Trails

Many Rathbun Lake visitors have shown a growing interest in land based recreation activities. "Off the beaten path" opportunities may be found in the designated trails located on public lands adjacent to Rathbun Lake.

Snowmobile Trail

Thirty-five miles of varied terrain of the lake’s north shore is available for snowmobile use. The trail includes bridges across draws and access to the project’s natural areas. The trail is mown once per year in the fall. Trail-heads are in Buck Creek and Honey Creek State Park with other access points along the way.

The Rathbun snowmobile trail is maintained by the volunteers of the Rathbun Snow Riders snowmobile club. For trail conditions, contact their website at: http://www.rathbunsnowriders.com/home.html. The Iowa DNR provides financial support through the disbursement of snowmobile registration fees.

Off Road Vehicle Area

Rathbun Lake has Southern Iowa’s only Off Road Vehicle (ORV) area. Access to the area is approximately 3 miles south of Bridge View Park on State Highway 142. Located on the south bank of the South Fork Chariton River, the area encompasses nearly 125 acres in an abandoned rock quarry on government land.

The Rathbun ORV Area is maintained by the volunteers of the South Central Dirt Riders ATV club. If you would like to volunteer at the Rathbun ORV Area, please contact their website at http://www.geocities.com/rathbunscdr/scdr. The Iowa DNR provides financial support through the disbursement of ATV Registration fees to the club.

The area is open to the public year round. Vehicles are limited to motorcycles and small all-terrain vehicles. Full size vehicles are prohibited on the trails.

Regulations require helmets, mufflers, and current Iowa ORV registration. ORV registration can be obtained at county recorder’s offices.

Iowa law states a person under eighteen years of age shall not operate an all-terrain vehicle on public land or land purchased with all-terrain vehicle registration funds in this state without obtaining a valid safety certificate issued by the Iowa Department of natural Resources and having the certificate in the person’s possession.

To check on park open/closed status go to the Iowa OHV Website at: www.iowaohv.com . For additional information, please go to the IOWA DNR ATV Website

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