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.)
Let’s visit Ewing Park! We had planned to walk at Denman Woods on this date, but Des Moines Parks and Recreation announced that the paved Levee Trail we use to access the soft trail will be closed from April 6 to June 5.
Ewing Park is worth exploring. Meet by 10:00 a.m. in the Ashley Okland Star Playground parking lot on south side of McKinley, just west of Indianola Avenue.
I don’t know yet what route we will take, but it will include flats and hills. This is the park with the soapbox derby track after all! If the dirt is muddy, we will walk only on the paved trails. Either way, we will walk slowly, think “stroll,” and no one will be left behind.
Most of the route is dirt singletrack, punctuated with with roots and rocks and other features. Hiking poles will be very useful for getting over features, but not a necessity.
Every week or so I lead a group walk on a different trail.
My goals for this series are 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!
Please contact me if you have any questions.
Learn more about Ewing Park Trails from the Central Iowa Trail Association.
