Iowa trails · Main Loop Trail
Main Loop Trail
A 9.8-mile loop in Iowa, with 192 ft of climbing. Managed by Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
Elevation profile
Most of the climbing sits in the first third — 56% of the ascent, between mile 0.0 and mile 3.3. It gives back about 515 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Getting there
Shooting Star access. 41.81692, -94.64783 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On August 31, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:14 a.m., the sun rises at 6:43 a.m. and sets at 7:54 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 8:22 p.m. (CDT) — 13 h 11 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 9.8-mile route takes roughly 3 h 43 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 10:26 a.m. — 9 h 28 min before sunset.
Loop options
- Pond Hopper + Main Loop Trail — 1.7 mi loop, 190 ft gain
- Main Loop Trail + 805 Spur + Riverside Trail — 3.8 mi loop, 571 ft gain
- Redrock Spur + Redrock Climb Trail + Main Loop Trail — 5.5 mi loop, 681 ft gain
Nearby trails
- Sauk Rail Trail — 18.7 mi