This article first appeared in INHF's Summer 2007 magazine.

By Larry Stone

Split Rock, 1979; Courtesy of Doug Cheever

One of the last trains to use the Chicago Great Western rail line in the late 1970s passes through Split Rock. Today, bikers can pass through the same spot on the Heritage Trail. This 26-mile trail, located in Dubuque County, is now celebrating its 25th year. Like its dramatic scenery, Heritage Trail also has a dramatic history—from violent opposition at its beginnings to widespread support today.

Split Rock, 2007; Photo Credit, Larry Stone

From struggling railroad to controversial nature trail to keystone of a regional trail system, Dubuque County’s Heritage Trail, didn’t happen quickly or painlessly.

Now celebrating its 25^th anniversary, this 26-mile rail to trail conversion helped lay the foundation for other trail projects in Iowa. Its story offers hope for current conservation projects that are ahead of their time.

Early controversy

In 1973, Dubuque County residents foresaw the demise of the Chicago Great Western rail line between Dubuque and Dyersville. If the trains stopped running, a planning committee said, the corridor offered a “once in a lifetime opportunity” to develop a premier trail.After rail service ended in 1979, Heritage Trail, Inc., a private, non-profit group, was formed to assist the Dubuque County Conservation Board in developing a trail. Unfortunately, a bitter fight pitted property rights advocates and adjacent landowners against recreationists and conservationists.

Trail advocates urged protection of the natural beauty, noted the rugged corridor’s low value for agriculture and touted its potential tourism benefits. Opponents challenged the railroad’s title to the land, argued against spending public money for recreation and voiced fears of trespassing and vandalism.

Emotions ran high. At one public meeting, opponents shouted, “Burn the bridges!” Suspicious fires damaged a half-dozen of the line’s more than 30 wooden bridges. Hog manure was dumped on the trail. Barricades were erected. Arnie Brimeyer, director of the Dubuque County Conservation Board; his successor, Bob Walton; and INHF’s Mark Ackelson received deaths threats.

Heritage Trail, Inc., president Doug Cheever of Dubuque said trail supporters insured the bridges with a policy backed by Lloyds of London. They hired the Pinkerton detective agency to deter trail vandalism. The vandalism and threats ended, but other obstacles remained.

Although land records showed that the railroad had clear title to 95 of the 100 parcels of land it had bought in the 1880s, several lawsuits disputed the ownership. Meanwhile, owners of some of the remaining five tracts initially blocked plans for a continuous trail. (Notably, a plan to extend the trail from Dyersville through Delaware County to Backbone State Park was never pursued because of landowner opposition.)

Undaunted, Heritage Trail, Inc., developed parts of the Dubuque County trail where the ownership was not contested, and several trail segments opened in 1982. The entire corridor finally was completed in 1986, after the Conservation Board negotiated agreements with the remaining landowners.

Booming popularity

As one of Iowa’s early rails-to-trails projects, the Heritage Trail has proved hugely popular. An adjacent landowner who initially had opposed the trail now declares it “was the best thing that ever happened for Dubuque County.”

A 1992 study by Penn State University estimated economic benefits of $1.2 million per year from about 135,000 trail users. According to Dubuque County Conservation Board director Brian Preston, those figures likely have increased in the ensuing 15 years. The board has begun a survey to update those estimates.

While even trail opponents agree that the opposition has faded, some question how much economic benefit the trail actually creates. Others argue that trails are a luxury funded by all taxpayers to benefit only a few. Proponents say the benefits are only beginning to be counted.

Photo credit: Doug D. Clark

Many Partners

Heritage Trail exists because of “a lot of people of goodwill coming together,” said Doug Cheever of Dubuque, president of Heritage Trail, Inc. As with other Iowa trails, acquiring, building and maintaining Heritage Trail has required an array of public and private partners.

It began with a dedicated core of local volunteers. Heritage Trail, Inc., board members donated $12,000 for a down payment to buy the 380-acre corridor. Area businesses, led by Flexsteel and the Woodward Communications Foundation, also contributed.

The Dubuque County Conservation Board, the lead public partner, added $135,000 to complete the $215,000 purchase. DCCB carries most responsibilities today as trail owner and manager. The $400,000 cost of development came from state and federal grants, plus donations from more than 700 individuals and organizations.

The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation provided technical and fundraising assistance. Today INHF continues to work for increased public trail funding, along with regional and national trail connections, such as the Mississippi River Trail.

Bridge repairs and routine maintenance of the limestone chip surface on the trail take time and money, concedes Preston, but he thinks it’s worth the effort and expense. “It’s one of our more heavily visited areas, definitely.”

Pam Lewey, manager of The Bike Shack in Dubuque, notes the Heritage Trail is good for local business. She says the trail has encouraged biking—especially by older people, families or casual cyclists who don’t feel comfortable on busy streets or highways. Tourists at Dubuque’s other attractions—such as the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium—often bring their bikes and extend their visits.

Looking ahead

Though officially “completed” in 1982, the Heritage Trail keeps growing.

According to Laura Carstens, city planner for Dubuque, Heritage Trail was the catalyst for a city-wide, 18-mile trail system. The next phase includes a bridge over busy U. S. Highway 52 on the north edge of Dubuque. County officials also are seeking state and federal grants to pave road shoulders to link the city of Cascade with the Heritage Trail by way of Farley. The Heritage Trail will be a spur of the 10-state Mississippi River Trail (MRT), now under development.

Future plans include a trailside camping area and improved management of prairie remnants and other natural areas along the corridor.

Bob Walton, who retired as Conservation Board director in 2006, praised Brimeyer, Cheever and others who began more than 25 years ago to lay the groundwork for the continued success of the Heritage Trail.

“At that point in time, it was a mighty ambitious thing to do,” Walton said, “but the entire region continues to reap the benefits. It’s a great resource for the county.”

INHF member Larry Stone lives in Clayton County, not far from the Heritage Trail. He’s an occasional trail user, and has followed its progress for more than 25 years.

Heritage Trail: 25 years later

Many Partners

Visiting Heritage Trail