Great Western Trail

Discover Great Western Trail in Des Moines

This 16.5 mile recreational trail begins near Water Works Park in Des Moines to the town of Martensdale in Warren County. The trail has an asphalt surface. The Great Western Trail opened in 1992, one hundred years after its establishment as a rail line from Des Moines to St. Joseph, Missouri. It is named for the Chicago Great Western Company whose trains operated on this line from 1892 to 1968.