From Headwaters to the Gulf:
The Mississippi River Trail

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By Nicole Paseka

The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation has never backed down from a visionary project--even complicated endeavors that may take decades to complete.

A national project known as the Mississippi River Trail (MRT) strives to connect nature, people and communities along the Mississippi River with a user-friendly bicycle route. INHF is part of this visionary project, supporting local efforts to establish trail routes along Iowa's eastern border that will eventually grow into a critical section of the MRT.

INHF has helped establish many of Iowa's multi-use trails, and Iowa now ranks sixth in the nation for its number and miles of converted rail-trails. INHF President Mark Ackelson currently serves as chairman of the board for the MRT. Former Iowa representative Clyde Bradley of Clinton also serves on the MRT board.

World-class trail
The legendary "Mighty Mississippi" not only carves Iowa's eastern border, but also serves as the backbone for the entire nation, extending 2,552 miles from its headwaters in Lake Itasca, Minnesota, to the Gulf of Mexico at New Orleans. The MRT follows the river and zigzags along the 10 bordering states. The MRT's southern portion between New Orleans and St. Louis is nearly completed, while the northern route is still in the preliminary stages of development.

"When completed, the Mississippi River Trail will be a world-class trail that Iowans and people from around the world can enjoy," Ackelson says. "Not only will the MRT make Iowa a premiere cycling destination, it will also link these communities to their natural world and serve as a catalyst for economic development. This is a bold long-term vision for Iowa and the other nine states along the Mississippi River. Many of the communities have already become partners."

Pat Nunnally, executive director of MRT, concurs. "When you talk to tourists from other countries, they know the Grand Canyon, Statue of Liberty - and they've read Huckleberry Finn. They know the Mississippi River," Nunnally says. "We take it for granted here, but it's really one of the great rivers of the world. And we're building a route where you can bicycle the entire thing!"

Iowa's vision
The goal of MRT is to create a basic route that is safe, scenic and as close to the river as possible. The MRT will serve as a "backbone" trail that will connect numerous existing Iowa trails.

Both public and private sector efforts will help to develop a trail route that is off-road as much as possible along abandoned rail corridors and other landscape features. Where necessary, the trail will be located on low-volume rural roads.

At the urging of INHF, the Iowa legislature funded the Iowa Department of Transportation to conduct a study that identified feasible MRT routes on the state's eastern border. The study, conducted by researchers David Plazak and Jamie Luedtke at Iowa State University's Center for Transportation Research and Education (CTRE), is available online.

The goal is to have some MRT sections in Iowa designated and signed by summer 2004.

Once completed, the Mississippi River Trail will follow the entire length of the Mississippi River, entering each of its 10 adjoining states.

Nicole Paseka of Onawa is a Robert R. Buckmaster intern. She is a junior majoring in journalism and sociology at Iowa State University.

More about MRT
For more information about the Mississippi River Trail, call the MRT office at 651-698-2727 or visit their website. For more information about the proposed MRT route in Iowa, visit their web site.

For more information, e-mail Cathy Engstrom, Director of Communications, or call (515) 288-1846.