Lamoni Rail-Trail

Iowa

4 Reviews

The Lamoni Rail-Trail, also called the Lamoni Recreation Trail, is a delightful route through the downtown area, with a side loop through the campus of Graceland University. You can begin the trail at the Iowa Gateway Welcome Center (Exit 4 on I-35), which makes a nice break if you need to stretch those legs during a long drive. From here, the trail heads west to downtown Lamoni then continues north and west into the countryside, past small lakes and open fields, to end at Liberty Hall. Liberty Hall is a Victorian-era house open for public viewing and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Lamoni Rail-Trail follows an abandoned railroad corridor and incorporates an earthen dam plus two reconstructed trestles.

Parking and Trail Access

Park at the Iowa Gateway Welcome Center (Exit 4 on I-35), at Central Park (behind the library off Main St./US 69) or at Liberty Hall (1138 W Main St.). Parking is available on the campus of Graceland University but restrictions may apply.

July 2023

July 2023 pepper_tl

The trails ends in a gully. It looks like they are revising the water drainage, but there’s no warning signs until the trail abruptly ends at a impassable gully.

May 2016 rbstjacobs

My son and I just started riding trails. This was our first day and we enjoyed this trail. We liked the different scenery. I really enjoyed riding through the tree shaded areas and the pasture area. Being it was our first time there we did get a little confused as to where the trail went when we got in town. We watched another bicyclist and figured it out.I definitely recommend this trail.

Nice idea, bad follow through

June 2013 millie.mine

While the view is very nice; the trail itself is poor for biking on as it's concrete and not clear of debris. The concrete is broken in several places, and poorly patched with asphalt in other places. Low hanging branches obscuring half the trail as well as leaves, twigs and large puddles of water make it dangerous in places. The worst danger though is the people walking in the middle of the path and failing to move aside when passing or failing to curb their dogs! As it is, it's a poorly maintained nature walk and dangerous for bikers and runners.

Great break on an I-35 road trip

July 2011 aespen

Definitely hit this trail as a break from a long road trip on I-35. The flat, paved trail starts east of Lamoni, goes past Graceland College, through downtown, and then enters its most picturesque stretch west of town. Here it meanders through a working field, past a nice small lake and terminates at the historic Liberty Hall. The trail is in excellent condition. There is a nice coffee shop a few blocks off the trail in the center of town.