Sever al weeks ago I rode the Rock Island Old Stone Arch Nature Trail near Shelby, Iowa. The official trail is just 3.75 miles. After riding this short trail, I did a little more riding in Shelby and took a different path back to where I parked my car.
The trailhead starts near The Cornstalk Cafe and a Shell gas station. There is a nice trailhead with artwork and a garden before you start down the crushed stone trail. There is a somewhat steep hill to get you down to the water level.
The trail turns from crushed limestone to pavement.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the 35-foot stone bridge (built in 1883) is said to have been the first railroad structure built in Shelby County.
I did take my fat bike on this grassy path in the woods to loop back around.
You can check out this ride on my Strava account. This was my first fully completed rail-trail in Iowa.
To plan this trip, I used the the book: Rail-Trails Iowa & Missouri: The definitive guide to the state’s top multiuse trails.
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