The Great Western Trail is a
rail trail
A rail trail is a shared-use path on railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed, but may also share the right of way with active railways, light rail, or streetcar ...
in the
Des Moines metropolitan area
The Des Moines metropolitan area, officially known as the Des Moines–West Des Moines, IA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is located at the confluence of the Des Moines River and the Raccoon River. Des Moines serves as the capital of the U.S ...
south-central
Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...
, United States.
Description
The trails is long and paved with
asphalt
Asphalt, also known as bitumen (, ), is a sticky, black, highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. It may be found in natural deposits or may be a refined product, and is classed as a pitch. Before the 20th century, the term a ...
. Starting in
Water Works Park Water Works Park may refer to:
* Water Works Park in Detroit, Michigan
* Water Works Park (Tampa, Florida)
* Water Works Park (Des Moines), an approximately 1,500 acre park near downtown Des Moines (one of the largest urban parks)
* Water Works Pa ...
in Des Moines at its north end, it passes through
suburb
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...
an areas, Willow Creek Golf Course, fields, farmland, and the wooded valley of the
North River, with a southern terminus in
Martensdale.
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.
[ The trail is maintained by the Conservation Boards of ]Polk
Polk may refer to:
People
* James K. Polk, 11th president of the United States
* Polk (name), other people with the name
Places
*Polk (CTA), a train station in Chicago, Illinois
* Polk, Illinois, an unincorporated community
* Polk, Missouri ...
and Warren
A warren is a network of wild rodent or lagomorph, typically rabbit burrows. Domestic warrens are artificial, enclosed establishment of animal husbandry dedicated to the raising of rabbits for meat and fur. The term evolved from the medieval Angl ...
Counties.[
]
See also
* List of rail trails
References
External links
Iowa Tourism-Trails
{{Iowa hiking trails
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