Mountain - Plains - Rock Island Old Stone Arch Nature Trail ~ Shelby, Iowa?

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SmackDab
07-25-09, 07:55 PM
Anyone ever ride the Rock Island Old Stone Arch Nature Trail in Shelby, Iowa? My wife and I are considering exploring it.

Nice or not? Easy ride? Scenic? Hills? Does it share the road with vehicles, or is it strictly a trail? Asphalt surface all the way?

I see it's only 4 miles long, but that's an 8 mile round trip, which sounds nice for us "grandparents on a tandem".

Realizing it's only a short trail, that's okay with us, is it nice enough to make a 45 minute drive to get to? Any other nice trails nearby, or does it connect to other trails?

SmackDab
09-07-09, 09:59 AM
I suppose I could have updated my post earlier...

We tried out the Rock Island Old Stone Arch Nature Trail in Shelby Iowa about a month back, and we did enjoy the ride. Hills weren't too bad, it was mainly rural countryside, though a bit through the town of Shelby.

http://pedal.smackdab.us/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/old-stone-arch-nature-trail-heading-towards-shelby-iowa.jpg

The trail was in good shape, and is another of the rails to trails concept. I wish the ride was a bit longer, but it was worth a one time 40 mile car drive to Shelby Iowa to ride this trail.

If we lived nearby, we would ride it fairly often, I suppose. But it's just too far from home to make another trip out there this year.

If you want more pictures and a lot longer description of our ride, it's at our blog (http://pedal.smackdab.us/2009/08/02/69-miles-shelby-iowas-old-stone-arch-nature-trail/)