The Hoover Nature Trail (HNT) is a crushed limestone

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 eastern

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 ...

that follows the old

Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (CRI&P RW, sometimes called ''Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway'') was an American Class I railroad. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock. At the end ...

route between

Burlington Burlington may refer to: Places Canada Geography * Burlington, Newfoundland and Labrador * Burlington, Nova Scotia * Burlington, Ontario, the most populous city with the name "Burlington" * Burlington, Prince Edward Island * Burlington Bay, no ...

and

Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids () is the second-largest city in Iowa, United States and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and northeast of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city. ...

. The trail is a shared-use trail for bicycling, hiking, jogging, walking, cross-country skiing, and nature study and is long. Portions of the trail are in varying stages of development, with sections near

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West Branch West Branch may refer to: Communities * West Branch, Iowa, city in Cedar and Johnson counties * West Branch, Michigan, city in Ogemaw County * West Branch, New Brunswick, in the Local Service District of Weldford Parish * West Branch River John, i ...

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, Columbus Junction and Morning Sun completed. In 1990, a three-mile (4.8 km) section opened east of Morning Sun. There has been a renewed push lately to connect the HNT with other trails in eastern Iowa. The trail is part of the

American Discovery Trail The American Discovery Trail is a system of recreational trails and roads that collectively form a coast-to-coast hiking and biking trail across the mid-tier of the United States. Horses can also be ridden on most of this trail. The coastal tra ...

and when completed, the HNT will become Iowa’s longest recreational trail.

History

When the

went bankrupt, Milly Gregg led a group of

West Liberty, Iowa West Liberty is a city in Muscatine County, Iowa, United States. The population was 3,858 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Muscatine micropolitan area. West Liberty is located five miles south of Interstate 80 on Historic High ...

residents in an attempt to preserve some features of the former Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern mainline. Initial efforts focused on a possible steam-powered tourist line, but this proved impractical. In the early 1990s, under Gregg's leadership, the Hoover Nature Trail began acquiring the Burlington to Cedar Rapids right of way for conversion to a recreational trail.Joseph P. Schwietertman, West Branch, Iowa (2,188)
When the Railroad Leaves Town
Truman State University Press, 2004; pages 140-144.

References

External links

Iowa Trails: Hoover Nature Trail
Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation. {{Iowa hiking trails Rail trails in Iowa Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad American Discovery Trail