Iowa trails · Mark C. Ackelson Trail
Mark C. Ackelson Trail
A 4.0-mile out-and-back in Iowa, with 30 ft of climbing. Reaches Lake Easter and other lake/viewpoint destinations.
Elevation profile
Essentially flat — no sustained climb anywhere along its 4.0 miles.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Lake Easter (lake)
- Barb Wire Point (viewpoint)
- Lookout Point (viewpoint)
Getting there
Mark C. Ackelson Trail junction. About 11 min drive (5 mi) from Des Moines. 41.53737, -93.55212 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:56 a.m., the sun rises at 7:24 a.m. and sets at 6:34 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 7:02 p.m. (CDT) — 11 h 10 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 8.1-mile round trip takes roughly 3 h 02 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 10:26 a.m. — 8 h 08 min before sunset.
Loop options
- Mark C. Ackelson Trail + Easter Lake Trails — 4.1 mi loop, 188 ft gain
- Mark C. Ackelson Trail + Easter Lake Trails — 4.1 mi loop, 197 ft gain
Nearby trails
- Neal Smith Trail — 16.3 mi