Exercise - ugh! A large majority of people don't want to do it. Get
started with geocaching and suddenly you are exercising without
realizing it. Doing a
Google search for geocaching and fitness comes up with several
upon several results suggesting involving geocaching into your
exercise. Taking a hike through a park could involve finding
several caches, and when you're done you've not only just enjoyed
the great outdoors you also have just walked two miles, but that
didn't feel that long! Welcome to Geocaching!
This event will begin Saturday, April 24 at 10:00 AM starting
with a Geocaching 101 class for new cachers. Bring your friends and
family that have heard or are somewhat interested in geocaching for
a fun time down down the Raccoon River Valley Trail. The more the
merrier! New caches, which the coordinates for will be handed out
after the class, will be along the Waukee to Redfield portion of
the Raccoon River Valley Trail. This ride will go through Adel,
with established caches present in Adel and Redfield. Have a good
time, this is not a race so feel free to proceed at your own pace.
The trail is entirely paved, so hikers, roller bladers,
skateboarders, strollers, wheelchairs and other people powered
devices can easily use the trail and are welcomed.
The first
Bike-N-Seek on May 2, 2009 was held in Bondurant, IA along Polk
County's Chichaqua Valley Trail. In an effort to continue this
tradition, we will bike along Dallas County's Raccoon River
Valley Trail.While we will be biking 17 miles from Waukee to
Redfield, this trail stretches from Clive all the way to Jefferson
- nearly 57 miles long. Another "North Loop" stretch from Waukee to
Herndon will be added creating a 72 mile loop trail, the longest
paved loop trail in the nation. Upon completion, the Raccoon River
Valley Trail will be 89 miles.
Dallas County does required a user permit for trail users 18
& over. A daily permit is $2, while an annual permit is $10.
This permit helps maintain the extensive trail as well as help in
constructing the new loop section. Permit envelopes are available
at the trailheads along the trail or you may purchase one through
the mail by sending a check to:
Dallas County Conservation Board
14581 K Ave
Perry, IA 50220
History of the trail:
The Raccoon River Valley Trail is built on a former railroad
right-of-way. A number of railroad companies owned the right-of-way
over the years. The following is a condensed time line of rail and
trail activity on this corridor of land:
- August 5, 1871: The Des Moines Western Railway Company
was incorporated and site of right-of-way was located that
year.
- 1878: First trains began operating between Waukee and
the east bank of the Raccoon River in Adel.
- Late December 1879: Right-of-way extended from Adel to
Panora.
- September 27, 1880: The railroad company name was
changed to Des Moines Northwestern Railway Company and the line was
eventually extended to Spirit Lake.
- April 12, 1952: The last passenger train ran from Des
Moines to Spirit Lake and back.
- December 28, 1987: Central Iowa Energy Cooperative
purchased the line from the Chicago and Northwestern Transportation
Company and entered into a management agreement with the Iowa
Trails Council and the Dallas and Guthrie County Conservation
Boards to construct and manage a multi-use recreational trail on
the right-of-way.
- 1989: The original 34 miles (Waukee to Yale) of the
Raccoon River Valley Trail were opened for use.
- 1990-2000: The RRVT was extended from Yale to Jefferson
and from Waukee to Clive. The Dallas, Guthrie, and Greene County
Conservation Boards purchased the right-of-way.
- Summer 2004: A surface overlay was done on a section of
the original trail in Dallas County from County road P58 west to
the county line.
- Summer 2005: A surface overlay was completed east of P58
to Waukee.
Dallas County was formed in 1846 was named for George M
Dallas,Vice President of The U.S. under James K Polk. As of the
2000 census, the population was 40,570, and includes such towns as
Waukee, Adel, Grimes, and Perry, among others.
Sources: Dallas Co
RRVT, Wikipedia.org,
and Trails
from Rails.