Ask anyone who uses trails on a regular basis for recreational purposes, and they’ll tell you trails are an important part of their quality of life. Ask business owners who set up shop near a trail, and they may or may not realize the economic benefit they provide.

“When trails first came to Iowa, they were controversial and got a lot of complaints from homeowners who thought they would lower property values,” said Cathy Engstrom, director of communications for the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation. “Now, 20 years later, you hardly ever hear that comment because homeowners and businesses are realizing they add value.”

A wide range of people, from environmental non-profit groups like the INHF and the Iowa Trails Council, to federal, state and city government agencies, to real estate developers, tourism officials and businesses, say trails are becoming a valuable commodity to a variety of users and beneficiaries.

Since 1997, six major and numerous trails have been developed in Iowa, and several outdoor attractions in the Des Moines area, including the renovated Gray’s Lake and the proposed Principal Riverwalk, incorporate trails. Even residential and commercial real estate developers are getting into the act, designing business parks and housing communities with integrated trail systems. A 1995 Urban Land Institute study found that according to real estate developers, open space and trails can increase development profits by between 5 and 15 percent.

Engstrom said by linking Iowa communities, trails can give a boost to small businesses and tourism. She said trail users, like her and her husband, plan weekend vacations around them, spending money at hotels, restaurants and attractions. She said many bicyclists also plan their routes to coordinate with destination spots, such as a favorite restaurant or ice cream stand.

“Some businesses draw a lot of trail traffic,” she said.

The National Park Service conducted a survey between 1990 and 1991 along three trails in different regions of the country, including the Heritage Trail in Dubuque. The study revealed that trail users spent an average $9.21 per person per day, $170 per user annually, on durable goods such as equipment and accessories, and added $1.2 million to the Dubuque economy that year. The cost for acquiring and building the trail was $700,000.

Engstrom said a study conducted in April shows that the Mississippi River Trail is expected to stimulate tourism in Eastern Iowa and generate approximately $20 million in economic activity. The trail is being constructed as cost effectively as possible, she added.

In Central Iowa, Greg Rassmussen, owner of Rassmussen Bike Shop in West Des Moines, said trails have had an immediate impact on his business. He said about 75 percent of his customers ride trails, which has boosted sales of cross bicycles, a hybrid of road and mountain bicycles.

“People have been riding them for years,” said Rassmussen, who opened his shop in 1974. “It’s a great form of entertainment and exercise.”

Engstrom said she would like to see more Iowa cities embrace trails as an economic development engine. The problem, she said, is that most convention and tourism agencies don’t offer information specifically designed to attract trail users, which prompted the INHF to publish “Iowa by Trail,” a comprehensive guide to all of the state’s trails.

“We felt somebody needed to do that,” she said. “We’d like to see more cities step up and promote their trails more effectively.

Engstrom said she would also like to see the Iowa Legislature provide more funding for trails. Unlike neighboring states, such as Minnesota and Missouri, where state governments either have incorporated trails into their state park system or have spent millions of dollars developing them, Iowa’s trail system has been built primarily by county conservation boards and private groups and is somewhat fragmented. She said assistance from the state would help connect Iowa’s numerous trails and boost tourism.

“The problem in Iowa is we can’t get the money from the state to complete the job,” she said. “We have lots of great trails, but they’re not quite linked up.”

From Council Bluffs to Davenport, several Iowa trails are also part of the American Discovery Trail, which connects six national scenic trails, 10 national historic trails and 23 national recreational trails to hundreds of local and regional trails throughout the country. It’s a unique opportunity to tie into a national trend while preserving Iowa’s natural heritage and boosting business, Engstrom said.

“It’s important on several levels,” she said. “If you want to see the different faces of Iowa, trails are a great way to do it.”

TRAILS LEAD TO BENEFITS

More than 800 miles of multi use trails in Iowa, the seventh-largest amount in the country, draw thousands of bicyclists, walkers, joggers, hikers, cross-country skiers, and horseback and snowmobile riders each year.

Experts say they provide a variety of benefits, including recreational and tourism opportunities, as well as environmental education, natural resource protection, alternative transportation and health and fitness opportunities.

Though many of Iowa’s trails have been developed along former railroad corridors linking rural towns, new internal trail networks are designed to benefit businesses, residents and visitors.

A recent Rails to Trails Conservancy study found that rail-trails, recreational paths once occupied by railroad tracks, generate $6 billion, or $2.02 million per trail, in purchases by users, who spend money on hotels, food, souvenirs, equipment and transportation. The study also found that most trails pay for themselves in one year.