Iowa

A View From … The Great American Rail-Trail

Posted 01/23/19 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Building Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Connected Systems, District Of Columbia, Featured Magazine Articles, Great American Rail-Trail, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, TrailNation, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming

Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail in Washington | Photo by TrailLink user biggerdawg

Imagine what’s possible with a trail that connects the country. Imagine ... pedaling across the entire country on a safe, seamless and scenic pathway—or walking a local trail that connects along historic routes. That vision will become a reality thanks to the Great American Rail-Trail, a signature project of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) and the organization’s most ambitious TrailNation™ project yet.

Full Story
Cardinal Greenway, Bridge in Economy | Photo by Angie Pool, Courtesy Cardinal Greenways Inc.

Help Us Pick America’s 2018 Rail-Trail Hall of Famer!

Posted 07/02/18 by Suzanne Matyas in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Hall of Fame, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Trail Destinations, Washington

Our team scoured the states for rail-trails with exemplary scenic value, use, trail and trailside amenities, historical significance, management and maintenance, community connections and other Hall-of-Fame-worthy merits—and though it was difficult, we were able to narrow our choices down to five nominees:

Katy Trail State Park | Photo by Aaron Fuhrman

RTC’s 2018 Doppelt Grants Invest in 9 Trail Projects, Filling Critical Gaps in Trail Funding

Posted 05/22/18 by Eli Griffen in Building Trails, America's Trails | Tagged with California, Connected Systems, Demand for Trails, Funding, Hall of Fame, Idaho, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Trail Communities

Since 2015, RTC’s Doppelt Fund has awarded nearly a half-million dollars in grants to nonprofits and government agencies working to develop and improve multiuse trails. This year, RTC is awarding the most annual funds yet to the most awardees, with more than $140,000 going to 10 worthy recipients.

High Trestle Trail | Photo by Milo Bateman

10 Bucket-List Biking Trails

Posted 03/28/17 by Suzanne Matyas in Trail Use, America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, California, Encouraging Trail Use, Idaho, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, OpeningDay, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Trail Destinations, Virginia, Washington

And while every trail offers its own unique experience, there are some that are so extraordinary that they truly rise to the top. So, saddle up your two-wheeled steed and celebrate Opening Day on April 8 on one of these bucket-listers!

High Trestle Trail | Photo by David V. Johnson

Iowa's High Trestle Trail

Posted 07/14/16 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Iowa, Tourism , Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Like the entrance to an alien starship, the fantastical channel of blue lights along the signature bridge of central Iowa’s High Trestle Trail beckons curious travelers to explore. Wrapped in 43 twisting diamond-shaped steel ribs lined with LED lights, the bridge is meant to elicit the sensation of traveling down a mine shaft, a nod to the area’s coalmining history. Towering 130 feet above the Des Moines River, it is just as impressive in daylight, providing an ever-changing picture of the scenic river valley hung with an elaborate frame.

Ali and Tyler Sloan on the High Trestle Trail in Iowa, Aug. 20, 2013 | Photo courtesy Ali and Tyler Sloan

A Moment on the Trail, A Lifetime of Happiness

Posted 03/18/15 by Amy Kapp in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Iowa, Success Stories

Sometimes, it only takes one moment on a trail to change our lives forever. Just ask Des Moines couple Ali and Tyler Sloan, who experienced an unforgettable, life-altering moment on Aug. 20, 2013, when, after several years of dating, Tyler proposed to Ali on the High Trestle Trail in Iowa.