Wabash Trace
Encyclopedia
The Wabash Trace is a 63 miles (101.4 km) rail trail
in Iowa
running from the city of Council Bluffs
southeast to Blanchard
.
It was part of the Wabash Railroad
's Omaha
to St. Louis
route. It passes through the towns of Mineola
, Silver City
, Malvern
, Imogene
, Shenandoah
, Coin
and Blanchard
. For most of its course, there is a thin line of trees and bushes paralleling the trail. It follows streams such as Silver Creek, Four Mile Creek, Tarkio Creek, and the Tarkio River
. Its grade is a very gentle one, downhill as one pedals northwestward to Council Bluffs. From Silver City northward, one can coast most of the way.
there are ruined boxcars lying in the river bed, some of them with wooden sides—remmants of a derailment that occurred in the 1960s. Heading south out of Shenandoah (the largest intermediate town) the path follows the rocky ravine of Four Mile Creek. The trail ends at Blanchard, close by a tiny service station that straddles the state line.
There are no bicycle repair shops along the way, but Shenandoah does have a discount mart that sells new bicycles. The town also has a motel, B & B's and eateries (including The Depot Restaurant and brew-pub, open daily at 6 am. which is the Headquarters and one of the founders of the Wabash Trace) Coin and Mineola have very small trail side parks; Shenandoah has a somewhat larger one, Waubonsie Park. There are outdoor johns in Council Bluffs and Mineola. The park in Coin has a shower and electricity and allows tent camping for a small fee. There are parks in Malvern and Shenandoah with free camping.
The small Irish Catholic town of Imogene has a quaint restaurant/bar, The Emerald Isle, as well as a magnificent Catholic Church, St. Patrick's.
Council Bluffs has, 1.5 miles from the trail head, a bike shop. This bike shop can repair your bike, sell you a new one, and outfit you as well, just in case something happens... At the head of the trace in Council Bluffs, there is also a nice park and eatery for the family.
Rail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
in Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
running from the city of Council Bluffs
Council Bluffs, Iowa
Council Bluffs, known until 1852 as Kanesville, Iowathe historic starting point of the Mormon Trail and eventual northernmost anchor town of the other emigrant trailsis a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States and is on the east bank of the Missouri River across...
southeast to Blanchard
Blanchard, Iowa
Blanchard is a city in Page County, Iowa, United States. The population was 61 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Blanchard is located at .-Landmarks:...
.
It was part of the Wabash Railroad
Wabash Railroad
The Wabash Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated in the mid-central United States. It served a large area, including trackage in the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri and Ontario. Its primary connections included Chicago, Illinois, Kansas City, Missouri, Detroit,...
's Omaha
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
to St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
route. It passes through the towns of Mineola
Mineola, Iowa
Mineola is an unincorporated village in Mills County, Iowa, United States. This community on the highlands east of Keg Creek was first established as Lewis City during construction of the Wabash Railroad. The land had previously been owned by German immigrant freighter Louis Lanz and Germans long...
, Silver City
Silver City, Iowa
Silver City is a city in Mills County, Iowa, United States. The population was 259 at the 2000 census. The Wabash Trace--a railroad converted to a bicycle trail—passes through here. At trailside, there is a small park with a gazebo, and across from it, a small cafe.-Geography:Silver City is located...
, Malvern
Malvern, Iowa
Malvern is a city in Mills County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,256 at the 2000 census, estimated in 2008 at 1,323. The Wabash Trace--a railroad converted to a bicycle trail—passes through Malvern. The Mills County Fair is held here, although Glenwood is the county seat...
, Imogene
Imogene, Iowa
Imogene is a city in Fremont County, Iowa, United States. The population was 66 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Imogene is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
, Shenandoah
Shenandoah, Iowa
Shenandoah is a city in Fremont and Page Counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 5,546 at the 2000 census.Once referred to as the "seed and nursery center of the world," Shenandoah is the home to Earl May Seed Company and the radio station KMA, founded by Earl May...
, Coin
Coin, Iowa
Coin is a city in Page County, Iowa, United States. The population was 252 at the 2000 census. The Wabash Trace--a railroad converted to a bicycle trail—passes through here...
and Blanchard
Blanchard, Iowa
Blanchard is a city in Page County, Iowa, United States. The population was 61 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Blanchard is located at .-Landmarks:...
. For most of its course, there is a thin line of trees and bushes paralleling the trail. It follows streams such as Silver Creek, Four Mile Creek, Tarkio Creek, and the Tarkio River
Tarkio River
The Tarkio River is a non-navigable river that stretches for approximately from Cass County, Iowa to its mouth on the Missouri River in Holt County, Missouri....
. Its grade is a very gentle one, downhill as one pedals northwestward to Council Bluffs. From Silver City northward, one can coast most of the way.
Highlights
Two miles south of the Council Bluffs trailhead, the Wabash Trace crosses Pony Creek on a long, curving bridge. At the crossing of the West Nishnabotna RiverNishnabotna River
The Nishnabotna River is a tributary of the Missouri River in southwestern Iowa, northwestern Missouri and southeastern Nebraska in the United States. It flows for most of its length as two parallel streams in Iowa, the East Nishnabotna River and the West Nishnabotna River...
there are ruined boxcars lying in the river bed, some of them with wooden sides—remmants of a derailment that occurred in the 1960s. Heading south out of Shenandoah (the largest intermediate town) the path follows the rocky ravine of Four Mile Creek. The trail ends at Blanchard, close by a tiny service station that straddles the state line.
There are no bicycle repair shops along the way, but Shenandoah does have a discount mart that sells new bicycles. The town also has a motel, B & B's and eateries (including The Depot Restaurant and brew-pub, open daily at 6 am. which is the Headquarters and one of the founders of the Wabash Trace) Coin and Mineola have very small trail side parks; Shenandoah has a somewhat larger one, Waubonsie Park. There are outdoor johns in Council Bluffs and Mineola. The park in Coin has a shower and electricity and allows tent camping for a small fee. There are parks in Malvern and Shenandoah with free camping.
The small Irish Catholic town of Imogene has a quaint restaurant/bar, The Emerald Isle, as well as a magnificent Catholic Church, St. Patrick's.
Council Bluffs has, 1.5 miles from the trail head, a bike shop. This bike shop can repair your bike, sell you a new one, and outfit you as well, just in case something happens... At the head of the trace in Council Bluffs, there is also a nice park and eatery for the family.