Great Western Trail

Martensdale to Des Moines- 16.5 Miles

Closing Information:
Due to washouts caused by flooding, the Great Western Trail is closed until further notice.

Trailheads are located across from the Izaak Walton League on Valley Drive in Des Moines and at Inwood Street in Martensdale (Warren County). Updates can be obtained from the Polk County Conservation Board at (515) 323-5300.

Update - 8/11/2008
Plans and specifications for the repair of the Great Western Trail should be approved by September, followed by construction and an anticipated trail re-opening of November 2008. It is currently not safe to ride the trail North of the point appearing on this google map, but you may travel to the South from this point, and roadside parking should be available. Once we know more about the timeline for repairs, we'll provide that information. Thank you for your patience.

This 16.5 mile recreational trail begins near Water Works Park in Des Moines and ends in the Warren County town of Martensdale.

Parking is available at the trailhead on Valley Drive/George Flagg Pkwy. near Park Avenue. The trail has a asphalt surface. The Great Western Trail opened in 1992, a hundred years after its establishment as a rail line from Des Moines to St. Joseph, Missouri.

It is named for the Chicago Great Western Company whose trains operated on this line from 1892 to 1968.