High Trestle Trail Bridge
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Transit HeritageScenic LookoutPhoto SpotOutdoor
Overview
High Trestle Trail is a rail trail running from Ankeny to Woodward in central Iowa. The recreation trail opened on April 30, 2011. It is a paved recreational trail that runs through the Polk, Story, Boone, and Dallas counties.
Practical Info
Every dayOpen 24 hours
Suggested Duration1-2 hours
Best TimeAccessible year-round, but summer and autumn evenings (May to October) offer the ultimate golden window. Arriving between 8:00 PM and 9:30 PM is highly recommended; this timing allows you to catch the sunset over the Des Moines River Valley right before the bridge's iconic 13-story blue geometric steel cribs light up after dark, creating a spectacular, sci-fi-like time tunnel experience.
Getting ThereSpanning the Des Moines River Valley, the most practical trail access with parking is the QF Lane Trailhead (2335 QF Ln) west of Madrid. Drive northwest from Des Moines on IA-141 N, take IA-17 N north into Madrid, turn left onto County Rd E57, and make a right onto QF Lane into the free lot. From this point, it is a flat, highly scenic 1.2-kilometer hike (about 15 minutes) straight to the bridge.
Travel Tips
- The bridge's iconic blue LED light matrix activates exactly at sunset, shutting off at 9 PM in winter and midnight in summer; park at the free Madrid West Trailhead lot for a flat, accessible 0.75-mile walk to the span.
- Suspended 130 feet above the river, the bridge faces intense gusts up to 3 Beaufort scales higher than ground level; standing or parking bikes on the main span is illegal, and cyclists must slow down to yield to pedestrians.
- The bridge enforces a strict tobacco-free ordinance and a 6-foot pet leash rule; flying recreational or commercial drones through or within the bridge's metallic geometric framing is strictly prohibited by local statutes.
Reviews
Positive
- The half-mile long, 130-foot high historic rail bridge delivers staggering visual impact! The nighttime neon blue geometric lights match the hype.
- Entirely free to the public; the bridge deck is wide, flat, and concrete-paved for flawless wheelchair and stroller accessibility.
- Features artistic steel sculpture placards at endpoints alongside heavy-duty protective safety netting and security cameras.
- Walking high above the massive canyon yields panoramic views of the river valley, offering unparalleled openness and serenity.
Heads up
- During peak night light-up windows on weekends, the deck fills with hundreds of pedestrians and speeding cyclists, turning loud and chaotic.
- The closest parking lot is tiny; during peak slots you must use outer lots 0.75 miles away and trek down pitch-black dark gravel path links.
- Exposed high in the air, there are zero weather canopies on the bridge deck; summer sun bakes it, and winter winds bite brutally.
- Zero restrooms, water fountains, or kiosks are on the bridge track; emergencies force a one-mile walk back to access basic pit toilets.