The Wabash Trace Nature 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 ...

located in

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which stretches from the city of

Council Bluffs Council Bluffs is a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The population was 62,799 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the state's List of cities in Iowa, te ...

southeast to the city of

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History

This

was part of the

Wabash Railroad The Wabash Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated in the mid-central United States. It served a large area, including track in the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Missouri and the province of Ontario. Its primary con ...

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rail line. It passes through the towns of Mineola, Silver City, Malvern, Imogene, Shenandoah,

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and

. For most of the trail's course, a thin line of trees and bushes parallels the trail. It follows streams such as Silver Creek, Four Mile Creek, Tarkio Creek, and the

Tarkio River Tarkio River is a stream in southwestern Iowa and northwestern Missouri. It is a tributary to the Missouri River and is 81.1 miles long. The river is monitored by USGS at Fairfax, Missouri and is considered a major water source by the Iowa Iowa ...

. The grade is a very gentle one, which is downhill as one pedals northwestward to

. From Silver City northward, one can coast most of the way.

Highlights

Two miles south of the

trailhead, the Wabash Trace crosses Pony Creek on a long, curving bridge. At the crossing of the West Nishnabotna River there are ruined boxcars lying in the river bed, some of them with wooden sides—remnants of a derailment that occurred in the 1960s. Heading south out of Shenandoah (the largest intermediate town) the path follows the rocky ravine of Four Mile Creek. The trail ends at

, close by a tiny service station that straddles the state line. There are no bicycle repair shops along the way, but there is a nice shop in Silver City which sells basic repair spare parts and provisions, and allows for self repairs. Shenandoah does have a discount store that sells new bicycles. The town also has a motel, B & B's and eateries, such as The Depot restaurant and brew-pub, open daily at 6 am.

and Mineola have very small trail side parks. Shenandoah has a somewhat larger one, Waubonsie Park. There are portable toilets located in

and Mineola and Silver City. The park in

has a shower and electricity and allows tent camping for a small fee. There are parks in Malvern and Shenandoah with free camping. The small Irish Catholic town of Imogene has a quaint restaurant/bar, The Emerald Isle, as well as a magnificent

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, St. Patrick's. There is also a developed campsite with showers and restrooms available for a fee. The nearest repair shop from the trail head in

is Xtreme Wheels Bike and Sport located at 33 S Main St, Council Bluffs, near Broadway in the downtown area, about 4 miles away. It is reached along a northern extension of bike path, then along Harry Langdon Boulevard, for most of the distance. They can repair bikes, sell bikes, and sell equipment as well. Otherwise, two discount stores selling basic bike parts and accessories are located in the Metro Crossing shopping center about 2.5 miles away. At the head of the trace in

, there is also a nice park and eatery for a family to enjoy.

References

External links

Official Wabash Trace Nature Trail websiteTrail Link Fall Wabash Trace Video
{{Iowa hiking trails Protected areas of Fremont County, Iowa Protected areas of Mills County, Iowa Protected areas of Page County, Iowa Protected areas of Pottawattamie County, Iowa Rail trails in Iowa National Recreation Trails in Iowa