Snowmobiles won’t be allowed on the High Trestle Trail this winter.
The Boone County Conservation Board denied a local club’s request to groom the trail between Slater and Madrid during a special meeting Thursday, Dec. 5.
The board considered grooming the trail for snowmobile use with the Boone County Attorney, Boone County Trails Advisory Committee and the general public but ultimately determined it would be too much of a safety and liability concern.
The High Trestle Trail is a mult-use, concrete path that extends from Ankeny to Perry, traveling through Slater, Madrid and Woodward. The trail is well-known for the trestle bridge that crosses the Des Moines River between Madrid and Woodward.
Local snowmobile club approached Boone board
A representative from the Saylorville Dam Snowmobile Club approached the local county conservation board about grooming and marking the High Trestle Trail between Madrid and Slater for snowmobile use from Dec. 1 until March 31.
The goal was to connect to Highway 17 to reach Team Iowa Snowmobile Club trails.
This portion of the trail would have remained multi-use in the winter, open to walkers, bikers, snowshoers, and skiers. Snowmobiles would’ve been the only motor vehicle authorized on this section of the trail. Motor vehicles would have still been prohibited on all other sections of the High Trestle Trail.
The Boone County Conservation Board held a 20-minute public hearing on Nov. 19. People spoke both in favor and against the proposal, and a decision was postponed until its December meeting.
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Boone County does not have snowmobile insurance
The Boone County Attorney’s office told the board some type of insurance was necessary to allow snowmobiles on the trail.
Boone County is insured through Iowa Communities Assurance Pool (ICAP), an insurance agency that takes care of government entities. ICAP currently has no county or city with insurance for snowmobiles, Board member Gary Nystrom said.
“They’re not saying we couldn’t ask for it, but it would be a process to go through and there’s no guarantees that it would happen,” Nystrom said.
The cost would be “unmanageable” If the county were to receive approval for snowmobile insurance, according to the county attorney’s office and ICAP.
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Safety concerns also are a factor
Boone County Conservation manages a portion of the High Trestle Trail from just east of Dalander Park trailhead in Madrid to just beyond the Syngenta complex in Slater.
The popular summer trail also gets a lot of use in the winter, Nystrom said, more than he initially thought.
“People are riding fat tire bikes, walking and cross-country skiing,” Nystrom said. “That really makes me more concerned than ever to try and mix something motorized where people are walking.”
The Boone County Naturalist also takes kids on the trail for educational opportunities in the winter, which means snowmobiles would not only pose a threat to safety but could deter wildlife, he said.
Nystrom said it is important for the county to erect some additional “No snowmobiles” signage along the High Trestle Trail.
Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Can snowmobiles use the High Trestle Trail? Boone County says ‘no’