Radio Iowa Story submitted by: (Ryan Thompson, KAYL, Storm Lake)
An ambitious new bicycle trail is proposed for northwest Iowa that would span five counties, following the Highway 71 corridor. The Iowa Great Lakes Connection Five-County Trail would complete a bike trail from Spirit Lake to Carroll through Dickinson, Clay, Buena Vista, Sac, and Carroll counties. Group organizer Kathy Fueston (FEW-ston) says trail supporters met last month in Storm Lake for the first time since 2013.
A new trail would run from Spencer to Lake View. The project would connect to existing trail systems on each end, including the Iowa Great Lakes Spine Trail to the north and the Sauk Rail Trail to the south. Smaller loops could connect other communities. Fueston says the next section of the project will be from Dickinson to Clay counties.
Fueston has been working on the project for 20 years and says the trail as currently proposed would stay along Highway 71 from Okoboji to Early. Group members feel the five counties working together could have more impact seeking grants and donations than if they were working separately. Fueston says project representatives attended the Iowa Bicycle Coalition Expo in January.
The leaders of the group foresee the project eventually growing into a 220-mile paved trail from Okoboji to Des Moines, and potentially beyond.
