Des Moines, IA Birding Trails and Maps

312 Reviews

Looking for the best Birding trails around Des Moines?

Find the top rated birding trails in Des Moines, whether you're looking for an easy short birding trail or a long birding trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a birding trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.

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Activities
Length
Surfaces
Type
78 Results
Activities
Length
Surfaces
Type

Augustine Trail

1.03 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Beaver Creek Greenbelt Trail

4.4 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Beaverbrooke Park Trail

2.4 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Carlisle Nature Trail

3.17 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Chichaqua Valley Trail

29.7 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Clive Greenbelt Trail

7.9 mi
State: IA
Asphalt, Concrete

Ewing Park Trail

0.9 mi
State: IA
Asphalt, Concrete

Gay Lea Wilson Trail

20.9 mi
State: IA
Asphalt, Concrete

Great American Rail-Trail

3743.9 mi
State: DC, IA, ID, IL, IN, MD, MT, NE, OH, PA, WA, WV, WY
Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone

Heart of the Warrior Trail

3 mi
State: IA
Concrete

High Trestle Trail

31.74 mi
State: IA
Asphalt, Concrete

Inter-Urban Trail

1.3 mi
State: IA
Asphalt, Concrete

James Street Trail

2.7 mi
State: IA
Concrete

JewEllsworth Trail

3.5 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Johnston Interurban Trail

1.7 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Mark C. Ackelson Trail

6 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Northwest 62nd Avenue Trail

3.1 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Oralabor Gateway Trail

5.2 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Raccoon River Valley Trail

88.2 mi
State: IA
Asphalt, Concrete
Accordion

Red Rock Prairie Trail

9.75 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

River's Edge Trail (IA)

7.1 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Summerset Trail

12 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Trestle to Trestle Trail

3.7 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Veterinary Medicine Trail

1.2 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Volksweg Trail

12.5 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Cinder Path

13.5 mi
State: IA
Cinder, Crushed Stone

Colby Woods Trail

3 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Easter Lake Spine Trail

1 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Great Western Trail (IA)

19 mi
State: IA
Asphalt, Concrete

Heart of Iowa Nature Trail

25.8 mi
State: IA
Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass

Iowa 330/US 30 Trail

11.1 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Jerry Kelley Trail

2.7 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Jordan Creek Trail

8.6 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Kruidenier Trail

1.9 mi
State: IA
Asphalt, Concrete

Linn Creek Recreational Trail

10 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Neal Smith Trail

26 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Newton Hike and Bike Trail

6 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Rock Creek Recreation Bike Trail

5.8 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Competine Trail

0.9 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

East Hillcrest Trail

0.8 mi
State: IA
Concrete

McVay Trail

1.6 mi
State: IA
Asphalt, Concrete

Bill Riley Trail

2.7 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

John Pat Dorrian Trail

3.4 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Ashawa Greenway Trail

0.7 mi
State: IA
Asphalt, Concrete

Bloomington Road Trail

2.4 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Bob Layton Trail

1 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Coronado Park Trail

0.4 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Des Moines River Trail

2.6 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Galloping Goose Trail (IA)

0.5 mi
State: IA
Ballast, Dirt, Grass

Grand Prairie Parkway Trail

3 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Green Meadows North Trail

1.02 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Green Meadows West Trail

0.6 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Greenway Trail (Altoona)

1.1 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Grinnell Trail

1.8 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Hiawatha Trail (IA)

2.5 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Johnston to Urbandale Trail

2.73 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Knolls Greenway Trail

1.1 mi
State: IA
Asphalt, Concrete

Lions Park Trail

1.1 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Little Walnut Creek Trail

1.9 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Long Meadow Trail

1.28 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Martin Luther King Jr. Trail

1.1 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Meredith Drive Trail

3.5 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Meredith Trail

5.2 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Mills Civic Parkway Trail

4 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Northwest Beaver Drive Trail

3 mi
State: IA
Asphalt, Concrete

Praeri Rail Trail

10.5 mi
State: IA
Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass

Principal Riverwalk

1.5 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Skunk River Trail

4.1 mi
State: IA
Asphalt, Concrete

Southeast Connector Trail

3.09 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Stange Road Trail

2.4 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Sugar Creek Trail (IA)

1.4 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Timberline Park Trail

1.6 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Walnut Creek Trail (Iowa)

3.2 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Walnut Trace Park Trail

1.6 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Waveland Trail

1.7 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

West Des Moines Levee Trail

1.2 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Westridge Greenway Trail

0.98 mi
State: IA
Asphalt, Concrete
Trail Image Trail Name States Length Surface Rating
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...
IA 1.03 mi Asphalt
Beginning just past the junction of the Johnston Interurban Trail and the Trestle to Trestle Trail, which carries users over the creek and south into Des Moines via the area's stellar system of...
IA 4.4 mi Asphalt
Covering the majority of the northern side of the small suburban community of Grimes, IA, the Beaverbrooke Park Trail offers a lovely paved route along the tree-lined path of an irrigation ditch....
IA 2.4 mi Concrete
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...
IA 3.17 mi Concrete
Overview The paved Chichaqua Valley Trail crosses nearly 30 miles of central Iowa farmland between the northeastern Des Moines suburbs and the rural community of Baxter. The trail’s name,...
IA 29.7 mi Asphalt
While Greater Des Moines is flush with multiuse trails, one of the paved pathways running through the suburb of Clive really stands out. Offering a string of trailside parks and fun twists and turns...
IA 7.9 mi Asphalt, Concrete
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...
IA 0.9 mi Asphalt, Concrete
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...
IA 20.9 mi Asphalt, Concrete
Note: This developing route is not yet fully contiguous – it is just over 50% complete. Please refer to the Trail Map for more information on the existing sections of trail, as well as the online...
DC, IA, ID, IL, IN, MD, MT, NE, OH, PA, WA, WV, WY 3743.9 mi Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone
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...
IA 3 mi Concrete
Overview The High Trestle Trail, which spans 31.4 miles across Iowa, is one of the most pristine and highly trafficked trails in Iowa—even at night. The trail’s popularity is largely due to its...
IA 31.74 mi Asphalt, Concrete
Overview As the name implies, the High Trestle Trail to Raccoon River Valley Trail Connector is a 9-mile paved trail that connects the High Trestle Trail and the Raccoon River Valley...
IA 9 mi 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...
IA 1.3 mi Asphalt, Concrete
The James Street Trail begins on Meredith Drive in Urbandale and stretches over two and half miles north into the neighboring municipality of Grimes. The concrete trail is generally flat and easy to...
IA 2.7 mi Concrete
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...
IA 3.5 mi Concrete
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...
IA 1.7 mi Asphalt
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...
IA 6 mi Concrete
The Northwest 62nd Avenue Trail is a wide sidepath in Johnston, IA, that serves as an important off-road connector between many of the trails in the city's well-developed trail system and the greater...
IA 3.1 mi 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...
IA 5.2 mi Concrete
Closure Notice: A section of the trail from Linden to Redfield is closed until Spring/Summer 2024 due to bridge repair. See RaccoonRiverValleyTrail.org or the Raccoon River Valley Trail Association...
IA 88.2 mi Asphalt, Concrete
Accordion
The Red Rock Prairie Trail is a developing rail-trail that will link three central Iowa towns, just outside of Des Moines: Mitchellville, Prairie City, and Monroe. The paved, multiuse trail runs 9.75...
IA 9.75 mi Asphalt
Following a former railroad corridor, the River's Edge Trail (formerly known as Iowa River Trail) will one day span 34 miles from Marshalltown in Marshall County to Steamboat Rock in Hardin County....
IA 7.1 mi Concrete
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...
IA 12 mi 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...
IA 3.7 mi Asphalt
The very appropriately named Veterinary Medicine Trail passes through the animal science research hub for Iowa State University. A paved shared-use path in the City of Ames, the trail provides a short...
IA 1.2 mi Asphalt
Who says Iowa doesn’t have hills?! The winding route of the Volksweg Trail sticks mainly to the rolling hills and scenic viewpoints from Lake Red Rock all the way to the town of Pella. Dutch...
IA 12.5 mi Asphalt
The Cinder Path in southern Iowa is notable as the state’s first rail-to-trail conversion. Following a shady route past farms and wetlands along the Chariton River between Chariton and Humeston for...
IA 13.5 mi Cinder, Crushed Stone
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...
IA 3 mi Asphalt
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...
IA 1 mi Concrete
Overview Built on a former section of the Chicago Great Western Railroad (built in 1893), the Great Western Trail spans 19 miles between Des Moines and Martensdale.  About the Route The...
IA 19 mi Asphalt, Concrete
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...
IA 25.8 mi Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass
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...
IA 11.1 mi Concrete
The Jerry Kelley Trail, named for the city of Indianola's former long-tenured mayor, provides a great community pathway that links residents to schools, local parks, and the city's pair of fantastic...
IA 2.7 mi Concrete
The Jordan Creek Trail is a pleasant suburban trail that connects neighborhoods with shopping and retail, schools, and recreational amenities. The trail gets its name from the Jordan Creek, which it...
IA 8.6 mi Concrete
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...
IA 1.9 mi Asphalt, Concrete
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,...
IA 10 mi Asphalt
Part of an expansive trail network in the Greater Des Moines region, the 26-mile Neal Smith Trail rolls along the banks of the Des Moines River through the Ding Darling Greenway conservation area and...
IA 26 mi Asphalt
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...
IA 6 mi Concrete
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...
IA 5.8 mi Asphalt
The small city of Knoxville, about forty miles southeast of Des Moines, is chiefly known for the Knoxville Raceway and the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum, which draws racing enthusiasts...
IA 0.9 mi Asphalt
The East Hillcrest Trail is a short suburban trail located in the community of Indianola. Running along the avenue of the same name, the trail provides several important local connections, linking the...
IA 0.8 mi 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...
IA 1.6 mi Asphalt, Concrete
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...
IA 2.7 mi 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...
IA 3.4 mi Asphalt
Constructed in a lovely corridor that runs in between suburban neighborhoods in West Des Moines, the Ashawa Greenway Trail offers a short but pleasant paved path that serves both as a means of...
IA 0.7 mi Asphalt, Concrete
The Bloomington Road Trail is a shared use path along the road of the same name. The trail is located in Ames, near the northern city limits. It provides a safe, car-separate facility where residents...
IA 2.4 mi Asphalt
The Bob Layton Trail, dedicated in 2014 and named in honor of the city of Urbandale's former city manager, offers a little over a mile of paved trail through the city's Walnut Creek Regional Park. A...
IA 1 mi Asphalt
In the City of the Urbandale, the Coronado Park Trail runs from the Dunlap Park and Arboretum to Coronado Park on Sanders Drive. At its northern endpoint, this short paved trail can be accessed via a...
IA 0.4 mi Asphalt
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....
IA 2.6 mi Asphalt
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...
IA 0.5 mi Ballast, Dirt, Grass
A newly constructed six-lane highway built to accommodate the rapidly expanding suburb of Waukee, the Grand Prairie Parkway was designed to serve a variety of needs, and the accompanying Grand Prairie...
IA 3 mi Concrete
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...
IA 1.02 mi Asphalt
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...
IA 0.6 mi Asphalt
For residents looking for a low-key space to get some exercise, the Greenway Trail provides a swathe of nature nestled between suburban subdivisions of Altoona. The trail runs the length of Greenway...
IA 1.1 mi Asphalt
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...
IA 1.8 mi Asphalt
The Hiawatha Trail provides a convenient way to cross Perry's northeastern neighborhoods and provides a connection to Raccoon River Valley Trail, a scenic 89-mile rail-trail. The east end of the...
IA 2.5 mi Concrete
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...
IA 2.73 mi Asphalt
Helping to connect three of the city of West Des Moines' public parks - and allowing residents to access the parks safely via bike or on foot - the Knolls Greenway Trail provides a nice recreational...
IA 1.1 mi Asphalt, Concrete
The Lions Park Trail provides a charming path alongside a little creek in the suburb of Grimes, IA, far to the northwest on the outskirts of the Des Moines area. This short trail provides a perfect...
IA 1.1 mi Concrete
Running along a pleasant wooded corridor that follows the path of the Little Walnut Creek on the western outskirts of Urbandale, the Little Walnut Creek Trail is an excellent means of recreation for...
IA 1.9 mi Asphalt
The Long Meadow Trail is a quaint path in suburban Johnston, IA, popular with joggers and walkers from the various neighborhoods it runs through. The paved trail provides an important off-road...
IA 1.28 mi Asphalt
A sidepath trail located along the side of the adjacent busy parkway that shares its name, the Martin Luther King Jr. Trail may not provide the sort of pleasant, natural trail experience that other...
IA 1.1 mi Asphalt
Urbandale, Iowa is home to an extensive trails network; there are over 54 miles of trail spread across the city. The Meredith Drive Trail isn't necessarily the most scenic of the trails, it does form...
IA 3.5 mi Concrete
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...
IA 5.2 mi Asphalt
The Mills Civic Parkway Trail follows the route of its namesake roadway through suburban West Des Moines, helping to connect residents to popular destinations like local parks, schools, numerous shops...
IA 4 mi Concrete
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...
IA 3 mi Asphalt, Concrete
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,...
IA 10.5 mi Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass
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...
IA 1.5 mi Asphalt
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...
IA 4.1 mi Asphalt, Concrete
Named for the major project the city of Des Moines has undertaken to improve transportation and connectivity along the Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway in the southeastern section of downtown, the...
IA 3.09 mi Concrete
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...
IA 2.4 mi Asphalt
Connecting neighborhoods to parks and trails in the center of Waukee, a small but fast-growing suburb west of Des Moines, the Sugar Creek Trail helps provide an easy way to bike or walk around the...
IA 1.4 mi Concrete
The Timberline Park Trail forms a crucial link in the Urbandale area's trail network, while also offering a scenic experience for local residents in need of a neighborhood stroll. The northern end of...
IA 1.6 mi Asphalt
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...
IA 3.2 mi Asphalt
Beginning at the end of the Bob Layton Trail in Urbandale, the Walnut Trace Park Trail allows walkers, cyclists, and others to continue exploring the peaceful meadows alongside Walnut Creek for over...
IA 1.6 mi Concrete
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...
IA 1.7 mi Asphalt
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...
IA 1.2 mi Asphalt
The Westridge Greenway Trail spans just shy of a mile, running along a beautiful shaded corridor in the heart of suburban West Des Moines. The flat trail is a mixture of concrete and asphalt paths,...
IA 0.98 mi Asphalt, Concrete

Recent Trail Reviews

High Trestle Trail to Raccoon River Valley Trail Connector

Spectacular New Connector Trail from Woodward to Perry

October, 2024 by sringlee

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.

Carlisle Nature Trail

the BIG Hill

October, 2024 by vcu6chqk7n

Great ride but what a big and long hill!

Easter Lake Spine Trail

Easter lake spine trail

October, 2024 by vcu6chqk7n

Nice easy flat ride with a lake on one side and housed on the other

Accordion

Great American Rail-Trail

such a beautiful trail!

October, 2024 by sherryschie

We started in Akron and rode about 18 miles north. Loved it!!!

Chichaqua Valley Trail

Great trail

October, 2024 by dpate

I rode the Chichaqua Trail in early October 2024. From the southwest end to 88th street east of Bondurant is smooth cement. There is parking and a restroom at 88th st where it changed to asphalt with a few minor issues. The worst part was between Ira and Baxter. Just watch for cracks. Some bad spots are paint marked. Overall a great long trail away from noise and traffic that I would highly recommend riding. I give it 5 stars! Traveling cyclist Facebook

High Trestle Trail

Great trail

September, 2024 by dpate

I rode from 1st street in Ankeny north to Slater then west to just outside of Perry. The map shows it is broken just west of Woodward but it in fact continues into Perry. I think it’s the HT Trail to Raccoon RV trail but there is not a map for that one. Definitely a 5 star trail! Traveling cyclist Facebook

Great Western Trail (IA)

Edit

September, 2024 by dpate

I said I rode in 2025 but I see no way to edit. I rode Sept 2024. Traveling cyclist Facebook

Great Western Trail (IA)

Good trail

September, 2024 by dpate

I rode this trail in mid September 2025. I started at the north end not knowing there is a rail closure at Count Line Road and Hwy 28. It continues to a mile and a half north of the Chicken Restaurant. The trail was open the rest of the way to Martinsdale. The older asphalt sections have plenty of cracks and is rough. The cement sections are heaven. I think eventually it will all be cement. Wonderful mostly shaded ride through the country. I give it five stars even with the rough sections. It’s another great long trail away from the death machines.

Neal Smith Trail

3 cheers!

September, 2024 by dpate

I rode the trail from Cherry Glen Rec Area into Des Moines for 15 miles. There are some older sections that are a bit rough but there are also some new cement sections that are fabulous. It winds through great scenery and even with rough areas I would rate this trail five stars. I highly recommend checking this trail out! Traveling cyclist Facebook

Great Western Trail (IA)

Short Ride

September, 2024 by mjmeyer_tl

We were hoping to ride this entire trail this morning but were unsuccessful. We started south out of Cumming and it was SO bumpy that we turned around after about three miles. Riding north of Cumming we encountered the same bumpy patched up trail until we encountered a trail closed sign. I couldn’t really enjoy the scenery as I had to keep a close eye on the trail. The trail at the street crossings was concrete for a few yards on either side which was wonderful. We left the trail after only riding nine miles. We were disappointed in the condition of the Great Western trail and won’t ride it again unless it gets a major facelift.

Neal Smith Trail

Beautiful trail, highly recommend! A bit bumpy in spots, but very well maintained!

September, 2024 by bockcynde

Beautiful trail, highly recommend! A bit bumpy in spots, but very well maintained!

Trestle to Trestle Trail

Nice connector

August, 2024 by dpate

Super connector trail between Johnston trails and Des Moines trails. Just one of many good trails in the greater Des Moines area. 5 stars Traveling cyclist Facebook

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