Carl Voss Trail
1004.6 mi · 100% smooth surface · 99% away from cars
- Playground 0.1 mi away
- Restroom 0.1 mi away
- Parking along the trail
Kid-friendly bike paths in Des Moines, IA
- Kid-friendly trails
- 12
- Miles
- 45
- Smooth surface
- 98%
- Away from cars
- 93%
Of 12 kid-friendly trails in Des Moines, the highest score goes to Carl Voss Trail: 100 out of 100 over 4.6 miles. For a longer outing, try Great Western Trail: 12.6 miles, 100% smooth and 98% away from cars. For toddlers, try McHenry Park Trail, a short 0.5-mile ride with a playground and restrooms right along the trail. 21 more trails are listed below without a score, because OpenStreetMap doesn't record enough of the surface.
Scores are based on OpenStreetMap data and may be out of date or wrong. Always check trail conditions, closures and your child's readiness before you ride. Disclaimer
All trails on the map
- Kid-friendly trail
- Can't score yet
Tap a trail for its name and score.
Best trails for kids
Central Place Levee Trail
1001.4 mi · 100% smooth surface · 100% away from cars
- Playground 0.2 mi away
- Restroom 0.1 mi away
- Parking along the trail
McHenry Park Trail
1000.5 mi · 100% smooth surface · 100% away from cars
- Playground along the trail
- Restroom along the trail
- Parking 0.2 mi away
Walnut Creek Trail
993.2 mi · 100% smooth surface · 98% away from cars
- Playground 0.1 mi away
- Restroom 0.1 mi away
- Parking along the trail
Meredith Trail
978.3 mi · 100% smooth surface · 93% away from cars
- Playground 0.1 mi away
- Restroom along the trail
- Parking along the trail
Levee Trail
952.7 mi · 100% smooth surface · 88% away from cars
- Playground 0.2 mi away
- Restroom along the trail
- Parking along the trail
Trestle to Trestle Trail
943.8 mi · 100% smooth surface · 84% away from cars
- Playground 0.3 mi away
- Restroom 0.3 mi away
- Parking along the trail
Great Western Trail
9112.6 mi · 100% smooth surface · 98% away from cars
- Playground none within ½ mi
- Restroom along the trail
- Parking along the trail
Youngstown Bike Trail
882.2 mi · 100% smooth surface · 71% away from cars
- Playground 0.2 mi away
- Restroom 0.3 mi away
- Parking along the trail
Inter-Urban Trail
872.0 mi · 100% smooth surface · 67% away from cars
- Playground 0.1 mi away
- Restroom 0.1 mi away
- Parking along the trail
Karras-Kaul Connector Trail
802.7 mi · 100% smooth surface · 100% away from cars
- Playground none within ½ mi
- Restroom none within ½ mi
- Parking none within ½ mi
Riverview Park Trail
731.1 mi · 35% smooth surface · 99% away from cars
- Playground along the trail
- Restroom 0.1 mi away
- Parking along the trail
Trails we can't score yet
OpenStreetMap doesn't record the surface for more than 5% of these trails, so we can't say how smooth they are. Some may be great for kids. Check before you go.
2nd Avenue Sidepath
?1.1 mi · 0% away from cars
- Playground along the trail
- Restroom along the trail
- Parking along the trail
6th Avenue Trail
?1.1 mi · 5% away from cars
- Playground along the trail
- Restroom none within ½ mi
- Parking along the trail
Carl Voss Trail Service Spur
?0.5 mi · 33% away from cars
- Playground 0.1 mi away
- Restroom none within ½ mi
- Parking along the trail
Easter Lake Connector Trails
?0.8 mi · 0% away from cars
- Playground none within ½ mi
- Restroom none within ½ mi
- Parking 0.2 mi away
Easter Lake Spine Trail
?2.0 mi · 86% away from cars
- Playground 0.1 mi away
- Restroom 0.1 mi away
- Parking 0.1 mi away
Gay Lea Wilson Trail
?1.4 mi · 99% away from cars
- Playground 0.4 mi away
- Restroom none within ½ mi
- Parking along the trail
Gay Lea Wilson Trail West
?9.1 mi · 77% away from cars
- Playground along the trail
- Restroom 0.5 mi away
- Parking along the trail
Gray's Station Trail
?0.9 mi · 87% away from cars
- Playground 0.1 mi away
- Restroom along the trail
- Parking along the trail
Guthrie Avenue Sidepath
?0.7 mi · 0% away from cars
- Playground none within ½ mi
- Restroom none within ½ mi
- Parking 0.4 mi away
Indianola Avenue Trail
?3.8 mi · 26% away from cars
- Playground 0.1 mi away
- Restroom 0.1 mi away
- Parking along the trail
John Pat Dorrian Trail
?1.3 mi · 95% away from cars
- Playground 0.1 mi away
- Restroom along the trail
- Parking 0.1 mi away
MacRae Park Trail
?1.0 mi · 86% away from cars
- Playground 0.4 mi away
- Restroom 0.3 mi away
- Parking along the trail
Mark C. Ackelson Trail
?4.8 mi · 99% away from cars
- Playground along the trail
- Restroom along the trail
- Parking along the trail
Martin Luther King Junior Trail
?5.3 mi · 0% away from cars
- Playground 0.1 mi away
- Restroom 0.1 mi away
- Parking along the trail
Martin Luther King Junior Trail - North
?0.5 mi · 0% away from cars
- Playground 0.3 mi away
- Restroom 0.1 mi away
- Parking along the trail
Meredith Trail Spur
?0.9 mi · 59% away from cars
- Playground 0.3 mi away
- Restroom 0.2 mi away
- Parking along the trail
Neal Smith Trail
?10.6 mi · 84% away from cars
- Playground 0.1 mi away
- Restroom along the trail
- Parking along the trail
Principal Riverwalk
?2.5 mi · 49% away from cars
- Playground along the trail
- Restroom along the trail
- Parking along the trail
River Ridge Road Sidepath
?0.6 mi · 0% away from cars
- Playground 0.1 mi away
- Restroom none within ½ mi
- Parking 0.1 mi away
Waveland Trail
?2.3 mi · 72% away from cars
- Playground 0.3 mi away
- Restroom none within ½ mi
- Parking along the trail
Weeks Park 1/2 Mile Walking Loop
?0.5 mi · 100% away from cars
- Playground none within ½ mi
- Restroom none within ½ mi
- Parking 0.1 mi away
Questions parents ask
What are the best bike trails for kids in Des Moines?
The top-scoring kid-friendly bike trails in Des Moines are Carl Voss Trail (100 out of 100), Central Place Levee Trail (100 out of 100) and McHenry Park Trail (100 out of 100). 12 trails score 70 or higher.
Carl Voss Trail · Central Place Levee Trail · McHenry Park Trail
Which kid-friendly bike trails in Des Moines have restrooms?
These trails have restrooms right along the trail: McHenry Park Trail, Meredith Trail, Levee Trail and Great Western Trail.
McHenry Park Trail · Meredith Trail · Levee Trail · Great Western Trail
Which kid-friendly bike trails in Des Moines have playgrounds?
These trails have playgrounds right along the trail: McHenry Park Trail and Riverview Park Trail.
McHenry Park Trail · Riverview Park Trail
What's the longest kid-friendly bike trail in Des Moines?
The longest is Great Western Trail, at 12.6 miles, with a kid score of 91 out of 100.
Closest cities in the guide
- Omaha, NE · 129 mi away · 25 kid-friendly trails
- Sioux City, IA · 154 mi away · 6 kid-friendly trails
- Kansas City, MO · 174 mi away · 22 kid-friendly trails
- Overland Park, KS · 192 mi away · 6 kid-friendly trails
Trail data from OpenStreetMap as of 2026-11-01.