Raccoon River Valley Trail (RRVT) is a rail trail running 56 miles (90 km) from Waukee, Iowa, to Jefferson, Iowa. In 2013, an additional 33.1-mile (53.3 km) north loop was completed on the RRVT, making the RRVT nearly 90 miles (140 km) of paved trails and having a paved interior loop of more than 72 miles (116 km). The 39-mile (63 km) portion of the trail from Waukee to Herndon is part of the American Discovery Trail, which runs between Cape Henlopen State Park in Delaware and Point Reyes near the Bay Area of California. In Iowa, the American Discovery Trail will be concurrent with U.S. Bicycle Route 50 (see United States Numbered Bicycle Routes).[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]
The recreational trail runs through the counties of Polk, Dallas, Guthrie, and Greene in Iowa. It is a paved trail, mainly asphalt,[a] though three sections are concrete. 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.[b] Constructed during 2010–2013, the 33.1-mile (53.3 km) North Loop, which runs between Dawson and Waukee through Perry, Minburn, and Dallas Center, is the third concrete section.[14][15][16][17][18]
Between Yale and Ortonville, which was a trail head 3 miles east of Adel, the 31 miles (50 km) 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.[19] In 2014, the Dallas County Conservation Department estimated over 330,000 trail users of the RRVT annually.[20]
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.[21][22][23][24][25][26]
North Loop RRVT
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. About 10 years later, the Milwaukee Road 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 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. 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 1,236-acre (5.00 km2) 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.[19][32]
On October 7, 1989, the first section of the Raccoon River Valley Trail opened. In 1990, 34 miles (55 km) of this paved trail were opened between Waukee, and Yale. North of Yale, the RRVT lies along an old Union Pacific Railroad line which was abandoned in the late 1990s.[33] In 1997, the trail was extended with a paved trail from Yale to Jefferson. In 1999, the trail was extended with a 5 miles (8.0 km) paved trail link from Waukee to the 11.3 miles (18.2 km) Clive Greenbelt Trail in Clive.[19][33]
North Loop
The 33.1-mile (53.3 km) North Loop is an additional paved branch from Herndon through Perry to Waukee. This paved branch follows the old Union Pacific Railroad line which was abandoned in late 2005. From Herndon, it travels through Jamaica and then northern Dallas County to Dawson, Perry, Minburn, Dallas Center, and then to Waukee.[19][34] On May 14, 2011, the six mile (10 km) concrete segment from Dawson to Perry opened for use.[35][36] A six-mile (10 km) concrete segment from Waukee to Dallas Center opened for use on October 15, 2011[14][15] On December 15, 2012, the section from Perry through Minburn to Dallas Center was completed.[16]
The remaining sections of the North Loop were completed during early 2013 and opened for use on June 1, 2013.[15][17][37]
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.[17][38][e]
5 miles (8.0 km) east of Waukee in Polk County, the RRVT connects to the 11.3 miles (18.2 km) Clive Greenbelt Trail in Clive and forms part of the Central Iowa Trails network.[33][39][40][41][42][43]
A connection is planned at Herndon to the 22-mile (35 km) Krushchev in Iowa Trail in northern Guthrie County.[44][45][46] This link will give Coon Rapids, Bayard, and Bagley a paved trail connected to the RRVT.
Another future 9-mile (14 km) connector will link the RRVT at Perry to Woodward and the 25-mile (40 km) High Trestle Trail which is in northern Polk and Dallas counties and southern Boone and Story counties.[20][24][47][48][49][50] Upon the completion of this connector to the High Trestle Trail, two trail loops of more than 100 miles (160 km) near Des Moines would be created with a western loop using the Raccoon River Valley Trail and the Clive Greenbelt Trail and an eastern loop using the Heart of Iowa Nature Trail, the Chichaqua Valley Trail and the Gay Lea Wilson Trail.[51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60]
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 US 169, 130th Street is a 3-mile (4.8 km) crushed limestone rock road in Dallas County. From US 169 to Bouton, the trail will be near the .7-mile (1.1 km) 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 CR R30, is a 4-mile (6.4 km) paved concrete road.[20][49][61][62] The $5 million connector was expected to be completed by 2022 but will be completed in 2024.[62][63][64] 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.[62][65]
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 connector 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.[62] Eastward from here, the connector route has a 2.1-mile (3.4 km) surface of crushed limestone rock and is on 130th Street in Dallas County with a short portion northward on the shoulder of US 169 then eastward on 128th Place in Dallas County entering the northwest corner of the city of Bouton.[62] The connector route leaves from the southeast corner of Bouton eastward for 2 miles (3.2 km) on the concrete surfaced 130th Street in Dallas County, also known as CR R30, to the gravel surfaced Quinlan Avenue in Dallas County on which the connector route follows north of 130th Street for about 0.25 miles (0.40 km) to the completed paved connector trail.[62] From Quinlan Avenue in Dallas County, follow the paved connector trail eastward for approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) to S Avenue in Dallas County at the northwest corner of Woodward just north of the Woodward-Granger High School softball and baseball fields.[62] The trailhead for the High Trestle Trail is at the old Woodward railroad depot and is approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) 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 Iowa 210, 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.[66][67] The Whistlin' Donkey has a primitive campground.[68][69][70]
Connecting Big Creek State Park north of Polk City in Polk County, Ledges State Park south of Boone in Boone County, and Springbrook State Park west of Yale in Guthrie County, the 160-mile (260 km) 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.[71]
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.[72][73][74][75]
Search social media pages for "Raccoon Valley Snow Chasers" to get current information for snowmachines on the Raccoon River Valley Trail.[74] Created July 28, 2010, the RVSC social media page contains a timeline of past events.
Raccoon Valley Snow Chasers (RVSC):
In 2011, RVSC received the ISSA "CLUB OF THE YEAR" award.[74]