Neal Smith Trail

Des Moines, Polk City, Iowa

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24.8 mi. | Easy

The south end of the Neal Smith trail connects to the John Pat Dorrian Trail (once known as the East River Trail), providing a safe and scenic route from Des Moines’ downtown to Saylorville Lake and Big Creek. The trail, sometimes dominated by a view of the lake, traverses a range of landscapes including bottomland, shaded forest, oak uplands and prairie. Some sections along Saylorville Lake are quite hilly. Observant visitors will see deer, muskrat, beaver and other wildlife species. Rustling cottonwoods and rolling valleys are sprinkled with picnic areas and beaches. Popular rest stops include the Saylorville Lake Visitor Center with its many indoor displays and outdoor butterfly garden, one of the largest butterfly gardens in the state.