We have a new access point for Sycamore Trails! Johnston is building a dog park and that parking lot is a great trailhead for the Johnston Interurban Trail and for reaching the south end of North Sycamore. The park is brand new, so check your GPS before you go. Find the Prairie Point Dog Park—where the paved trail crosses Johnston Drive—and meet in the far south end of the parking lot by 10:00 a.m.
We will stroll south down the gravel trail to the Beaver Creek Crossing Bridge. There we will enter the dirt trail and head out on Low Line along the creek and up the river. We will head inland a bit and return on the Lake Loop and Top Shelf trails. This will be 3.1 miles total.
If the dirt trails are muddy, we will walk the paved trail instead. Regardless, we will walk slowly, think “stroll,” and no one will be left behind.
Sycamore Trails are relatively flat. They run along the river going up to levee height and back down a number of times The trail is dirt singletrack, punctuated with roots and rocks. Hiking poles are useful, particularly on a couple short steep climbs, but not a necessity.
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I lead group walks on different trails in the Des Moines area a few times a month. This free Soft Trail Stroll series is designed to help people looking for a simple way to become more active, and to increase appreciation of our local soft trails.
What is a soft trail? Simply, it is an unpaved trail. Its surface may be dirt, grass, or crushed rock/gravel. I am an avid mountain biker and know all these trails very well. I can guarantee that no one will get lost!
This Soft Trail Stroll event is also part of the Fall 2026 Couch to 5K Walking Program.
The program kicks off Wednesday, October 7 with a Healthiest State Annual Walk and Q&A session. Week One begins Monday, October 12. The program concludes the weekend of December 12 with a 3.1 mile hike or indoor walk depending on the weather.
