Development & Funding

Development Status

Freshly paved section of Heart of Iowa Nature Trail leads out of sight through nature

21 miles of pavement have poured on the Heart of Iowa Nature Trail (HOINT) since 2019, leaving only a few unpaved miles in Story County. In total, 24 miles of the 32-mile trail are "developed," although the trail is not continuous for all of those miles.

Want to help us with matching funds for grant applications? Donate here: https://bit.ly/PaveHOINT .



Development History

Paving between the Skunk River Bridge east to Collins took place in 2024, finally connecting all five Story County communities along the trail. Four final miles remain unpaved in Story County - from Collins east to the Story-Marshall County line. This final stretch will continue to be paved as funds come available according to the master plan, with some funding available from the Story County Water and Land Legacy Bond.

The first stretch the HOINT, 4 miles between Slater and Huxley, was paved in summer 2019 and was 75% funded by grants. The 3.32-mile stretch from Huxley to the South Skunk River Bridge past Cambridge was completed in fall of 2020, with a substantial portion of this section secured through grants also.


Funding

The vast majority of funding for HOINT paving projects has come from the following sources:

  • Four separate Central Iowa Regional Transportation Planning Alliance grants
  • Four separate State Recreational Trails grants
  • Destination Iowa grant
  • County American Rescue Plan Act

The Story County Water and Land Legacy Bond, passed in November 2024, will assist in funding the paving the final several un-paved miles of trail between Collins and the Story-Marshall County line.