Hoover Nature Trail
Trail facts:
Length: 24 miles in 5 sections
Surface: crushed limestone, grass on converted railbed
Hours: year-round, no restrictive hours
Fees: donations accepted by INHF
Counties: Linn, Cedar, Johnson, Muscatine, Louisa, Des Moines
Cities: Cedar Rapids, Oasis, Conesville, Burlington, Columbus Junction, Morning Sun, Burlington
Connecting trails: none
Uses: hiking, nature viewing, biking, cross-country skiing, equestrian
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Trail description:
Hoover Nature Trail is reminiscent of days gone by, with tiny towns, abandoned depot junctions and prairie remnants dotting the old Rock Island Railway corridor. In addition to prairies, heavily timbered areas line the trail. The trailway passes a sand prairie north of Conesville and, south of Columbus Junction, hugs a wooded bluff along the Iowa River.
In West Branch the trail is located a few blocks from the Hoover Presidential Library. In Cedar Rapids the trail is just east of Kirkwood Community College. The most rural and roughest section of the trail extends north from the town of Conesville towards Nichols and West Liberty, and from Conesville to Cone Lake. In Morning Sun the trail is on the east side of town, and in Burlington a segment of the trail can be reached from Y-Camp Road. The trail runs parallel to, or crosses, many creeks and lakes, adding an abundance of wildlife to the scenery. East of Conesville, the trail accesses scenic Cone Lake along the Iowa River.
South of Columbus Junction the trail hugs the base of bluffs along Iowa River and provides access to Chinkapin Bluffs County Park. Louisa County is quickly becoming Iowa’s premier eco-tourism county and Hoover Nature Trail is just one part of their overall effort.
Upon its completion, the Hoover Nature Trail will become Iowa’s largest single recreational trail, spanning 15 towns and six counties. Today, much of the trail remains under development, with sections completed near Ely, West Branch, Nichols, Columbus Junction and Morning Sun. Prior to planning a trip on this trail, please check the trail contacts below for an update on trail development.
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Trailhead maps on this site:
- None available at this time
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Resources from other sites:
- American Discovery Trail
The Hoover Trail is part of the American Discovery Trail, a project to connect the United States coast-to-coast via trails. Visit this website for more details.
- iowaytrail.org
This website offers information on the Ioway Trail, including a description of the master plan, a list of participating trails, events, and contact information.
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For local information:
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