Description
Just Plain Fun
Distance - 13 miles
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 13, 2004
CONTACT:
Bob Myers
(515) 465-3577
Raccoon River Valley Trail Poker Ride
In observance of the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation's 25th Anniversary, the Dallas County Conservation Board will sponsor a Raccoon River Valley Trail Poker Ride.
The event will be held on Saturday, August 21, 2004, starting at 9 a.m. The ride will start and finish at the Redfield Depot.
Before the Poker Ride begins, the Dallas County Conservation Board (DCCB) will perform a "Rededication of the Raccoon River Valley Trail" ceremony, and INHF will perform the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Help the DCCB celebrate the completed resurfacing of more than one half of the Raccoon River Valley Trail (RRVT) sections with this brief program, and then let the poker game begin.
Bring your friends and family along for the ride as you follow the RRVT from the historic train depot (that now doubles as a trailhead) in Redfield to Linden and back. Along the trail, you'll come across five points of interest where you can stop, look and learn. DCCB interpreters will be on hand to provide a fun atmosphere and to tell you the story of each location. You'll also have a chance to pick up a card for your poker hand at each stop--it's luck of the draw, so choose carefully!
Sites visited on this ride include:
• Hanging Rock Park. You'll learn about the history of this unique area and observe the scenic and geologically significant section of the Middle Raccoon River.
• Grand Army of the Republic Lodge. It housed Civil War veterans. You can learn about the people and history.
• Town of Linden. After you reach this cozy community, you'll turn around and head back to Redfield. It's all downhill from there!
• Riverside stop (north of Redfield.) The Middle Raccoon River is designated as a Protected Waters Area River by the State of Iowa. Learn about this important river system and how it impacts many people and their communities.
• Redfield train depot. This restored depot, now the community trailhead, is just one of the visible reminders that you are riding a piece of history. The RRVT was once a rail line carrying passengers and freight. Meanwhile, the town of Redfield offers several interesting and unique features for trail visitors to enjoy.
This ride is not a race. Once everyone has completed the ride, the top poker hands will be awarded prizes.
The story behind this place
For more than 15 years, INHF has been involved in establishing the RRVT and several expansions for the trail. INHF worked with the three county conservation boards on planning, development and fundraising. INHF purchased the original corridor from the railroad, allowing the seller to negotiate with one buyer rather than three separate counties. By the early 1990s, RRVT was among the most popular trails in Iowa. Currently, INHF and local agencies are working toward acquiring the newly-abandoned rail line between Woodward and Slater, hoping to connect that corridor to the Raccoon River Valley Trail someday. Ultimately this would create a 110-mile "loop" trail through west-central Iowa.
When you ride or walk on the Raccoon River Valley Trail today, you're experiencing a piece of history. Bikers and walkers follow an abandon railroad line and can enjoy vistas of timberlands, river bottoms and prairie remnants that railusers might have glimpsed from their train windows in decades past.
Partner Information
Through its education programs, the Dallas County Conservation Board (DCCB) aids citizens in becoming environmentally and culturally knowledgeable and, above all, skilled and dedicated citizens who are willing to work, individually and collectively, toward achieving and/or maintaining a dynamic equilibrium between quality of life and quality of the environment.
Driving Directions
This event starts in Redfield on the Raccoon River Valley Trail. From Interstate 80 take the Redfield exist and head north on Hwy 6. The trailhead is located at the train depot at 624 1st Street. Follow the signs labeled RRVT parking.