Pickard Recreation Area

Jerry Kelly Trail & McVay Trail

5 mi · ▲ 81 ft · 1 hr 42 min

Jerry Kelly Trail & McVay Trail is a 5-mile out-and-back in Pickard Recreation Area near Indianola, IA. It is mostly level, with 81 ft of elevation gain, and mostly paved. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi899 – 968 ft5.3 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 41.36711, -93.56618
Nearest town Indianola, IA

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Jerry Kelly Trail & McVay Trail

5 mi · ▲ 81 ft · 1 hr 42 min

Elevation 899–970 ft

Out & Back · Pickard Recreation Area

Trailhead: 41.36711, -93.56618

Weather Sep 20: sunrise 7:00 AM · sunset 7:17 PM

Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading E.
  2. 200 ftBear right, heading E.
  3. 50 ftTurn right onto Jerry Kelly Trail, heading S.
  4. 0.6 miSharp right onto McVay Trail, heading E.
  5. 1.9 miReach Jerry Kelly Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  6. 1.9 miSharp left onto Jerry Kelly Trail, heading N.
  7. 0.6 miTurn left, heading W.
  8. 100 ftBear left, heading W.
  9. 50 ftArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail surface

97% paved3% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 7:00 AMSunset 7:17 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 2.3 mi in (~58 min). Leave by 5:59 PM for the 7:17 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:30 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Toilets at the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

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