![]() In 2006, a nonprofit group, the Raccoon River Valley Trail Association, was formed and tasked with fundraising and promoting the trail. In the years that followed the 1989 opening, the trail was extended outward from its tips-north to Jefferson and east to Clive, then totaling 56 miles-but the gamechanger occurred nearly two decades after the original section opened. The Raccoon River Valley Trail set the trend for hard-surfaced trails into the 1990s and 2000s, Wallace noted. ![]() And back then, most of the trails around the state were crushed limestone. The trail began more simply with a straight-forward, 34-mile route from Waukee to Yale. Its distinctive loop-in fact, the largest paved loop trail in the country-is special in two ways. Blazing Trail Raccoon River Valley Trail bridge over the North Raccoon River | Photo by Laura Stark ![]() Other events take place on the trail throughout the year, an unanticipated but welcome community benefit since the trail’s creation in 1989, according to Wallace. The all-day ride starts and ends in Waukee, on the eastern leg of the pathway, and bacon-themed delights of all kinds-donuts, ice cream, sandwiches, cornbread and more-are served in the towns along the way. “We have a lot of tree-shaded portions of the trail, and it goes through some prairie remanent areas, so you see a lot of wildlife: deer, quails, pheasants and other types of birds.”Įach June, the trail even smells delicious thanks to the Bacoon Ride, a fundraiser for the Iowa Bicycle Coalition drawing hundreds of people to the area. “By building the trail and preserving the railroad right of way, we’ve actually preserved a lot of wildlife habitat,” noted Mike Wallace, director of the Dallas County Conservation Board. Raccoon River Valley Trail view heading south from Jefferson | Photo by Laura Stark Owned by the conservation boards of the three counties it traverses-Dallas, Greene and Guthrie-a central tenant of the trail’s management is providing public access to nature and these picturesque settings. “There are maples, oaks and elms the colors stay so vibrant for a longer time because you’re seeing all different species of trees.” “You get to experience the harvest season in Iowa as you’re riding along-we’re known for our corn and beans-and the fall foliage is beautiful, especially along the southern loop of the trail,” enthused Deb Bengston, director for the chamber of commerce of Adel, one of the 14 charming communities along the trail. Raccoon River Valley Trail | Courtesy Raccoon River Valley Trail Association It’s a vivid backdrop that will only be enhanced with the coming flourishes of fall. Leaving the outskirts of Des Moines, the route swoops west and north through a Midwestern canvas awash in color: emerald expanses of farmers’ fields, meadows flecked with wildflowers, and glimmers of silver silos. “When they see the Raccoon River Valley Trail get that national recognition, they’re like, ‘Look what’s happening here in Iowa!’ It’s an amazing facility, and we can have more of that in the state-it’s a prime example of what’s possible.” “The surrounding communities get that rising tides lift all boats,” said Andrea Boulton, trails and greenways program director for the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation. The 89-mile pathway garnered some 16,000 votes in the national competition-a figure larger than the population of most of the small towns along its route, several home to fewer than 300 people. In pastoral west-central Iowa, the Raccoon River Valley Trail has won this year’s blue-ribbon prize: entrance into the Rail-Trail Hall of Fame. Chuck Offenburger, a former Raccoon River Valley Trail Association board member ![]() It connects Des Moines, the largest city in Iowa and the state capital, to some of the richest, most productive farmland in America.” ![]() “ The Raccoon River Valley Trail is now a major economic force for west-central Iowa. Perry's depot along the Raccoon River Valley Trail | Courtesy Raccoon River Valley Trail Association Trail of the Month: Sept. ![]()
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