Rock Island Old Stone Arch Trail

Shelby, Iowa

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4 mi. | Easy

This trail begins at I-80 and goes through the city of Shelby to Pingel Timber. Meanwhile, it passes Shelby’s restored wetland and a depot that is being restored. It crosses Little Silver Creek on the Rock Island Stone Arch, listed on the National Historic Register. In 2001, two other historic bridges, one of which is the oldest tall iron-sided steel bridge in Shelby County, were moved to make the final crossing into Pingel Timber. Recently, two acres of wildflowers were added near the Pingel Timber to attract birds, butterflies and nature photographers. The Friends of the Trail Committee received a grant for planting more trees, bushes and flowers at the trailhead, along with adding benches. The gazebo has been moved away from the noisy highway and now overlooks the low-head dam and wetlands, which is home to assorted waterfowl. The Shelby I-80 Exit 34 trailhead Agriculture Symbol Sculpture was also featured in a New York film crew documentary for attractions. The one-mile trail extension next to Highway M-16 has been completed with the help of a grant from the Iowa West Foundation. The Friends of the Trail will be planting 50 more trees along the new extension, along with other beautification projects this spring. Another addition to the trail is the Iowa Tourism Geocaching Treasure Hunt. Trail visitors use a GPS unit to locate a treasure box hidden somewhere along the trail. After finding the box, they take an item and leave an item, plus sign a book.