Wabash Trace Nature Trail

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Pottawattamie County, IA, US

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Route Overview

Melissa Peterson

Southwest Iowa Adventurer

63 mi.

1,731 ft.

This is the full Wabash Trace Nature Trail (one way) with points of interest and services along the route. The Wabash Trace is a crushed limestone bike trail that runs from Council Bluffs, Iowa to Missouri with several small towns in between. This route is popular for bikepacking as there are several campsites on the route.

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Route Details

The Wabash Trace Nature Trail, the biking destination of southwest Iowa, is a crushed limestone rails-to-trails bike trail that runs from Council Bluffs, Iowa to Blanchard, Missouri with several small towns in between. You can choose to start and finish in any of these great small towns.

The trail is 63 miles long and features over 72 bridges through the scenic southwest Iowa countryside. On the north end of the trail, you will travel through the picturesque Loess Hills, which run along the western edge of Iowa. These hills were formed 14,000 years ago by windblown loess (pronounced "luss"), a fine and fertile soil, which built up over the years to heights of 200-300 feet. While loess soils are common, the unusual depth and extent of this formation are most prominent here and in northern China.

# Route

* There is vehicle parking available at most trailheads
* The first 10 miles of the trail are the most popular in part due to the famous "taco ride" that happens every Thursday night where riders bike from Council Bluffs to @poi[Tobey Jacks](82982582) in Mineola with a stop at "margartaville" a popular rest area at the half way point
* There are several other restaurants in the towns of Silver City, Imogene, Malvern and Shenandoah
* Be sure to look for the beautiful @poi[Silver Creek Bridge](88894072) located between Silver City and Malvern
* There are several camping areas along the route including @poi[Malvern](84054798), @poi[Imogene](82982590), Shenandoah and @poi[Coin](88892357)
* Watch for numerous road crossings through this trail

#
# Notes

* The Wabash can be too soft to ride in the early spring so make sure to check trail conditions before planning your ride
* Gravel, trail or fat bikes will be better options than a road bike for this crushed limestone trail
* There are gradual hills on this trail but they are very low grade hills over long spans. You do not need to be an experienced rider to do sections of this route.
* There is water, food and shelter at most trailheads
* There is a $2 per day or $20 per year annual fee ride this rail-trail
* You can use this website for additional planning: [https://www.wabashtrace.org/](http://www.wabashtrace.org)

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Wabash Trace Nature Trail

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