Current Projects
For each of these emerging trail projects, INHF is involved in securing the land needed for the trail. You can give to these great new trails through INHF.
Iowa River's Edge Trail
This 34-mile former rail corridor between Marshalltown and Steamboat Rock follows the beautiful Iowa River Greenbelt and connects with Pine Lake State Park. Through Marshalltown, this new trail will connect with the Highway 330 Trail and Heart of Iowa Trail. (Central Iowa through Hardin and Marshall counties.)
Laurens Trail Connection
This 2.2-mile former railroad corridor will extend the existing 1.9-mile Laurens Trail southeast of the City of Laurens. Both the planned and existing trail are part of the Pocahontas County Trails Plan, which seeks to connect the existing 40-mile Three Rivers Trail in Pocahontas, Humboldt and Wright counties. Once completed, the planned corridors will nearly double the trail’s length.
High Trestle Trail to Swede Point Park
This 2.1-mile connection between the High Trestle Trail and Swede Point Park High Trestle Trail to Swede Point Park will offer opportunities to enjoy breathtaking scenery, explore diverse habitat and camp along the Des Moines River Valley's east ridgeline. We are so close to realizing this vision. Help close the final financial gap of $150,000 on this $1 million connector trail today.
Dry Run Trail
A mile of former rail corridor runs through 170 acres of woodlands and open space on Dry Run Creek. Besides being an attractive county park, Neste Valley will be a trailhead and a very scenic midway stretch for the envisioned 8-mile connection of Trout Run Trail in Decorah to the Prairie Farmer Recreational Trail (Calmar to Cresco). This would connect a 43-mile trail system in Northeast Iowa.
Connector to link High Trestle Trail with Raccoon River Valley Trail
This 9-mile future trail between Perry and Woodward will connect two of Iowa's biggest and best trail systems! This is the connection that everyone is waiting for. While this project is in its early stages, contributions now will help Dallas County Conservation match and secure public grants to kick off the trail.
Coon Rapids to Herndon Trail
This 17-mile connection is the last link to connect the Raccoon River Trail to Whiterock Conservancy, a 5,500-acre outdoor recreation area! The Raccoon River trail is part of the Central Iowa Trail System, a 700 mile network of continuous trail in and around Des Moines that includes the High Trestle Trail.
Admiral Trail
This 4-mile trail will give you another way to enjoy the Wabash Trace. The go-getter people of Farragut (pop. 485) are working hard to connect trail users with their community, and the Admiral Inn Café is eager to host events for trail enthusiasts. (Southwest Iowa in Fremont and Page counties.)
Red Rock Prairie Trail
The development of this trail extension, connecting Monroe, Prairie City and Mitchellville, is part of the long range goal of linking the Des Moines metro with Lake Red Rock and Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge.
Give to the INHF Trails Program
Your gift helps to provide our leadership in strategizing, organizing, and promoting a wide variety of emerging trail projects. Often our INHF staff share their experience with volunteers and community leaders who have never tried to create a trail before.
Long after the land for a trail is secured thru INHF, we continue to be involved as needed with great trail projects like:
Ankeny Connection
Purchase of 6 miles of discontinued railroad corridor will bring the High Trestle Trail through the heart of Ankeny and under Interstate 80, connecting to the Des Moines metro. This connection will run from Ankeny Market Pavilion Project (AMP) at Uptown through commercial, residential and business neighborhoods.
Iowa Great Lakes Trail extension from Superior to Allendorf
37-mile, east-west trail will link with the growing Iowa Great Lakes system, bringing it within 5 miles of Sibley. (Northwest Iowa in Dickinson and Osceola counties)
