After nearly 16 months of being closed from flood damage, the scenic Chichaqua Valley Trail is back open and ready for riders!
GATES ARE OPEN
The
Chichaqua Valley Trail is a trail that has a special attraction for many of our trail
users. Not having that resource for several years has been a loss for
the communities and individuals who have enjoyed the trail for many
years.
In August 2011 floods washed out 12 different sections along the 20 mile trail. Some washouts were longer than a football field.
The
repaired sections are approximately 5 miles in length and cost
nearly 1 million to repair. The project has been a long drawn out
process due to the difficulty of dealing with a federal disaster agency (FEMA),
working in two counties, and the discovery of additional structural
damage during the reconstruction.
Metal
plates we added to make acceptable transitions between the repaired trail and
bridges. There still may be some shouldering, cleaning and mowing to be done, but if you are a cyclist, go out and ride the trail!
As Loren Lown of Polk County Conservation said - “you don’t know what you’ve got
till it’s gone?” or maybe that was a quote from a Joni Mitchel song ;) . Well, the repairs are finally complete.
PHOTOS
The two photos at the bottom show the wash out area. You can see how the trail base was washed out. That section of railroad bed had been there since the
1880’s. The second second photo shows the repair of the same general
area after paving.
ABOUT
This scenic Chichaqua Valley Trail runs for 20 miles between just east
of Bondurant and the town of Baxter, passing through the small
communities of Ira, Mingo and Valeria along the way. The name is
derived from a Native American word that early settlers mistook to mean
"skunk" but actually referred to the smell of wild onions that grew
along the Skunk River, which the trail crosses.
The trail is a gem among Iowa's cultivated fields, and throughout the
route you'll be treated to wildflowers and wildlife in this wooded
greenbelt corridor.
Find out more about the Chichaqua Valley Trail on Polk County Conservation's website.
HISTORY
The trail is paved for its entire route, and it occupies an abandoned
rail right-of-way that once was used by the Wisconsin, Iowa &
Nebraska Railroad, built in 1885. Later other railroads came along:
Chicago, St. Paul, & Kansas City Railroad (1886-1892), Chicago Great
Western Company (1892-1968) and the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad
Company (1968-1984). You'll see evidence of the train route in mile
markers that show the distance to Kansas City. Stone and wood railroad
bridges have also been refurbished for the trail.
The line was abandoned in 1984, and reopened as a recreational trail in 1987. It includes a scenic crossing of the Skunk River.
FUTURE
Big plans await this trail! The Chichaqua Valley Trail extension was purchased earlier this year with the help of the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF).
The property which extends from Bondurant to NE 29th Street is 5.5 miles of abandoned Union Pacific railroad. The scenic corridor, now
called the "Chichaqua Valley Trail Connector", would serve as the link from Ankeny and Des Moines to Bondurant and Jasper County.
KUDOS
A BIG Thanks to Polk County Conservation, Jasper & Polk Counties and all the other involved! This was a HUGE undertaking to bring back one of Central Iowa's most scenic trails.
There is no wonder why Iowa is becoming the "Trails Capital of the World".
