The Ankeny Brief
Central Iowa is stitched together with some of the best trails in the Midwest - you just have to know which is paved, which is a dirt hiking loop, and which one has the bridge. So here's every trail within about 30 minutes of Ankeny in one place. Tap what you're after and it'll show you where to go.
The High Trestle Trail starts right in Ankeny and is the one to ride - that glowing half-mile bridge is worth the trip alone. Want a dirt hiking loop? Head to Brown's Woods or the Chichaqua Bottoms. Long paved miles for the road bike? The Neal Smith, Chichaqua Valley, and the 89-mile Raccoon River Valley loop. Filter below by paved vs. natural, dogs, loops and views.
Trail lengths, surfaces and routes come from the public agencies that own and maintain them - Polk County Conservation, neighboring county conservation boards, the Iowa DNR, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Saylorville trails) and the cities along each route - plus Iowa By Trail. Leashed dogs are welcome on the metro trails and in county/state park areas; check posted signs at natural areas. Drive times are approximate to the nearest trailhead from central Ankeny.
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The High Trestle Trail - it starts in Ankeny and runs 25+ miles west to Woodward, crossing its landmark half-mile, 13-story-high bridge over the Des Moines River valley near Madrid. Ride it at sunset.
Brown's Woods in West Des Moines (Iowa's largest urban forest, 4.4 miles of natural trail), the Chichaqua Bottoms Greenbelt northeast of Bondurant, and the wooded/prairie trails at Jester Park on Saylorville's west shore.
The Raccoon River Valley Trail is an 89-mile paved loop out of Waukee. Closer in, the Neal Smith Trail runs ~26 paved miles along Saylorville, and the Chichaqua Valley Trail runs ~26 miles from Bondurant to Baxter.
Yes - leashed dogs are welcome on the paved metro trails and in Polk County and state park areas. Keep them leashed, clean up, and watch for signs at natural areas that restrict pets.
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