Iowa Now Has America’s Longest Paved Trail Loop

Iowa Now Has America's Longest Paved Trail Loop

After living in Iowa for nearly four years, I've learned a few big things about the Hawkeye State and the people who call it home.

Iowans will always send you home after dinner at their house with Tupperware full of leftovers.

They root for their college teams just as loud and enthusiastically as any major league team.

And Iowans are big on riding their bikes! Iowa is home to the largest bike-touring event in the world, RAGBRAI.

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America's Longest Paved Trail Loop

A project that has been in the works since the 1980s has finally been completed. Officials from the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation announced that the Let’s Connect project has concluded.

The "Let's Connect" project connected two bike trails and transformed them into one large loop that is now one of the longest paved bike trail loops in the United States, according to a report from Iowa Public Radio.

Just How Long Is This Trail Now?

Once the project was completed and the two trails were connected, the entire loop measured out at around 120 miles.

The High Trestle Trail starts in Woodward, Iowa and runs 25 miles. It is a converted rail-trail and is held up by 41 steel frames.

The Raccoon River Valley Trails were also a part of this project. Located near Jefferson, Iowa this loop takes about 32 hours to complete and is 107.6 miles.

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