Gay Lea Wilson Trail

Gay Lea Wilson Trail In 1989, Gay Lea Wilson began working on a small trail in her neighborhood in east Des Moines. She has served as the chair of this trail for 20 years.

Gay contacted the communities along Four Mile Creek, involving them in investigating a much larger trail system, connecting with other existing and planned trails. She also wrote the first few grants that brought significant funding to the project. These included two from the National Parks Service, as well as REAP and the IDOT. The formal dedication of the trail was June 21, 2000. During the foll

owing year, several elected officials and community members discussed renaming the Four Mile Creek Greenway Trail to honor the years of leadership Gay had provided. This was announced by the Des Moines Register and came as a complete surprise to Gay. Des Moines, Pleasant Hill, Altoona, Bondurant, Ankeny and Polk County have renamed all of their sections to the Gay Lea Wilson Trail. She has continued to serve as the chair of this trail committee for the last 20 years, as well as serving on many other trails and wellness advocacy groups in Central Iowa. Gay has also served on the Des Moines Park Board, some of those years as President, the Pleasant Hill Park and Recreation Commission, and on the Pleasant Hill City Council.

Some of you may have ran into Doug Rudd out on the trails riding his recumbent. He was a huge trail supporter and took m...
07/25/2026

Some of you may have ran into Doug Rudd out on the trails riding his recumbent. He was a huge trail supporter and took many pics and videos of the GLW Trail for us. Recently he logged 11,000 miles in a year! He had planned on doing a triathalon on Fathers Day. Instead he was in the hospital. He passed away after a short bout with cancer. Life can change so quickly! His memorial is today at 1:00 at New Hope Church in Urbandale. We are grateful for his life and pray for his family.
Obituary information for Douglas William Rudd

View Douglas William Rudd's obituary, contribute to their memorial, see their funeral service details, and more.

A LOT MORE RAIN LAST NIGHT!FR:DSMParksFlooding Trail Closures: Gay Lea Wilson Tr closed near Reno Dog Park and Walnut Cr...
07/21/2026

A LOT MORE RAIN LAST NIGHT!
FR:DSMParks
Flooding Trail Closures: Gay Lea Wilson Tr closed near Reno Dog Park and Walnut Creek Tr closed near Grand Ave. Check DSM.city/Trails for reopening

Explore the City of Des Moines Trail System with upgraded E911 signage, mile markers, and emergency grid info across the metro's multi-use trail network.

Floodwaters are receding in Polk County, but many trails and campgrounds remain closed. Gay Lea Wilson Trail is blocked ...
07/07/2026

Floodwaters are receding in Polk County, but many trails and campgrounds remain closed. Gay Lea Wilson Trail is blocked off from Hubbell to Easton and is expected to reopen Saturday, July 11. Chichaqua Valley Trail east of the Northeast 88th trailhead has been washed out, Sleepy Hollow is closed due to flooding, and Jester Park has limited camping spots available. Polk County Emergency Management says all roads are now open.

Families from Parkside East Apartments in Des Moines will meet with management tomorrow to discuss housing options after severe flooding displaced nearly 150 residents.

FR:DSMParksTrail Closed: Due to rising water the Gay Lea Wilson Trail is now closed from Sargent Park to Williams St. Up...
07/03/2026

FR:DSMParks
Trail Closed: Due to rising water the Gay Lea Wilson Trail is now closed from Sargent Park to Williams St. Updates will be posted at

Explore the City of Des Moines Trail System with upgraded E911 signage, mile markers, and emergency grid info across the metro's multi-use trail network.

06/25/2026

https://www.polkcountyiowa.gov/conservation/parks-trails/gay-lea-wilson-trail/

2026 UPDATE AND DETOUR AT END OF TEXT:
Trail Closure Notice: Updated 10/27/25
The Iowa DOT provided an update to Polk County Conservation in late October 2025. Staff there indicate that the trail closures are being extended to mid-November due to unexpected delays in construction work for the east mix-master of I-80/I-35.
•
o Chichaqua Valley Trail: This trail closed on October 24, 2024. The Iowa DOT provided an update to Polk County Conservation in late October 2025 indicating they are finishing up work and cleanup underneath the bridge, with the trail likely opening mid-November 2025. Public notification signs are posted along the trail on the north and south sides of the interstate.
 Note for 2026 and 2027: Iowa DOT has notified Polk County Conservation that there will be additional, future closures of the trail. In 2026 the eastbound I-80 bridge over NE 29th St. and the trail will be replaced. This will take about a year to complete. In 2027, the current westbound bridge will be removed. This work will last several months.
o Gay Lea Wilson Trail: This trail closed on October 31, 2024. Iowa DOT has pushed back the trail opening to mid-November 2025. The contractor should be wrapping up construction of the retaining wall and trail reconstruction near Fourmile Creek. Public notification signs are posted along the trail on the north and south sides of the interstate.
 Note for 2026 and 2027: Iowa DOT has notified Polk County Conservation that there will be additional, future closures of the trail. In 2026 the eastbound I-80 bridge over Fourmile Creek and the trail will be re-decked. This will take several months to complete. In 2027, the current westbound bridge will be removed. This work will last several months.
Detour option: Trail users can attempt to take a detour, traveling along NE 29th St. to reconnect with the trails north or south of the interstate. As with all routes of travel on bike or foot, you should scout this detour prior to recreating, to determine if it meets your level of comfort for safety in avoiding car traffic.

03/25/2026

FR:DSMParks
Detour Alert: Neal Smith Trail will be rerouted onto Birdland Ave from 6th Ave to Saylor Road beginning 3/26 due to park improvement work in area.

03/17/2026

Polk County Conservation advised they spoke to the DOT and they advised that the trail was closed for them to start work on the Eastbound I-80 bridge. DOT did not give any dates as to when it would reopen, but said the trail would be closed for the entire duration of the work to redeck and widen the bridge. They will keep pushing them on a date for when they plan to reopen it.

02/11/2026

Does anyone have some good winter pics of the GLW Trail?

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