How long is the High Trestle Trail?
How long is the High Trestle Trail?
25 miles
The shining star of Iowa’s trail system, the High Trestle Trail runs for 25 miles through five towns and four counties. The trail includes an iconic, 1/2-mile, 13-story high bridge across the Des Moines River valley, one of the largest trail bridges in the world.
Can you walk the High Trestle Trail?
This trestle part of the trail is actually an abandoned rail bridge that has been converted to a walking trail. The trail is completely paved and well used by walkers, joggers and bikers. It’s named for the 1913 bridge spanning the Des Moines River between the towns of Madrid and Woodward.
What town is the high trestle bridge in?
Madrid
The long trail stretches east-west through central Iowa. The bridge is about 3 miles west of downtown Madrid, crossing over the Des Moines River.
How long did it take to build the high trestle bridge?
After 4 years of construction, the 3-foot, narrow-gauge line was opened to Ames (37 miles) on July 29, 1874.
Who made the High Trestle Trail Bridge?
Snyder and Associates, Inc.
Construction on the trail, designed by engineering firm Snyder and Associates, Inc. began in early 2006 to include 1,010 feet (310 m) of trail in Woodward. In 2007, bookend projects in Woodward and Ankeny were constructed. The catalyst for construction came from a $5.6 million Congressional appropriation in 2005.
How far is the high trestle bridge from Woodward?
Walk to the Bridge Starting from the Woodward trailhead, it is 2.6 miles to the High Trestle Trail Bridge (5.2 miles roundtrip, or about 2.5 hours walking).
Whats is a trestle?
1 : a braced frame serving as a support. 2 : horse sense 2b. 3 : a braced framework of timbers, piles, or steelwork for carrying a road or railroad over a depression.
Is Neal Smith Trail open?
The Neal Smith Trail is also being affected by construction. Widening of an Interstate 35/80 bridge is currently causing a detour on the trail that will last until summer 2021. The detour follows Trestle to Trestle Trail and Northwest Beaver Drive.
Why was the High Trestle Trail Bridge built?
Trestle bridge The bridge was originally built in the 1970s to carry rail traffic on a Milwaukee Road line. With the retirement of that rail line in the early 2000s, the original bridge deck was removed, and its steel I-beams were reused for a new Union Pacific bridge in Boone.
What trestle means?
How tall is the trestle bridge?
The 13-story-high (40-meter) and nearly half-mile-long (770-meter) trestle bridge provides scenic views of the Des Moines River Valley and is located near mining shafts that were worked by Italian immigrant families and others who settled nearby.
Where is the High Trestle Trail in Iowa?
The High Trestle Trail needs to be on your bucket list if you are ever riding a bicycle in Iowa. This paved trail has become a very popular ride. The 25 mile trail runs from Ankeny, Iowa to Woodward, Iowa. The highlight of the ride is the iconic High Trestle Bridge between Madrid and Woodward.
When was the High Trestle Trail first built?
The High Trestle Trail was historically a rail corridor serving two different railroads. The segment north of Ankeny was the first built in 1866 by the Iowa and Minnesota Railway. The Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad (better known as the Milwaukee Road) began work on the east-west section from Madrid to Woodward in the early 1880s.
Where are the parking areas on the High Trestle Trail?
One, with lots of parking and a historic rail house, is located at the trail’s northern endpoint in Woodward. The other—significantly closer than the Woodward access point—is a small parking area just off the trail outside of Madrid.
How long is the walk to the high trestle bridge?
It is roughly the same distance starting from the trailhead east of the bridge in Madrid. SHORT OPTION: A large gravel lot in Grant’s Woods Park is a convenient spot to park your car for a .9-mile walk to the bridge (1.8 miles roundtrip, or about one hour walking).