Veterans Affairs - Have You Heard

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, Jan. 24, 2025

Story County Conservation (SCC) is excited to announce the opening of the newly paved 8.6-mile portion of the Heart of Iowa Nature Trail (HOINT) from County Road S-14 eastward to Collins. The trail will remain closed to snowmobile traffic between 630^th and 640^th Avenues, and 690^th Avenue to Highway 65 in Collins (see map below), due to erosion control practices still in place. A detour has been identified by the Saylorville Dam Snowmobile Club. 

Signage for the snowmobile detour route has been placed by the Saylorville Dam Snowmobile Club.

This paving project is the final step in having a continuous paved trail connecting all five communities in southern Story County from the High Trestle Trail in Slater, eastward all the way to Collins. Funding for this latest HOINT paving project came from a Destination Iowa grant and the Story County American Rescue Plan Act.

Since 2019, more than 21 miles of the HOINT have been paved in Story County!

The yellow section of trail in Collins gives a closer look at the section currently closed to snowmobiles between 690th Avenue to Highway 65 in Collins.

WORK IN PROGRESS

Brief closures can be anticipated during early spring to complete minor concrete work and install new decorative fence. The exact timing of these additional work items is weather-dependent and are expected to only take a week or two respectively.

The four-mile section of the HOINT in Story County between Collins and the Story-Marshall County line remains unpaved. SCC is exploring all available options to design and fund the last connection into Marshall County. The recent passage of the Story County Water and Land Legacy bond will assist in funding this final stretch.

Watch for details about a ribbon cutting ceremony set to take place later this spring.

FUNDING

The vast majority of funding for HOINT paving projects has come from the following sources:

• Four separate Central Iowa Regional Transportation Planning Alliance grants
• Four separate State Recreational Trails grants
• Destination Iowa grant
• County American Rescue Plan Act

Helpful Links:

• Sign up to receive SCC’s email news (including future trail notifications)
• Heart of Iowa Nature Trail information
• Past Heart of Iowa Nature Trail news