Where can you go to find year-round access to over 60 miles of multi-use trails all originating from a single, level, paved, 14-mile trail spine? You can go to the Iowa Great Lakes Trail of the Great Lakes Region in the northwestern portion of Iowa, that’s where.

Better known as Okoboji, Iowa's Great Lakes Region is a beautiful, popular area in Northwestern Iowa's Dickinson County.
Dickinson County Trails / Facebook
And traversing this picturesque part of the state is a hard-surface, multi-use trail that skirts around portions of six of the lakes in Iowa's Great Lakes Region.
Dickinson County Trails / Facebook
Known simply as the Iowa Great Lakes Trail, this walking, running, hiking, and biking path provides access to approximately 50 additional miles of trails that branch off the main Great Lakes Trail spine and meander through the rest of the region.
Dustin Kaestner / Alltrails

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Enjoy beautiful views of the Iowa countryside along this long but easy path as well as panoramas of Spirit Lake, East and West Lake Okoboji, Lake Minnewashta, and Upper and Lower Gar Lake.
Dickinson County Trails / Facebook
In addition to skirting multiple lakes, the trail passes through the communities of Arnolds Park, Milford, and Lake Park, which are full of fun attractions of their own.
Dickinson County Trails / Facebook
Fourteen miles is a long trek, even if it is along a paved trail - not to mention all the offshoots and side loops that could be tacked on to an adventure on the Iowa Great Lakes Trail. Good thing there are plenty of places to stop and catch your breath along the route!
Dickinson County Trails / Facebook
The trail is accessible year-round; in the winter, watch for a cross-country skiing option! It's pet-friendly and there are plenty of places to park along the route.
David Squires / Alltrails

To learn more and find a map of the trail, visit the Dickinson County Trails website. Have you ever traversed all or part of Iowa’s Great Lakes Trail through Iowa’s Great Lakes Region? What else do you love to do in the Okoboji area? Here’s another of our favorite spots nearby, a pancake house that’s been serving up delicious meals since 1949.

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Dickinson County Trails, 37 Lake St, Arnolds Park, IA 51331, USA