AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Saylorville Lake Project

Riverview Lake–Beaver Creek Natural Resources Area Beach, 7 sights

13.6 mi · ▲ 56 ft · 4 hr 34 min

Riverview Lake–Beaver Creek Natural Resources Area Beach, 7 sights is a 13.6-mile out-and-back in Saylorville Lake Project near Des Moines, IA. The route passes Riverview Lake, Beaver Creek Natural Resources Area Beach and Beaver Creek Natural Resources Area Beach before reaching Lake Ceres at the turnaround, 6.8 miles in. It is mostly level, with 56 ft of elevation gain. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi791 – 873 ft14.7 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: McHenry Park Trail 41.62669, -93.63074
Nearest town Des Moines, IA
Google Maps Apple Maps

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Riverview Lake–Beaver Creek Natural Resources Area Beach, 7 sights

13.6 mi · ▲ 56 ft · 4 hr 34 min

Elevation 790–871 ft

Out & Back · Saylorville Lake Project

Trailhead: McHenry Park Trail · 41.62669, -93.63074

Weather Sep 22: Light drizzle, high 58°F / low 56° · precip 23% · wind 8 mph · sunrise 7:03 AM · sunset 7:14 PM

Transit-accessible: Euclid Ave & 11th St stop 137 m from the trailhead · Toilets at the trailhead

  1. Start on McHenry Park Trail, heading SE.
  2. 0.2 miSharp right onto Riverview Park Trail, heading W.
  3. 50 ftPass Riverview Lake.
  4. 0.7 miContinue straight onto Inter-Urban Trail, heading W.
  5. 0.2 miSharp right onto Trestle to Trestle Trail, heading N.
  6. 0.2 miBear left, heading N.
  7. 300 ftContinue straight onto Sycamore Trail, heading N.
  8. 0.2 miContinue straight onto Owl Trail, heading NE.
  9. 1 miBear left onto Sycamore Trail, heading NW.
  10. 450 ftBear right onto Trestle to Trestle Trail, heading NW.
  11. 2.1 miTurn left, heading NW.
  12. 50 ftBear left, heading NW.
  13. 0.9 miPass Beaver Creek Natural Resources Area Beach.
  14. 0.1 miTurn left, heading NW.
  15. 0.2 miTurn right, heading NW.
  16. 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
  17. 50 ftPass Beaver Creek Natural Resources Area Beach.
  18. 0.5 miTurn right, heading N.
  19. 50 ftBear right, heading N.
  20. 0.3 miTurn left onto Beaver Creek Greenbelt Trail, heading NW.
  21. 300 ftPass Lake Ceres.
  22. 50 ftTurn right, heading N.
  23. 0.1 miSharp right, heading NW.
  24. 50 ftReach Riverview Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  25. 50 ftSharp left, heading N.
  26. 0.2 miTurn right, heading NW.
  27. 0.3 miBear left, heading S.
  28. 50 ftTurn left, heading S.
  29. 0.5 miTurn right, heading S.
  30. 50 ftTurn left, heading S.
  31. 0.2 miTurn right, heading SE.
  32. 1 miBear right, heading E.
  33. 50 ftTurn right onto Trestle to Trestle Trail, heading E.
  34. 2.1 miBear left onto Sycamore Trail, heading E.
  35. 450 ftBear right onto Owl Trail, heading E.
  36. 1 miContinue straight onto Sycamore Trail, heading SE.
  37. 0.2 miContinue straight onto Trestle to Trestle Trail, heading S.
  38. 300 ftTurn left, heading SE.
  39. 0.2 miSharp left onto Inter-Urban Trail, heading S.
  40. 0.2 miContinue straight onto Riverview Park Trail, heading S.
  41. 0.7 miSharp left onto McHenry Park Trail, heading E.
  42. 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 map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/riverview-lake-riverview-lake-out-back-14-beaches

Trail surface

51% paved45% dirt4% unspecified

Weather

Light drizzleTemperature 58°F56°
Precip23%Wind8 mphUV1Humidity93%
Rained 0.2″ 2 days ago (0.8″ over the last week)
Hourly temperatureRain chance
65°50° 12 AM: 23% rain1 AM: 12% rain2 AM: 8% rain3 AM: 5% rain4 AM: 5% rain5 AM: 6% rain6 AM: 6% rain7 AM: 9% rain8 AM: 12% rain9 AM: 12% rain10 AM: 9% rain11 AM: 6% rain12 PM: 4% rain1 PM: 5% rain2 PM: 5% rain3 PM: 7% rain4 PM: 4% rain5 PM: 3% rain6 PM: 4% rain7 PM: 4% rain8 PM: 2% rain9 PM: 1% rain10 PM: 1% rain11 PM: 1% rain
Sunrise 7:03 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PMSunset 7:14 PM
Wed 65°54°
Thu 68°53° 20%
Fri 62°59° 36%
Sat 61°58° 62%
Sun 71°57° 27%
Mon 72°54° 27%

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is right at the trailhead, so there is no walk out. Be there by 6:54 PM to have the sun's last 20 minutes of sky before it sets at 7:14 PM. Your car is right there — dark at 7:41 PM.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Transit-accessible: Euclid Ave & 11th St stop 137 m from the trailhead
  • Toilets at the trailhead

Hikes near Des Moines, Iowa