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Print Friendly MapThe Iowa 330/US 30 Trail stretches from just west of the small town of Melbourne to the outskirts of Marshalltown, the largest city and county seat of Marshall County, located close to the geographic center of Iowa. Paralleling its two namesake roadways, the paved pathway provides a safe transportation alternative for bicyclists and pedestrians.
On its northern end, the trail provides access to the Grimes Farm Nature Center and connects to the Linn Creek Recreational Trail, which offers a scenic and winding route through the heart of Marshalltown before ending at Riverview Park in the city's northeast corner.
Perhaps what is most exciting about the Iowa 330/US 30 Trail is its potential. The Heart of Iowa Nature Trail currently ends in the town of Rhodes, less than 4 miles from Melbourne and the western trailhead for the Iowa 330/US 30 Trail. Future plans call for the extension of the Heart of Iowa Nature Trail to Melbourne and the completion of another short section of the trail east of Collins. When the entire trail is finished, intrepid runners and riders would be able to travel uninterrupted on a series of off-road trails for more than 60 miles from northeast Marshalltown to Woodward in Dallas County and points south such as Ankeny and even Des Moines.
There is a trailhead at the Iowa 330/US 30 Trail's western endpoint in Melbourne, which includes a small gravel parking lot. The lot is located off Gerhart Avenue, just north of State Route 330. Some parking can also be found at Grimes Farm Nature Center. If you plan on reaching the trail from downtown Marshalltown, consider parking at one of the Linn Creek Recreational Trail's designated parking lots and following the trail westward until you reach the Iowa 330/US 30 Trail at Highland Acres Road.
Nice trail!
Rode this trail 32 miles on 6/23/18. The trailhead parking lot across the highway from Melbourne is not well marked or mowed, branches and weeds were high, so we elected to park in the town. The trail was nice but beware of the cracks in the concrete surface. The gravel trail crossings were not problem on my gravel bike but a roadie made want to slow down. Another rider informed us that all the crossings are supposed to updated to concrete by next year. Nice trail that gets nicer on closer to the Linn Creek trail near Marshalltown. All in all, a nice ride that was worth the trip to try this trailride
I've ridden this trail several times and find it to be a good way to get in 13 plus miles (one way) along with good scenery depending on the season. There are a few places where you cross gravel roads but that is a minor inconvenience. It is moderately hilly. The concrete is in good shape and easy to pedal on. It connects to the Linn Creek trail through Marshalltown which would give you another 7 plus miles. Once it is connected to the Heart of Iowa trail near Rhoads, we'll really have a great trail.
Although the majority of this trail is paved, there are several connections requiring you to pedal short distances on gravel, making the trail too rough for road bikes. Also, the trail offers limited scenic enjoyment and the nearby heavy vehicle traffic generates a truly annoying noise level. If you just want to rack up some miles, your tires can handle gravel and you listen to music while riding - this trail may be for you.
Very nice trail for the most part. The trail head is a little difficult to find and there are a few hundred feet of gravel before going through a tunnel and actually getting to the trail. Lot's of wildlife along the trail. There were a few places that had gravel roads to cross. Several miles had just been re-surfaced. Rolling hills.
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