I lead group walks on different trails a few times a month. This free series is designed to help people looking for a simple way to become more active and to increase appreciation of our local soft trails.

CANCELED: Ewing Park “Up 4 Down 1” — 2.0 mi
Jan
21

CANCELED: Ewing Park “Up 4 Down 1” — 2.0 mi

Let’s head to Ewing Park again. Meet by 10:00 a.m. in the Ashley Okland Star Playground parking lot on south side of McKinley, just west of Indianola Avenue.

We’ll hike over to the other side of the soapbox derby track. There we’ll go up Trail 4 and down Trail 1. Then we’ll come back over the track.

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Southwoods Green and Blue Loops — 2 mi
Jan
28

Southwoods Green and Blue Loops — 2 mi

Join us at Southwoods Park. This park is just off 35th Street, south of Mills Civic Parkway, in West Des Moines. Meet by 10:00 a.m. in the disc golf course parking lot.

We will walk up the paved trail from the lot to the singletrack and turn counter-clockwise on the green loop. Then we’ll cover most of the blue loop before returning clockwise on the green loop. Finally, we will head around the paved loop at the top of the hill and return to the lot. This route is about 2 miles.

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Sycamore Trails North Loop to Levee w/ High Life — 2.3 mi
Feb
4

Sycamore Trails North Loop to Levee w/ High Life — 2.3 mi

Join us at Sycamore Trails in Johnston as we add the High Life loop. Meet by 10:00 a.m. at the gravel parking lot on the south side of 66th Avenue, just west of the Des Moines River.

The plan is to head south on the high line, do the loop, cut across on the levee, and return north along the river for a 2.3-mile round trip.

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Grandview Loop — 1.7 mi
Feb
11

Grandview Loop — 1.7 mi

Let’s head back to Grandview Park. It is a 60-acre park at the corner of Easton Avenue and East 33rd Street in Des Moines. There are several parking lots. Park in the lot along East 32nd Street just north of Guthrie Avenue. We will leave from there at 10:00 a.m.

Our walk will use the Grandview Nature Trail and paved roads in the park to make a loop of about 1.7 miles. This time we’ll head round clockwise.

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Center Trails South Rollercoaster — 1.5 mi
Dec
31

Center Trails South Rollercoaster — 1.5 mi

Muddy trails rule was in effect, so we took the paved Bill Riley Trail to Water Works park and back. There was plenty to see: snow dusted trees, rushing creeks, stickers, horses, bridges, and more. I hope to see everyone on Saturday the 11th at Denman Woods!

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Southwoods Explore — 1.5–2 mi
Dec
24

Southwoods Explore — 1.5–2 mi

Thank you for exploring the singletrack at Southwoods Park with me. The new signs they are putting in really help distinguish the trails from the disc golf paths. I look forward to continuing to go back and check the progress. I hope to see everyone next week at Center Trails!

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CANCELED: Sycamore Trails North Loop to Levee w/ High Life — 2.3 mi
Dec
14

CANCELED: Sycamore Trails North Loop to Levee w/ High Life — 2.3 mi

Join us at Sycamore Trails in Johnston as we add the High Life loop. Meet by 10:00 a.m. at the gravel parking lot on the south side of 66th Avenue, just west of the Des Moines River.

The plan is to head south on the high line, do the loop, cut across on the levee, and return north along the river for a 2.3-mile round trip.

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Grandview Loop — 1.7 mi
Dec
3

Grandview Loop — 1.7 mi

Snow! How exciting! The debate about what the prettiest amount of snow is rages on, but we enjoyed what we had. Thank you for showing up and I hope to see you on Saturday the 14th at Sycamore!

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Sycamore Trails North Loop w/ Fresh Cut — 1.6 mi
Nov
26

Sycamore Trails North Loop w/ Fresh Cut — 1.6 mi

Take a break from Thanksgiving prep and get some fresh air with us at Sycamore Trails in Johnston. Meet by 10:00 a.m. at the gravel parking lot on the south side of 66th Avenue, just west of the Des Moines River.

The plan is to go clockwise and include the “Fresh Cut” loop. Our distance will be 1.6 miles.

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Southwoods Outer Loop — 1.1 mi
Oct
22

Southwoods Outer Loop — 1.1 mi

The rain overnight didn't cause any trouble at all. There wasn't even any water at the creek crossings! Thank you for coming and for exploring the new trail they added since my last visit with me. I hope to see you at Center Trails on Tuesday the 29th!

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Ewing Park “Up 2 Down 4” — 1.8 mi
Oct
1

Ewing Park “Up 2 Down 4” — 1.8 mi

Absolutely the most gorgeous day! We admired the Virginia creeper that is turning a beautiful bright red and wondered what the rest of the fall colors will be like this year. Be sure to join us Saturday, October 12th at Sycamore to see what colors we can find.

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Sycamore Trails High Line — 1.5 mi
Sep
3

Sycamore Trails High Line — 1.5 mi

We were able to show off Sycamore Trail to a bunch of first time visitors in some of the best weather! We got to talking and walking, but spent time appreciating the sights and sounds of natures as well. Thank you to all who showed up. I hope to see you and others Saturday the 14th at the Clare and Miles Mills Rose Garden for a stroll on Center Trails!

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Southwoods Loop — 1.0 mi
Aug
27

Southwoods Loop — 1.0 mi

Join us for a loop or two of the trails at Southwoods Park! This sweet little park is just off 35th Street, south of Mills Civic Parkway, in West Des Moines. Meet by 10:00 a.m. in the disc golf course parking lot.

We will walk up the paved trail from the lot to the singletrack and go all the way around the outer loop. Then we can check out the views from the small paved loop at the top of the hill.

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Southwoods Explore
Jul
2

Southwoods Explore

The singletrack trails at Southwoods Park were too muddy to walk today. Simply crossed the street and walked the paved trail around the pond between city hall and the library.

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Grandview Loop — 1.9 mi
Jun
25

Grandview Loop — 1.9 mi

THAT was STEAMY!! And the trail was so overgrown in places that it represented an unacceptably high risk of poison ivy contact. But we did find @desmoinesparks Butterfly Hunt, so that was fun!!

Thank to to everyone who showed up for this adventure. I hope to see you next week (Tuesday, July 2nd) at Southwoods Park.

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National Trails Day at Sycamore
Jun
1

National Trails Day at Sycamore

We will meet at 9:00 a.m. in the gravel parking lot on the south side of 66th Avenue, just west of the Des Moines River. We can chat a few moments to get to know each other and decide how far each of us wants to hike or run.

  • 5K (3-Mile) Hike, led by Katherine

  • 1-Mile Walk, led by Peggy

  • 5–8 Mile Trail Run, led by Amber and the Capital Striders Turkeys

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Center Trails Hillside Loop — 2.1 mi
May
11

Center Trails Hillside Loop — 2.1 mi

The three of us got trucking a bit faster than a stroll pace, but I think we still met the spirit of a stroll! No one got left behind and we took time to enjoy the scenery and take photos of flowers.

Thank you for coming! I hope to see you Tuesday the 21st at Sycamore.

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Ewing Park Explore
May
3

Ewing Park Explore

Thank you for exploring the Ewing Park Lilac Arboretum with me! I was disappointed that the dirt trails were too muddy, but that was more than made up for by the fact we got to explore a part of the park I hadn't been to since childhood. Add to that the perfect weather and great group, I wouldn't change a thing! (Well, maybe I'd use my time machine to adjust peak lilac bloom, but oh well.)

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Join the Soft Trail Stroll Facebook group for additional conversation.


If you are working on building yourself up to handle longer walks, take a look at my Couch to 5K Walk plan. It starts from the couch or wherever you currently are. Take as long as you need to work up to walking 10 minutes a day, and then follow the weekly guides to safely make it to 3.1 miles.


Future Soft Trail Stroll Dates

These dates are subject to change.

  • Tuesday, January 28, 2025

  • Tuesday, February 4, 2025

  • Tuesday, February 11, 2025

  • Tuesday, February 18, 2025

  • Tuesday, February 25, 2025

  • Saturday, March 8, 2025

  • Tuesday, March 18, 2025

  • Tuesday, March 25, 2025

  • Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Weather Cancelation Policy

Severe Weather = Canceled

If the National Weather Service issues a severe weather warning, the stroll is canceled.

Really Icky Weather = Maybe

Check the Soft Trail Stroll Facebook group for discussion and updates. I have all the gear and can dress for the weather. I just don't want to drive across town to walk in icky weather alone. If I get a commitment from one other person, I'll be there.

Mildly Inconvenient Weather = Not Canceled

Meet at the advertised location. Wear a jacket if it's raining. If the trail is muddy we still stroll, we just switch to paved trails.