Raccoon River Valley Trail (RRVT) is a rail trail running from

Waukee, Iowa Waukee is a city in Dallas County, Iowa, United States. The population was 23,940 at the time of the 2020 U.S. Census. It is part of the Des Moines – West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 2017, Apple Inc. chose Waukee as the ...

, to

Jefferson, Iowa Jefferson is a city in, and the county seat of Greene County, Iowa, United States, along the North Raccoon River. The population was 4,182 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the home of the Mahanay Memorial Bell Tower, tall, located on th ...

. In 2013, an additional north loop was completed on the RRVT, making the RRVT nearly of paved trails and having a paved interior loop of more than . The portion of the trail from Waukee to Herndon 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 ...

, which runs between Cape Henlopen State Park in

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

and

Point Reyes Point Reyes (, meaning "Point of the Kings") is a prominent cape and popular Northern California tourist destination on the Pacific coast. Located in Marin County, it is approximately west-northwest of San Francisco. The term is often appli ...

near the Bay Area of

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. In Iowa, the American Discovery Trail will be

concurrent Concurrent means happening at the same time. Concurrency, concurrent, or concurrence may refer to: Law * Concurrence, in jurisprudence, the need to prove both ''actus reus'' and ''mens rea'' * Concurring opinion (also called a "concurrence"), a ...

with

U.S. Bicycle Route 50 U.S. Bicycle Route 50 (USBR 50) is a planned east–west cross country U.S. Bicycle Route that currently consists of two discontiguous sections: a western section between San Francisco and Border, Utah, and an eastern section between Ter ...

(see United States Numbered Bicycle Routes). The recreational trail runs through the counties 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, Missou ...

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

, Guthrie, and

Greene Greene may refer to: Places United States *Greene, Indiana, an unincorporated community *Greene, Iowa, a city *Greene, Maine, a town ** Greene (CDP), Maine, in the town of Greene *Greene (town), New York ** Greene (village), New York, in the town ...

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 th ...

. It is a paved trail, mainly

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 ...

, though three sections are

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wid ...

. One concrete section extends from Jefferson south for four miles (6 km). Another concrete section is a twelve-mile (20 km) section connecting Linden, Panora, and

Yale Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...

. Constructed during 2010–2013, the North Loop, which runs between Dawson and Waukee through

Perry Perry, also known as pear cider, is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears, traditionally the perry pear. It has been common for centuries in England, particularly in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire. It is also mad ...

, Minburn, and

Dallas Center Dallas Center is a city in Dallas County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,901 during the 2020 census. It is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Dallas Center got its start in the year 1869, f ...

, is the third concrete section. Between

and Ortonville, which was a trail head 3 miles east of Adel, the of trail is very scenic and mostly tree covered. The north loop between Herndon and Waukee, is wider, nearly flat, and is much more exposed to the sun and wind. By 2007, the conservation board directors estimated that more than 125,000 people use this trail each year. In 2014, the Dallas County Conservation Department estimated over 330,000 trail users of the RRVT annually. Since the late 2000s, Snyder & Associates has been the engineering firm which supports development and upkeep of the Raccoon River Valley Trail as well as the High Trestle Trail and the nine-mile connector between the two trails.

Locations of trailheads

Original RRVT * Waukee () * Waukee - junction with North Loop () * Adel * Redfield * Linden * Panora *

* Herndon - junction with North Loop () *

Cooper Cooper, Cooper's, Coopers and similar may refer to: * Cooper (profession), a maker of wooden casks and other staved vessels Arts and entertainment * Cooper (producers), alias of Dutch producers Klubbheads * Cooper (video game character), in ...

* Jefferson () North Loop RRVT * Herndon - junction with Original Trail () *

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

* Dawson *

* Forest Park Museum (south of on K Ave.) * Minburn *

* Waukee - junction with Original Trail ()

History

Original RRVT The RRVT trail between Waukee and Yale runs along the rail line established in 1881 as a narrow-gauge line of the Des Moines Western Railroad, which became part of the

Wabash Railroad The Wabash Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated in the mid-central United States. It served a large area, including track in the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Missouri and the province of Ontario. Its primary con ...

. About 10 years later, the

Milwaukee Road The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (CMStP&P), often referred to as the "Milwaukee Road" , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States, Midwest and Pacific Northwest, Northwest of the United States fr ...

took over the line and converted it to standard gauge. Passenger service ended along the line in 1952. Freight service continued along the line until 1987. In 1982, the

Chicago & North Western The Chicago and North Western was a Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States. It was also known as the "North Western". The railroad operated more than of track at the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states befor ...

purchased the line. In 1987, the Central Iowa Energy Cooperative (CIECO), an affiliate of the Central Iowa Power Company, purchased the line and hundreds of acres of land located south of

Panora, Iowa Panora is a city in Guthrie County, Iowa. The population was 1,091 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Des Moines metropolitan area. History Panora was platted in 1851. 2014 Mother's Day tornado Just before 10 p.m. on May 11, 20 ...

. CIECO intended to build a coal-fired power plant on the land it had acquired south of Panora, near the railroad line. However, plans for this power plant were abandoned. Much of the land that was to have been the site of the power plant was placed in the Lennon Mill Wildlife Area south of Panora. In late 1987, CIECO, Iowa Trails, and the Conservation Boards of Dallas and Guthrie Counties agreed to develop the railroad line as a recreational trail. On October 7, 1989, the first section of the Raccoon River Valley Trail opened. In 1990, of this paved trail were opened between Waukee, and

. North of Yale, the RRVT lies along an old

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...

line which was abandoned in the late 1990s. In 1997, the trail was extended with a paved trail from

to Jefferson. In 1999, the trail was extended with a paved trail link from Waukee to the

Clive Greenbelt Trail Clive Greenbelt Trail is an urban recreational trail in Clive, Iowa and forms part of the Central Iowa Trails network. This very busy recreational trail runs through Polk and Dallas Counties in Iowa. It is a curvy, paved asphalt Asphalt, ...

Clive Clive is a name. People and fictional characters with the name include: People Given name * Clive Allen (born 1961), English football player * Clive Anderson (born 1952), British television, radio presenter, comedy writer and former barrister * ...

. North Loop The North Loop is an additional paved branch from Herndon through

to Waukee. This paved branch follows the old

line which was abandoned in late 2005. From Herndon, it travels through

and then northern

Dallas County Dallas County may refer to: Places in the USA: * Dallas County, Alabama, founded in 1818, the first county in the United States by that name * Dallas County, Arkansas * Dallas County, Iowa * Dallas County, Missouri * Dallas County, Texas, the nin ...

to Dawson,

, Minburn,

, and then to Waukee. On May 14, 2011, the six mile (10 km) concrete segment from Dawson to

opened for use. A six-mile (10 km) concrete segment from Waukee to

opened for use on October 15, 2011 On December 15, 2012, the section from Perry through Minburn to Dallas Center was completed. The remaining sections of the North Loop were completed during early 2013 and opened for use on June 1, 2013. In downtown Perry at noon on Saturday, June 1, 2013, the grand opening of the new 33 mile "north loop" occurred with Chuck Offenburger as Master of Ceremonies and a keynote speech by Kevin Cooney.

Connections to other trails

east of Waukee in

Polk County Polk County is the name of twelve counties in the United States, all except two named after president of the United States James Knox Polk: * Polk County, Arkansas * Polk County, Florida * Polk County, Georgia * Polk County, Iowa * Polk Count ...

, the RRVT connects to the

and forms part of the Central Iowa Trails network.

Future connections to other trails

Krushchev in Iowa Trail

A connection is planned at Herndon to the

Krushchev in Iowa Trail Krushchev in Iowa Trail is a planned rail trail running from Herndon, Iowa, to Coon Rapids, Iowa. It is a planned part of the American Discovery Trail. Originally known as the Corn Diplomacy Trail, the Krushchev in Iowa Trail is to be a paved re ...

in northern Guthrie County. This link will give Coon Rapids,

Bayard Bayard may refer to: People * Bayard (given name) * Bayard (surname) *Pierre Terrail, seigneur de Bayard (1473–1524) French knight Places * Bayard, Delaware, an unincorporated community *Bayard (Jacksonville), Florida, a neighborhood * Bayard ...

, and Bagley a paved trail connected to the RRVT.

High Trestle Trail

Another future connector will link the RRVT at

to Woodward and the High Trestle Trail which is in northern

and

counties and southern Boone and

Story Story or stories may refer to: Common uses * Story, a narrative (an account of imaginary or real people and events) ** Short story, a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting * Story (American English), or storey (British ...

counties. Upon the completion of this connector to the High Trestle Trail, two trail loops of more than near

Des Moines Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

would be created with a western loop using the Raccoon River Valley Trail and the

and an eastern loop using the Heart of Iowa Nature Trail, the Chichaqua Valley Trail and the Gay Lea Wilson Trail. In the middle of April 2016, the Dallas County Supervisors approved the connecting route between the two trails. The connector will depart Perry and travel generally along 130th Street in Dallas County and along 128th Place in Dallas County into Bouton to Woodward utilizing both the existing railroad bed and road shoulders. In 2016 from Perry to , 130th Street is a crushed limestone rock road in Dallas County. From US 169 to Bouton, the trail will be near the 128th Place in Dallas County which is a crushed limestone road lying just north of Beaver Creek. Between Bouton and Woodward, 130th Street, also known as , is a paved concrete road. The $5 million connector was expected to be completed by 2022 but will be completed in 2024. The portion of the connector in Perry was completed in 2018 with the trail bridge over Beaver Creek to M Avenue completed in 2021. In March 2020, construction began from the Woodward end of the connector. As of April 20, 2023, the paved connector trail from Perry to Woodward is completed in two sections: one section is from the Perry High School over Beaver Creek to the intersection of M Avenue and 130th Street in Dallas County and the other section is from Quinlan Avenue in Dallas County to S Avenue in Dallas County at the northwest corner of Woodward. To take the connctor route from Perry to Woodward proceed on the paved trail from 18th Street in Perry in front of the westside of the Perry High School building over Beaver Creek on a trail bridge to the intersection of M Avenue and 130th Street in Dallas County. Eastward from here, the connector route has a surface of crushed limestone rock and is on 130th Street in Dallas County with a short portion northward on the shoulder of then eastward on 128th Place in Dallas County entering the northwest corner of the city of Bouton. The connector route leaves from the southeast corner of Bouton eastward for on the concrete surfaced 130th Street in Dallas County, also known as , to the gravel surfaced Quinlan Avenue in Dallas County on which the connector route follows north of 130th Street for about to the completed paved connector trail. From Quinlan Avenue in Dallas County, follow the paved connector trail eastward for approximately to S Avenue in Dallas County at the northwest corner of Woodward just north of the Woodward-Granger High School softball and baseball fields. The trailhead for the High Trestle Trail is at the old Woodward railroad depot and is approximately east of the Woodward-Granger High School softball and baseball fields. The trailhead for the High Trestle Trail has heated restrooms and is located on the northside of Woodward east of Main Street, also known as , between the northside of the grain elevators, which are located at the intersection of Main Street and Railroad Street, and the Whistlin' Donkey restaurant, which is located at 111 North Main Street, Woodward, IA. The Whistlin' Donkey has a primitive campground.

Connections to state parks

Connecting

Big Creek State Park Big Creek State Park is a 3550-acre state park located in Polk County, Iowa. Geography Big Creek State Park is a park built alongside the manmade Big Creek Lake. Big Creek Lake was created as a result of a diversion dam to the Saylorville La ...

north of Polk City in

Ledges State Park Ledges State Park is a state park of Iowa, USA, located approximately south of the city of Boone. The park contains a sandstone gorge carved by Pea's Creek, a tributary of the Des Moines River. The gorge is deep in places, with concretions ju ...

south of Boone in Boone County, and Springbrook State Park west of

in Guthrie County, the Central Iowa Bike Route is a picturesque circuit ride among the valleys of the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers and involves some "challenging" hills and the Raccoon River Valley Trail. Camping is available at both Ledges State Park and Springbrook State Park.

Winter Activities

Beginning in February, 2009, when at least 4 inches (10 cm) of snow covers the paved trail, the Raccoon Valley Snow Chasers (RVSC) groom the paved trail. The RRVT between Jefferson and Waukee along with the North Loop is part of a larger winter activities trail network of over 200 miles (320 km). During the winter, this groomed trail is ideal for both cross country skiers and snowmobilers.

Raccoon Valley Snow Chasers (RVSC)

Search social media pages for "Raccoon Valley Snow Chasers" to get current information for snowmachines on the Raccoon River Valley Trail. Created July 28, 2010, the RVSC social media page contains a timeline of past events. Raccoon Valley Snow Chasers (RVSC): *Monthly meetings, usually on the 2nd Thursday at the Lake Panorama Conference Center near Panora *Summer campouts, often in July at Springbrook State Park near

*Summer outings, often in August, at the main beach, also known as boulder beach, on the east side of Lake Panorama near Panora *Fall grass drags, often on the 2nd or 3rd Sunday in November or the 1st Sunday in December, at the Flack river farm five miles west of Jefferson—just south of Highway 30 and just west of county road P14 *Winter ice drags, often the 2nd Sunday in February, at the main beach, also known as boulder beach, on the east side of Lake Panorama near Panora *Winter rides, sometimes in other nearby states: near

Cable, Wisconsin Cable is a town in Bayfield County, Wisconsin, United States. Its population was 825 at the 2010 U.S. census. The census-designated place of Cable and the unincorporated communities of Leonards and Radspur are located in the town. Geography Acc ...

at Lake Namekagon during the 2nd week of February in 2014 *DNR-certified Iowa snowmobile safety classes for youths ages 11 to 18, often the 2nd Saturday in December, at the Lake Panorama Association (LPA) Conference Center near Panora In 2011, RVSC received the ISSA "CLUB OF THE YEAR" award.

Notes

References

External links

Archived "north loop" Grand Opening flyerUnited States Bicycle Route System (USBR): National Corridor Plan
- see USBR 50
archive April 19, 2023

American Discovery Trail Raccoon River Valley Trail
- Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF) website
Raccoon River Valley Trail
- Chuck Offenburger's website
RRVT
- Mobile apps website
Archived Trail Map with trailheads which included OrtonvilleArchived Interactive Trail MapArchived Central Iowa Trail SystemArchived Central Iowa Trails Map
(released 2012)
Central Iowa Trails Map
(released April 2023)
Archived front side of Central Iowa Trails Map
(released April 2023)
Archived back side of Central Iowa Trails Map
(released April 2023).
Archived Central Iowa Trails Network
- overview from INHF
Clive Greenbelt Trail
INHF website
Archived Clive Greenbelt Trail
City of Clive website
Archived High Trestle Trail
INHF website
Krushchev in Iowa TrailBike IowaRaccoon Valley Snow Chasers (RVSC)
Search "Raccoon Valley Snow Chasers" on social media pages for current information.
Raccoon Valley Snow Chasers Snowmobile Trail Map 2010
{{Iowa hiking trails Rail trails in Iowa American Discovery Trail Protected areas of Polk County, Iowa Protected areas of Dallas County, Iowa Protected areas of Guthrie County, Iowa Protected areas of Greene County, Iowa National Recreation Trails in Iowa