Great Western Trail (Iowa)
Coordinates: 41°22′27″N 93°44′44″W / 41.374109°N 93.745539°W
| Great Western Trail | |
|---|---|
 The Great Western Trail south of Cumming | |
| Length | 16.5 mi (26.6 km) |
| Location | Central Iowa, United States |
| Established | 1992[1] |
| Trailheads | Des Moines Cumming Martensdale |
| Use | Hiking, biking |
| Hiking details | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Right of way | Formerly the Chicago and North Western Railway.[2] |
The Great Western Trail is a rail trail in the Des Moines metropolitan area south-central Iowa, United States.
Description[]
The trails is 16.5 miles (26.6 km) long and paved with asphalt.[3] Starting in Water Works Park in Des Moines at its north end, it passes through suburban areas, Willow Creek Golf Course, fields, farmland, and the wooded valley of the North River, with a southern terminus in Martensdale.[4]
The trail follows the route of an abandoned line of the Chicago, St. Paul and Kansas City Railroad, constructed in 1899. It is named after the Chicago Great Western Railway, which last operated trains over the segment in 1968.[1] The trail is maintained by the Conservation Boards of Polk and Warren Counties.[2]
See also[]
References[]
- ^ a b "Great Western Trail". Retrieved November 5, 2020.
- ^ a b "Great Western Trail". Warren County Conservation Board. Archived from the original on February 13, 2007.
- ^ "Trails of central Iowa". Central Iowa Tourism Region. Archived from the original on March 20, 2008.
- ^ "Great Western Trail". Trails.com. Archived from the original on September 26, 2007. Retrieved October 15, 2006.
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Great Western Trail (Iowa). |
- Rail trails in Iowa
- Protected areas of Polk County, Iowa
- Protected areas of Warren County, Iowa
- Geography of Des Moines, Iowa
- Transportation in Des Moines, Iowa
- Chicago and North Western Railway
- Tourist attractions in Des Moines, Iowa