A new recreational trail will soon roll 31 miles between the north-central Iowa towns of Allison to Coulter in Franklin and Butler counties.

The future development of the Rolling Prairie Trail received a green light this week when the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF) finalized purchase of an unused rail corridor, working with the counties and Union Pacific Railroad. Union Pacific helped make its conversion to a trail possible by discounting nearly $3 million of the appraised value after it was determined the land was no longer required to serve Iowa’s rail transportation needs.

The Rolling Prairie Trail will make it possible for bicyclists, walkers and runners to travel from Beeds Lake State Park in Franklin County, to Wilder City Park in Allison and Heery Woods State Park in Butler County. Towns along the full route include Hampton, Dumont, Clarksville and Shell Rock. It will also link trail users to the larger Tri-County Trail System, a multi-use trail network being developed in north central and northeast Iowa.

Dennis Carlson, Franklin County Conservation Board Director, said he is excited about the new economic development opportunities that the trail represents.

“We will soon have a trailhead within a mile of the interstate, with parks at both ends of the trail, and links beyond,” said Carlson. “This has tremendous potential to get people off of I-35 and bring them through our small towns.”

Both counties plan to involve citizen committees in final planning and fundraising for the construction phase.

“Local involvement and volunteers are important to long-term success,” said Butler County Conservation Board Director Steve Brunsma. 

“Our trails are one of our most popular recreational facilities and we are very excited about extending the present trail system,” he said. “This year, when our existing trails suffered some major flood damage, we became even more conscious of the value of support from local trail supporters and volunteers.”

The new trail extension will run through diverse rural Iowa landscapes, from farmland to native prairies to small towns. The existing 5.5-mile section from Shell Rock to one mile east of Clarksville was paved in October 2007. The trail from Clarksville to Allison is a blacktop surface that connects with Heery Woods State Park and Wilder Park in Allison.

Lisa Hein, INHF Program and Planning Director, coordinated the land purchase. She praised Union Pacific for its role in an exciting project that will offer the region an opportunity to diversify their tourism economy. “Without their generous sale price and willingness to railbank,” she said, “this segment and many other popular Iowa trails would not be possible.”

“The trail will offer a safe corridor for active living, transportation and recreation away from motorized traffic. Once it is completed,” she said, “I can envision Rolling Prairie serving as a link from the Cedar Valley Lakes trail system to the trails in Wright and Cerro Gordo counties.”

In collaboration with the Iowa Trails Council, the counties have already raised significant funding from state and regional transportation enhancement grants, the Iowa Department of Transportation and private contributions and pledges. Additional funding for trail construction is still required to complete the match requirements for state and federal grants awarded to purchase the corridor. Franklin County, with about 55 percent of the trail, must still raise about $73,700 for its portion. Butler County is looking for private contributions to complete its $60,000 of match. When the local fundraising is complete, INHF will transfer ownership of the corridor to the local conservation boards.

Railbanking preserves intact, linear corridors that can be used for alternative transportation, natural resource protection, greenways, and future rail use, according to Brenda Mainwaring, Union Pacific’s Director of Public Affairs. Railbanking is permitted by the Service Transportation Board to ensure that discontinued railways are not destroyed.

INHF is a nonprofit conservation group that works with private landowners and other partners to protect Iowa’s land, water and wildlife. Since its founding in 1979, INHF has helped protect more than 100,000 acres of Iowa’s natural resources, including Mayne’s Grove and the Longspur Habitat Area in Franklin County, and Blackmun Prairie in Butler County.

Anyone interested in donating for the trail should contact the Franklin County Conservation Board at 641-456-4375 or the Butler County Conservation Board at 319-278-1130. Progress to complete the Rolling Prairie portion of the trail will depend on fundraising and future construction grants. Updates, a map and information on the status of trail damage from this year's flooding are available at the website of the Rolling Prairie Tri-County Trail System.