High Trestle Trail Bridge turns 10!

By Joe Jayjack on April 30, 2021 in Blog

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Joe Jayjack, INHF communications director, jjayjack@inhf.org, 712-310-7182

INHF raising funds for new connections to High Trestle Trail on 10th Anniversary

Today marks the 10-year anniversary of the opening of the High Trestle Trail Bridge, and Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF) is celebrating by raising funds during the month of May to make new connections and improvements to this iconic Iowa destination.

In the 10 years since the opening of the bridge, millions of people have come to central Iowa to experience the 13-story high crossing of the wide Des Moines River valley. More than a quarter of a million people visit the trail annually, supporting hundreds of jobs and generating millions of dollars in spending in communities along the trail. The corridor also provides immeasurable public health and wildlife benefits.

^{2011 High Trestle Tail Bridge ribbon cutting/Photo by Jessica Rilling}

The opening of the bridge was the culmination of a years-long effort that involved five cities, four counties, many public and private organizations and thousands of people that supported the vision for this special trail. INHF has been proud to play a part in that trail development, and now we want to help make connections to new communities from this fantastic trail. 

To mark the anniversary, INHF and its partners are raising money for four new connections to the High Trestle Trail and to repair the iconic blue lights on the bridge. Funds raised during the month of May will go into INHF's High Trestle Trail Legacy Fund and be distributed to help with the following projects: 

1) The connector trail between Woodward and Perry, which will connect the High Trestle Trail to the Raccoon River Valley Trail
2) Repair of the iconic blue lights on the High Trestle Trail Bridge
3) Connecting trail between the High Trestle Trail and Swede's Point Park
4) Connecting trail between the High Trestle Trail and Polk City
5) Extension of the High Trestle Trail through Ankeny to connect with northeast Des Moines

DONATE HERE

INHF will have a tent next to the trail in Madrid on Saturday, May 1, during the High Trestle Trail 10 Year Anniversary Ride organized by businesses along the trail. We'll be there 2-8 p.m., so if you're out on the trail, stop by to learn more about these exciting connections. 

INHF will also be selling limited edition T-shirts to mark the anniversary, with proceeds going toward the trail improvements. Find the shirts here.

Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation is a nonprofit conservation group that works with private landowners and public partners to protect and restore Iowa's land, water and wildlife. Since its founding in 1979, INHF has helped protect more than 180,000 acres of Iowa's natural resources and blaze the way for thousands of miles of trails across the state.

Learn more here