The Waukee Brief
Waukee has a quiet superpower most towns would kill for: the Raccoon River Valley Trail, one of the longest paved trail loops in the country, begins right here downtown. From that trailhead the whole metro's trail network opens up - you just have to know which is paved, which is a dirt hiking loop, and how far the drive really is. So here's every trail around Waukee in one place. Tap what you're after and it'll show you where to go.
The Raccoon River Valley Trail starts right in downtown Waukee and is the one to ride - 89 paved miles and one of the longest rail-trail loops in the country. Want a dirt hiking loop? Brown's Woods and Walnut Woods State Park are both about 12 minutes east. Close paved miles? The Clive Greenbelt and Great Western trails. The famous High Trestle bridge is worth the ~30-minute drive north. 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 - the Raccoon River Valley Trail Association, Dallas County Conservation, 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 Waukee, on the metro's far west side.
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The Raccoon River Valley Trail - it starts at the Waukee trailhead in downtown, marked by the Waukee Railroad Pergola, and runs 89 paved miles through Dallas and Guthrie county towns, with a 72-mile loop. It's one of the longest rail-trail loops in the country. Ride a segment or make a weekend of it.
Brown's Woods in West Des Moines (Iowa's largest urban forest, 4.4 miles of natural trail) is about 12 minutes east, and so is Walnut Woods State Park along the Raccoon River. Farther out, the Chichaqua Bottoms Greenbelt and Jester Park have quiet natural loops.
The Raccoon River Valley Trail, which begins right in Waukee, is an 89-mile paved loop - the longest ride on this list without leaving the trailhead. Farther afield, 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 Dallas County, 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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