The Ankeny Brief
The Neal Smith Trail is the paved backbone of central Iowa's trail system: about 26 car-free miles running from Des Moines up the Des Moines River, along Saylorville Lake, to Big Creek State Park. From Ankeny it's a short hop onto the network. Here's where it goes, what you'll see, and how to ride it.
The Neal Smith Trail is a roughly 26-mile paved trail running from Des Moines north along the Des Moines River and Saylorville Lake to Big Creek State Park. It's paved the whole way, good for biking, running, skating, and walking year-round. From Ankeny, it links into the metro network alongside the High Trestle and Gay Lea Wilson trails.
The trail runs north-south along the Des Moines River. At its south end it connects to the John Pat Dorrian Trail, giving a safe, scenic route from downtown Des Moines out to the lake. Heading north, it hugs Saylorville Lake and ends at Big Creek State Park, with the Saylorville Lake Visitor Center, and one of the state's largest butterfly gardens, a popular rest stop along the way.
For a metro trail, the Neal Smith is scenic. It moves through river bottomland, shaded forest, oak uplands, and prairie, often with the lake in view. It's paved and relatively gentle, which makes it friendly for road bikes, hybrids, strollers, and inline skates, not just mountain bikes. In winter it's used for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.
Ankeny sits at the hub of the region's paved trails, and the Neal Smith is one of the anchors. From town you can link onto it and reach Saylorville and Big Creek to the north, or ride south toward Des Moines. It ties in with the High Trestle Trail and the Gay Lea Wilson Trail through Ankeny's connectors. See our Ankeny trails guide for the full map and the trail finder to filter by what you want.
You can hop on at multiple points, including near Saylorville and Big Creek to the north and along the river toward Des Moines. Bring water for the longer stretches, plan an out-and-back that matches your legs (it's a long trail), and check the Army Corps for any closures near the lake, since water levels and construction can affect access. For a nearby marquee ride, pair it with the High Trestle bridge.
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About 26 miles (some sources say 24.5 to 24.8), from Des Moines along Saylorville Lake to Big Creek State Park. It's paved the whole way.
Yes, it's paved the entire route, good for road bikes, hybrids, strollers, and skates, plus running and walking.
From Des Moines (connecting to the John Pat Dorrian Trail downtown) north along Saylorville Lake to Big Creek State Park. Ankeny links onto it in between.
Yes. Ankeny connects into the Neal Smith Trail, which runs north to Saylorville and Big Creek and south toward Des Moines, all car-free.