The Heart of Iowa Nature Trail in Story County is now complete, connecting the communities of Slater, Huxley, Cambridge, Maxwell and Collins with 21 miles of continuous pavement.

The trail’s western terminus leads into the High Trestle Trail in Slater. It is part of the American Discovery Trail that passes from the East to West Coast of the U.S., and also part of the Great American Rail Trail that stretches more than 3,700 miles between Washington, D.C., and Washington state.

“This freshly paved trail serves to connect communities in the heart of Iowa, and will be a cherished community amenity and economic asset for Story County and the surrounding area. The Iowa Bicycle Coalition commends the leadership demonstrated by Story County in getting this project over the finish line and looks forward to continued progress in Central Iowa to extend and expand our trail network, especially along the Great American Rail-Trail which is a key piece of [infrastructure] spanning across the country,” Iowa Bicycle Coalition Executive Director Luke Hoffman stated in a press release.

The Iowa Bicycle Coalition will hold a bicycle ride and ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday, Aug. 9 to mark the completion of the trail.

The coalition’s ride will begin in Slater with a rolling start from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and follow the trail through Huxley, Cambridge and Maxwell before ending in Collins. The bike ride is free to attend and open to participants of all ages. Participants are encouraged to sign up in advance here. The ribbon cutting ceremony will follow at 12:30 p.m. in Collins at Trailside Park.

A 2025 Economic and Health Impacts of Cycling and Trails study conducted by the Iowa Bicycle Coalition found that cyclists bring an economic impact of $42 million to Story County. Retail trade and food service industries see the largest impact from cyclist spending. The study estimated that Story County is home to over 29,000 cyclists. More details on the study can be found here.