Get on your bike's and ride!

The 411.4 mile bike ride that all Iowans know as RAGBRAI may be over but that doesn’t mean it’s time to store your bike in the garage! The Des Moines area is a mecca for bicycling enthusiasts with miles and miles of trails around the city and neighboring areas.  We reached out to some of our biking enthusiasts friends to give you the best trails and biker friendly stops.

Around Des Moines:
If you’re looking to stay in the metro visit places like 515 Brewery, Confluence, Mullets, High Life, El Bait Shop, Triangle Tap, Charlies Filling Station, Captain Roy’s (Birdland Marina) and Peacetree Taproom.

Great Western Trail:
This 16.5 mile trail runs from Waterworks Park in Des Moines through Orilla, Cumming, open Iowa land and ends south of Martensdale. Key points to hit on this trail for food or drinks are Orlando’s, Outskirtz and Cumming Tap.

High Trestle Trail:
25 miles from Ankeny to Woodward. Through five towns and four counties. The trail includes an iconic, 1/2-mile, 13-story high bridge across the Des Moines River valley, one of the largest trail bridges in the world. Some great stops along the trail include: Flat Tire (Madrid), Whistling Donkey (Woodward)  and Night Hawk (Slater).  

If you just want to venture to Ankeny, local biker favorites include the FIretrucker Brewery and Latitude 41 at the Saylorville Marina.

Other places around the area that scored high: 1914 (Minburn), Rendezvous (Adel), Ethel's (Yale), Crooked Rail (Perry), Owl's Nest (Panora)


Oh and we hear a stop at B Bops for a chocolate shake is customary too if you’re not into drinking while biking.  

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