These Are The Top Eight Bike Trails To Ride In Iowa This Summer

Summer is here, and it's time to get on your bike and ride!  No, this isn't about motorcycles because you can take those anywhere.  This is about where to take a good ol' fashioned pedal bicycle.

It's healthy.  It's relaxing.  And with over 1,800 miles of bike trails in Iowa, you have plenty of options to get out and explore.

The Best Bike Trails In Iowa

From extreme unpaved trails to easy-going city paths, Iowa has it all.  Rails to Trails rated these the best ones to check in Iowa.

Raccoon River Valley Trail - Near Des Moines, this 89-mile trail covers 3 counties and is the largest paved loop trail in the country.

Wabash Trace Nature Trail - Head to Southwest Iowa to bike 62 miles and 4 counties of prairies along the Iowa and Missouri border.

High Trestle Trail - This experience is 130 feet above the Des Moines River and meant to "elicit the sensation of traveling down a mine shaft".

Cedar Valley Nature Trail - 69 miles of natural landscape, this trail follows parts of the Cedar River from Ely to Cedar Rapids.

Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge and Iowa Riverfront Trail - Perhaps the longest named trail, with the shortest route.  It's a 3,000-foot bridge connecting Iowa and Nebraska.  At 60 feet above the river, while the ride is short, the view is one to remember.

Sauk Rail Trail - If you are a lake fan, you'll love this trail.  The journey begins at the Lake View entrance near Black Hawk Lake and finishes at Swan Lake.

Heritage Trail - From the west to the east, Heritage Trail starts in Dubuque and ends in Dyersville.  Is this trail heaven?

Government Bridge and Mississippi River Trail - This trail might be higher on the Iowa list if more of it were in Iowa.  From Davenport to the Rock Island Arsenal and then connecting to the Great River Trail (62 miles along the Mississippi River), it's another great way to explore the many, many paths across the state this summer.

Want to discover even more Iowa trails?

That is a zoomed-out picture that shows all the Iowa bike trails.  The Iowa DOT labels them by trail type (paved, unpaved, lanes, side paths) and provides details on parking, restrooms, water fountains, and more.

The interactive map is a great resource if you can't drive across the state to bike, and just want to bike to bike.  You can check it out here.