April Trails Talk
TATANKA SKA TRAILHEAD
The DCTB is excited to announce the celebration and grand opening of Tatanka Ska Trailhead at the junction of the Spine Trail and Tatanka Ska Trace in Spirit Lake. The event will start at 11:00am on Saturday, May 21, 2022 and will include food and refreshment options at the trailhead. As part of the festivities, there will be a bike ride on the rail trail to Montgomery and back to Spirit Lake with refreshments available in Montgomery as well.
The trailhead is a great addition to the trails system in the heart of Spirit Lake and features designs inspired by Native American beadwork and northwest Iowa’s prairie landscape with a few railroad themes to tie in the rail trail. The facilities include restrooms, shaded areas with picnic tables and benches as well as trail friendly amenities. In addition, the DCTB was pleased to partner with the Spirit Lake High School Art of Welding class to design and create sculptures that are included at the trailhead. As part of their J-term class in 2021, 18 students led by instructors Brad Travis and Tyler Pedersen, fashioned the bike racks, trail logo board and the top half of the trailhead tower. They did an excellent job of creating unique pieces for the trailhead that will be a highlight of the trails system for many years.
Overall, the project beautifies the area and creates a relaxing and natural space for trail users and the community as a whole. The trailhead is funded in partnership with Imagine Iowa Great Lakes, grants from the Okoboji Foundation, Northwest Bank, Bank Midwest, Central Bank and generous donations from several trail supporters. Thank you to all that have supported this wonderful addition to the Iowa Great Lakes Trails. For more information on the trailhead and sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.dickinsoncountytrails.com .
UPCOMING TRAIL EVENTS
TATANKA SKA TRAILHEAD GRAND OPENING & BIKE RIDE: Saturday, May 21, 2022 – Celebrate the opening of the new trailhead and enjoy a relaxed 10-mile bike cruise along the beautiful rail trail to Montgomery and back to Spirit Lake. Food and refreshments will be available at the trailhead and Montgomery. More information will be available on the opens in a new windowDickinson County Trails Facebook site as we get closer to the event.
38TH ANNUAL U of O CAMPUS BIKE RIDE: Saturday, June 25, 2022 – Enjoy a ride around the Iowa Great Lakes of 25, 50 or 100 miles. A pancake breakfast starts at 7:00am with ride to follow at 9:00am. Take in the beauty of scenic trails and lakeside roads on your bicycle with proceeds going to help the community and the trails system. Visit the opens in a new windowCampus Ride’s Facebook page for ride details.
As the weather warms up, we eagerly anticipate another great season on the Iowa Great Lakes Trails. We hope that you get the opportunity to enjoy new trail routes and revisit your old favorites. Caution is emphasized as you hit the trails early in the year; with snow comes sand, gravel and tree debris that ends up on the trails. The freeze-thaw cycles during this time can also cause cracks to form or widen. The Dickinson County Conservation crew has been out sweeping the trails as the weather continues to improve, but in the meantime, please be mindful of trail conditions and ride safely.
As always, Happy Trails to You and Yours.
Erin Reed, DCTB Executive Director