Businesses see positive impact from Raccoon River Valley, High Trestle Trail connection

ADEL, Iowa — The economic impact of the connected Raccoon River Valley Trail and the High Trestle Trail will be looked at in an economic survey. Curt Cable, the Dallas County Conservation Director said the survey is open for anyone to participate in. Plans are to release the results in January at the Iowa Bike Expo.

The last economic survey was in 2012 and much has changed since then. The High Trestle Trail was joined to the Raccoon River Valley Trail in August of 2024. Right away one business noticed a change.

"People were coming from the east, Ankeny and Madrid," said Dean Vander Wilt, owner of Cayanne's Cafe, in Woodward. "We're getting more customers coming from Perry, Waukee, other areas that are in that area. I think we're gonna get a lot more people from across the country coming to do the whole trail and then maybe spend the night in the motel or campground."

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The connector project was a $5.8 million dollar project, with $4 million covered by federal and state grants. The remainder came from private donations and through the Dallas County Supervisors.

"My predecessor Mike Wallace, had that as kind of a goal of his to complete that connector," said Cable. "They started fundraising for it back in 2014-2015 and finally wrapped that project up this summer."

Wallace retired in early August.

"We have been riding on this section between Woodward and Perry as soon as the last section opened up earlier in the summer and just a really nice route from here over there," said Steve Jones, of Ames. "We ride over to Perry. There's a coffee shop in Perry, called 'Perry Perks,' so that's kind of our destination now to ride over and get coffee and then ride back over here."