Heart of Iowa Nature Trail: 32-Mile Multi-Use Recreational Trail

TRAILHEADS

The Heart of Iowa Nature Trail is not a complete, continuous trail at this time. However, you can use a combination of the crushed limestone/paved trail surface, county roads, and city streets to ride, run, or walk seamlessly from Slater to Collins, thus completing the entire Story County portion of the trail.

We have provided info on developed trailheads with water and bathroom facilities below to help you better plan your trip. Parking information is also listed below. 

Trailheads:

• Slater – Trailhead and Arboretum located on northeast corner of Slater on 510th [R-38/Linn Street] .5 miles north of Highway 210
• Huxley – Railroad Park, Railway and South Main (3.5 blocks west of Highway 69 on East First Street, one block south on Main).
• Cambridge – Trailhead located at South Vine Street & Center Street
• Maxwell – The trail heads west out of Maxwell, starting .10 mile north of Highway 210 on Army Post Road. The trail heads east out of town at Legion Park between Broad/First/Metcalf/Woodlawn Streets. 
• Collins –Trailhead is located at Railway Street and 2nd Avenue, a parking lot is also located three miles east of Collins at the intersection of 730th Ave. and 310th St.
• Rhodes (Marshall County)– Trailhead is located on the south end of Main Street.

TRAIL TIES

High Trestle Trail

The Heart of Iowa Nature Trail western terminus leads into the High Trestle Trail in the city of Slater. Heading west will take you toward Madrid and the landmark High Trestle Trail Bridge. Heading south will take you to the city of Ankeny and further into the Central Iowa Trails network.

Central Iowa Trails Network

The east-west segment of the High Trestle Trail travels through Madrid and Woodward and contains the nationally-recognized High Trestle Trail Bridge (one of the largest pedestrian bridges in the world at 1/2-mile long and 13 stories tall).

View an interactive map Central Iowa Trails and their amenities here..

Future goals of the Heart of Iowa Nature Trail include connecting eastward to:

• Cities of Melbourne and Marshalltown
• Iowa 330 Trail 
• Marshall County Conservation's Grimes Farm and Conservation Center
• Chichaqua Valley Trail

NATIONAL IMPORTANCE

American Discovery Trail 

The Heart of Iowa Nature Trail is part of the American Hiking Society's American Discovery Trail. This trail system passes through several metropolitan areas and incorporates many trails as it passes from the East to the West Coast of the United States. In Iowa, the ADT begins at   Council Bluffs and follows the Raccoon River Valley, Des Moines River Greenway, Heart of Iowa Nature Trail, Cedar Valley, and Hoover Nature Trails crossing the Mississippi at Davenport.

Great American Rail-Trail

The Heart of Iowa Nature Trail is also part of the Great American Rail-Trail -- a signature project of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. The Great American Rail-Trail is the nation’s first cross-country multi-use trail, stretching more than 3,700 miles between Washington, D.C. and Washington state. The preferred route of the Great American Rail-Trail connects over 145 existing rail-trails, greenways, and other multi-use paths. These trails are hosting the Great American through their communities, making possible this grand vision of a nation connected by trails.