Visit Iola

Ride, run, hike, picnic, or just sit and take in the beauty of 100+ acres of rugged woodlands, lively prairie, and scenic views of the lovely spring-fed quarry lake. The Lehigh Portland Trails feature over 13 miles of rail-trail-style gravel-surfaced trails and natural-surface singletrack trails.

The Lehigh Portland Trails are located on the south side of Elm Creek in Iola, Kansas, on the former property of the Lehigh Portland Cement Company, which closed in 1970. The property extents are bounded by Elm Creek to the north, the quarry lake and Montana Road to the south, 1650 Road to the east, and Washington Avenue to the west.

For trailhead location and more information about the Lehigh Portland Trail, check out www.lehightrails.com.

The Prairie Spirit Trail in eastern Kansas is a 52-mile-long path through small towns, shaded woodland canopy, and scenic prairies alive with wildflowers (and wildlife!), and running beside streams, rivers, neatly-tended fields and family farms. Built on the railbed of the old Leavenworth, Lawrence and Fort Gibson Railroad, the trail offers easy grades for hikers and bikers alike. The trail runs north/south between Ottawa and Iola, connecting to the Flint Hills Nature Trail in the north, and the Southwind Rail Trail in the south. The trail is paved within Ottawa, Garnett, and Iola, with rural sections having a hard-packed limestone surface. The Prairie Spirit Trail State Park is managed by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism.

For more information about the Prairie Spirit Trail, view www.bikeprairiespirit.com.

Experience the scenic 6.5 mile Southwind Rail Trail that follows a former Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway line connecting the Iola and Humboldt communities. Also, the Southwind Rail Trail connects to the 51-mile Prairie Spirit Trail in Iola, for an uninterrupted 58-mile route through southeast Kansas.

You can enjoy a beautiful historical bridge, luscious scenery, wildlife, fellow travelers and more! The trail is open every day from dawn to dusk and is free to the public for biking, walking, and is also wheelchair accessible. Parking can be found at both the northern and southern ends of the trail. There is a shelter and picnic area around the halfway point of the trail.

Follow Southwind Rail Trail on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/southwindrailtrail

The Missouri Pacific Recreational Trail (also known as the “Mo-Pac Trail”) is a paved multi-use pathway built on the former Missouri Pacific Railway corridor in Iola. The trail is approximately 1/2 mile in length, and connects the Prairie Spirit Trail with The Iola Middle School and Iola High School, as well as the downtown square.

The trail is paved with concrete, and is 10 feet in width for the majority of its length, with a three-block section at a 5-foot width alongside on-street sharrows for bicycle traffic.