the other trails beginning in Perry. Hats off to the County board of supervisors and the numerous volunteers and donors who made this happen.
We started in Akron and rode about 18 miles north. Loved it!!!
A mile or so south of Lake View the trail is closed for another mile. Not to worry. You can take the highway south just short of the RR tracks, and take the gravel road to the end. The trail starts up again there.
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