AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Lake Helen–Tedesco Connector Trail, 3 sights

9 mi · ▲ 135 ft · 3 hr 4 min

Lake Helen–Tedesco Connector Trail, 3 sights is a 9-mile out-and-back near Ames, IA. The route reaches Lake Helen. It is mostly level, with 135 ft of elevation gain, and mostly paved. It scores 6/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi896 – 1,024 ft10.4 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 42.01835, -93.63927
Nearest town Ames, IA
Google Maps Apple Maps

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Lake Helen–Tedesco Connector Trail, 3 sights

9 mi · ▲ 135 ft · 3 hr 4 min

Elevation 894–1,024 ft

Out & Back

Trailhead: 42.01835, -93.63927

Weather Sep 21: Drizzle, high 61°F / low 57° · precip 61% · wind 9 mph · sunrise 7:02 AM · sunset 7:15 PM

Transit-accessible: South 4th Street at Beach Avenue Westbound stop 231 m from the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading S.
  2. 0.3 miPass Lake Helen.
  3. 150 ftTurn left, heading SE.
  4. 250 ftTurn left, heading SE.
  5. 350 ftTurn right, heading NE.
  6. 300 ftTurn right, heading SE.
  7. 200 ftTurn left, heading SE.
  8. 0.1 miTurn left, heading S.
  9. 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
  10. 0.3 miTurn right onto Vet Med Trail, heading SE.
  11. 0.9 miTurn left onto University Boulevard Trail, heading SW.
  12. 150 ftBear right, heading SW.
  13. 0.1 miBear left, heading SW.
  14. 300 ftContinue straight onto Tedesco Connector Trail, heading SW.
  15. 0.1 miTurn left, heading W.
  16. 2.5 miReach Lake Helen, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  17. 2.5 miTurn left, heading NE.
  18. 500 ftContinue straight onto University Boulevard Trail, heading NE.
  19. 0.1 miTurn right, heading N.
  20. 200 ftTurn right, heading NE.
  21. 0.3 miContinue straight onto Vet Med Trail, heading N.
  22. 0.6 miTurn left, heading NE.
  23. 0.3 miTurn left, heading NE.
  24. 50 ftTurn right, heading NE.
  25. 0.1 miTurn right, heading NE.
  26. 250 ftTurn left, heading NE.
  27. 250 ftTurn left, heading N.
  28. 350 ftTurn right, heading NE.
  29. 300 ftTurn right, heading NE.
  30. 150 ftArrive back at the trailhead.

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

Trail map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/lake-helen-tedesco-connector-trail-out-back-3-sights-14-km

Trail surface

93% paved7% unspecified

Weather

DrizzleTemperature 61°F57°
Precip61%Wind9 mphUV0Humidity95%
Rained 0.1″ yesterday (1″ over the last week)
Hourly temperatureRain chance
65°50° 12 AM: 7% rain1 AM: 5% rain2 AM: 3% rain3 AM: 4% rain4 AM: 12% rain5 AM: 15% rain6 AM: 17% rain7 AM: 23% rain8 AM: 28% rain9 AM: 18% rain10 AM: 17% rain11 AM: 7% rain12 PM: 7% rain1 PM: 8% rain2 PM: 10% rain3 PM: 13% rain4 PM: 18% rain5 PM: 26% rain6 PM: 34% rain7 PM: 61% rain8 PM: 60% rain9 PM: 54% rain10 PM: 47% rain11 PM: 25% rain
Sunrise 7:02 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PMSunset 7:15 PM
Tue 57°53° 22%
Wed 69°52°
Thu 60°55° 52%
Fri 61°58° 32%
Sat 65°59° 67%
Sun 75°55° 31%

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.4 mi in (~84 min). Leave by 5:31 PM for the 7:15 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:52 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Transit-accessible: South 4th Street at Beach Avenue Westbound stop 231 m from the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Hikes near Ames, Iowa