These trails are in wooded corridors along both banks of the Cedar River. Most are connected and most are 10 feet wide. Another 18 miles should be open early in 1997 and seven miles more are planned for 1998. The folks in Jefferson are getting excited about their trail which will soon be the north trailhead for the Raccoon River Valley Trail. They have an original Milwaukee Road depot which has been fully restored outside.
Renovation continues on the inside.
Plans include a paved parking area. As soon as the weather breaks, the contracting company will be paving the trail from Jefferson to Cooper, about 8 miles. The bids will be let in July for construction of the section from Cooper to Herndon, about 6 miles with completion of this section anticipated by fall of '97. The Herndon to Yale section will be part of the American Discovery Trail and as such there will be much interest in completing this section. With the completions of these 3 sections, the RRVT will be about 53 miles long from Jefferson to Waukee.