While Central Iowa is known for it’s miles of connected bicycle trails, there are more coming. This week a group of cycle enthusiasts and consultants from RDG in Des Moines are riding along the few paved portions of the Iowa River Trail.

That goes from Marshalltown all the way to Steamboat Rock. It runs through the Hardin County Greenbelt, including Pine Lake State Park.

“We’ve been hired to find out where are the special moments, great opportunities, not only to promote the trail but also to promote the communities in the counties that the trail runs through,” said Mike Bell of RDG in Des Moines.
“There’s a ton to see here the great thing about this trail is it really goes through a variety of landscape to go through totally open farmland to wonderful wetlands to woodlands and you have great views to the rivers seven different communities two different counties you really get to see a great cross-section of Iowa.”

The 34 mile trail is now an abandoned rail bed. The goal is to pave the entire way. Right now the engineering consultants are taking stock of what’s on the trail, and meeting with stakeholders in each community along the trail