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The Great Western Trail is a rail trail in Iowa's Des Moines metropolitan area.
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Map of Great Western Trail, Iowa, USA
It is 16.5 miles (26.6 km) long and paved with asphalt. The trail follows the route of an abandoned line of the Chicago, St. Paul and Kansas City Railroad, constructed in 1899 and last operated by the Chicago and North Western Railway. It runs between southwestern Des Moines at its north end and Martensdale at the south, passing through suburban areas, fields and farmland, and the wooded valley of the North River.
The trail is maintained by the Conservation Boards of Polk and Warren Counties.
The Ride
Riders will start in the Ashworth Pool parking lot, in downtown Des Moines. After a short ride through trees the trail will merge into the Great Western Trail. Riders will then cross a busy street, and after riding through trees, an airport landing strip light, and the first mile marker, they will arrive near Des Moines International Airport. The scenery won't change much as riders cross a small bridge and another road, but soon they'll be in a lush grassy meadow for a long while, until they enter a thicket of trees farther up the path. Eventually they will pass under Highway 28 and Army Post Road, which leads into a peaceful golf course. After the golf course they will be in rural areas for a while, until passing through Orilla, which is just north of Norwalk, home to Brandon Routh, the star of Superman Returns. Cumming is not too far ahead. After Cumming, the trail will pass through countryside and over the Middle River for over eight miles (13 km) to Martensdale, where the trail ends.
Sights
The Great Western Trail is popular with most central Iowans, including Boy Scout troops, businessmen, and many others. The trail used to be a railroad and there are occasional railroad mile markers on the trail, one near Orilla, and the other near Cumming. There are a wide variety of plants on the trail as well.