The Summerset Trail is a

rail trail A rail trail or railway walk is a shared-use path on a Right of way#Rail right of way, railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed but may also share the rail corr ...

in Warren County in south-central

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. The trail is long and is paved with

asphalt Asphalt most often refers to: * Bitumen, also known as "liquid asphalt cement" or simply "asphalt", a viscous form of petroleum mainly used as a binder in asphalt concrete * Asphalt concrete, a mixture of bitumen with coarse and fine aggregates, u ...

.Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation.
Iowa by trail: Summerset Trail.
/ref> It follows the route of an abandoned rail line between the cities of

Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from ) is a city in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. Carlisle's early history is marked by the establishment of a settlement called Luguvalium to serve forts along Hadrian's Wall in Roman Britain. Due to its pro ...

at its northeastern end and Indianola at the southwest.Warren County Conservation Board.
Summerset Trail.
The trail passes remnants of

prairie Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...

wetland A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...

s along the Middle River southwest of Carlisle, and woodlands north of Indianola.

Facilities

Trailhead A trailhead is the point where a trail begins or is accessed, where the trail is often intended for hiking, biking, horseback riding, or off-road vehicles. Modern trailheads often contain restrooms, maps, signposts, and distribution centers for ...

s are at Carlisle and Indianola, and at the trail's midpoint at Banner Lakes at Summerset State Park. The Carlisle trailhead consists of a parking lot and a small

portable toilet A portable or mobile toilet (colloquial terms: thunderbox, porta-john, porta-potty or porta-loo) is any type of toilet that can be moved around, some by one person, some by mechanical equipment such as a truck and crane. Most types do not require ...

. The trailhead at Banner Lakes at Summerset State Park is located at the end of Elk Horn St. (which is accessible from Highway 65-69). There is a pit toilet facility in the parking lot of the Banner Lakes Trailhead, and the trail can also be accessed through the park loop road. In Indianola, the trailhead is located at the 300 block of East 5th street, at the junction of the Summerset trail and the long McVay Trail which ends at Pickard Park in Indianola.

Ride

Riding from north to south, riders start at the Carlisle parking area and travel southwest through the outskirts of town. The trail parallels 165th street (which merges into Dubuque Pl) for approximately . The terrain is flat, and features both fields and

wetland conservation Wetland conservation is aimed at protecting and preserving areas of land including marshes, swamps, bogs, anfensthat are covered by water seasonally or permanently due to a variety of threats from both natural and Anthropogenic hazard, anthropoge ...

areas. The entire northern section of the trail has no gain or loss in elevation. When the trail turns south at Banner Lakes, it crosses the Middle River bridge, and riders will notice the start of a gradual uphill climb for the rest of the length of the trail. South of the Middle River, the terrain becomes gentle rolling hills and prairie remnants. The Summerset trail ends at the Indianola trailhead, however riders can continue on the short McVay trail. The McVay trail heads downhill south of the trailhead through a deeply wooded area.

Sights

The trail features many bird and wildlife watching opportunities, especially in the wetlands conservation areas in the northern part of the trail. Many people who ride the trail prefer to start at the northern end, to avoid the "hill" into Indianola at the end of a ride.

References

{{Iowa hiking trails Rail trails in Iowa Protected areas of Warren County, Iowa National Recreation Trails in Iowa

Facilities

Ride

Sights

See also

References