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Big Creek State Park- This park is located halfway between
Des Moines and Ames. I did the Neal Smith Trail. This 24 mile one-way trail is truly magnificent for
Iowa. It starts out at the state park, and winds around crossing roads, and passing the lake. (I rode my bike
on this one). It eventually leaves the main part of the park and heads into a 180 acre Prairie Preserve, where the pictures
are from. It winds through this area for a while and then enters a forest where there are small hills as it follows
the Des Moines River. Eventually it heads into Des Moines and mostly stays inside parks. The trail ends somewhere
right inside Des Moines, but you can continue as I did, all the way downtown to the Botannical Center. I chose
this as a turn around spot, then headed back to Big Creek State Park. My total mileage was 56.
| Iowa Prairie Preserver Near Saylorville Lake |
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