Iowa Gravel Classic and Whiterock Conservancy: Something for Everyone

The Beginning – 2019

I had heard of Whiterock Conservancy many times from other cyclists. This was mostly regarding the multi-use trails that not only surround the property's perimeter but run throughout it. I knew it was around an hour drive from Greater Des Moines (DSM), where I lived. At the time I enjoyed mountain biking, but it wasn’t my first passion. And we did have some nice trails closer to me. I wish I knew what I know now back then! Not that all my friends didn’t sell the area well. They seemed to always refer to Whiterock with some reverence — more of a “hidden gem” rather than just some mountain bike trails. Everyone talked about camping there while riding trails all weekend. That was something that sounded like a great time to me as someone who loves camping but doesn’t really like camping in big, crowded campgrounds. At the same time, my weekends had become filled with gravel bike races and the destinations that those brought me to. Life just gets busy and in the way of all those things we would love to do. You can really lose out on some amazing life experiences if you don’t just take the time to do them!

Then, in the late winter or early spring, I heard that our friends were going to put on a gravel race featuring the gravel roads around Guthrie County. I loved hearing this! I had graduated from West Central Valley High School in 2001, which is in part of Guthrie County. They have some fun gravel roads in that area and absolutely gorgeous scenery! Then I heard that our friends were going to run it out of one of the campgrounds at Whiterock Conservancy and that they were going to call it the Iowa Gravel Classic. This was the excuse I needed to make my way to the area to finally experience this “gem” for myself!

The Inaugural Year

My wife and I were excited to go camping for the July 4th weekend of 2019. Not only did we get to camp somewhere new to us, but we were going to be able to race our gravel bikes right out of the campgrounds that we would be staying in. This would be our introduction to just what exactly the Whiterock Conservancy property has guardianship over. The first time you turn south off Highway 141 onto gravel, you really start getting a sense of just how big this property is (5,000 acres!). In Iowa we have a lot of open spaces but most of it is privately held land and not open to the public. The first mile or so of the gravel is relatively flat but soon starts getting into the area's signature hills. Iowa can be an incredibly scenic state once you get off the beaten path. Much of the nation’s population just sees us as “flyover country,” but any of us that have grown up or lived here for many years know that we have an amazingly diverse landscape that changes greatly depending on which corner of the state you are in.

Photo Credit: Jon Duke

As we kept driving the gravel road that runs through the middle of Whiterock, we began to see the signs of a property that is well taken care of and truly loved. Just before you get to the bridge over the Middle Raccoon River, a beautiful little house sits to the west side of the road. To me, it looks like it should be in a storybook. The scenery is idyllic. A little old house that looks like a large cabin, sitting just a few hundred feet from a beautiful little river. Then, across the street is a very nice and well-maintained campground. After we climbed out of this valley, we turned to the east and the first thing I noticed was a small dirt pump track for bicycles that appears to be integrated into an old area that had been used to load cattle. Continuing a bit further, the Star Field Campground to the north side of the road appears. The first thing that caught my eye as we entered the campground were the disc golf baskets. I love properties that use their land for a variety of activities and not just a single use!

The campground itself was large. There was plenty of room to spread out and not feel like you’re on top of each other — a rare occurrence when camping on July 4th weekend! There were tent sites spread out all the way to the back of the property. In the middle you could see large wooden posts, the size of a telephone pole but shorter, sticking up. Turns out they are for setting up hammocks as another camping option. Not far from there is a large stack of firewood that is for sale to the campers. What is camping without a great campfire to sit and swap stories around. As we settled into the spot we picked, I started seeing some mountain bikes that seemed like they were riding just outside of the camping area. Come to find out, this is absolutely the case. One of the easier trails basically rides the perimeter of this camping area. You can literally ride out of your campsite and be on a trail that connects into the entire trail system right outside of your tent in many areas. We spent the rest of the evening wandering around to other campsites, hanging around by the fires and talking to all our friends that were there for the race in the morning. There are a variety of activities around Whiterock that can keep anyone in the family busy if they are there with someone riding in the Iowa Gravel Classic on Saturday. There are multi-use trails running throughout the property that one can take advantage of. Guests have nearly 30 miles of trails to explore by foot. Sixteen miles of includes bike-optimized single-track trails for mountain biking and 12 miles are for shared use. There is an eight-mile water trail that starts in Coon Rapids at Riverside Park and finishes at the River Campground. You’re able to rent canoes and kayaks from Whiterock as well enjoy a shuttle service available for reservation. There are 12 fishing ponds available to fish free of charge (State of Iowa fishing license for age 16+ required). And at night there is of course the absolutely stunning views of seemingly endless stars in the night sky from our host campgrounds, Star Field.

Photo Credit: Jon Duke

The Race

I love being able to roll right out of bed in the morning and already be at the starting line of a race. It always makes things start out more smoothly for your day. In its first year, this race had two distances, 100 miles and 100 kilometers. Since the first year, there has been a shorter and non-timed route of 50 kilometers added to give more people a chance to enjoy the race without having to actually feel pressure to “race.” Personally, I always tell people who are interested in gravel “racing” that it’s truly only a race to the top 5% of the group. The rest of us are just trying to enjoy a good day on the bike with our friends. We are only here to do our best and just simply finish the course. Most of us have no aspirations of being fast or competitive. The fact that everyone is welcome no matter how fast or slow you want to go is what makes this event so great!

The location of the start means that you are on gravel from the word “go.” A lot of cyclists have turned to gravel for not only the added scenery and history that you get to see once off the paved roads but also because gravel roads tend to be less traveled. Add in the fact that drivers are generally not in as big of a hurry to get somewhere and are more curious as to why you’d choose to ride your bike on gravel than worrying about you slowing them down in the few seconds it takes to pass them on by. Keep in mind that the traditional one or two finger “farmer wave” is very much welcomed out here! I do this personally, to anyone I meet out here, to show the area residents some respect in the hope that they continue to get used to us riding our bikes on the gravel roads and in the end welcome us.

All three of the routes will treat the riders to classic rural Iowa beauty with its rolling hills, sweeping green valleys, family farms and scenic minimum maintenance roads. The Iowa Gravel Classic provides aid stations to all routes to keep our riders going strong. This makes it nicer for less experienced riders by allowing them to not have to worry about having to carry absolutely everything on their bike for the entirety of their particular course. The courses are meant to test people, but we do our best to give everyone what they need to finish.

One of the most iconic local attractions is the Tree in the Road. The 100-mile route has always taken riders past this location. The story of how this gigantic cottonwood tree came to be in the middle of this intersection is pretty simple. When the county boundaries were being formed, a surveyor placed green cottonwood stick into exactly where those lines intersected. From that tiny stick, grew this impressive tree that has enjoyed its spot on the county line for many generations already. It’s truly something to see! This year we are excited to redesign the 100 km course to give more of our riders the chance to see this historic landmark!

Photo Credit: Jon Duke

With this race being in the beginning of July in Iowa, we usually experience some pretty hot and humid weather. It’s a great time of the year for a race, however, this means you will most likely find yourself quite sweaty post-race. This brings up one of my favorite features of this race and of the Star Field Campground. The post-race shower! I’ve personally camped at many places across the country and this campground has consistently had the nicest shower I’ve ever seen. It feels and looks much more like your bathroom at home rather than a camp shower. You won’t just be trying to get in and out as quickly as possible while also trying to touch the least number of surfaces possible. Instead, you’ll be treated to a nice, relaxing and refreshing shower! After getting cleaned up, it’s much easier to hang out and swap the stories that the day provided with friends both old and new.

So please join us at Whiterock Conservancy for the 6th annual Iowa Gravel Classic on Saturday, July 6, 2024 and find out what all the buzz is about. Get out of the city, slow down and come enjoy what rural Iowa and the Whiterock Conservancy has to offer!

The Greater Des Moines Partnership calendar of events is a one-stop resource for activities taking place throughout the region. Find networking information for Greater Des Moines (DSM) businesses, including Chamber luncheons, roundtables and ribbon cuttings. You can also find live music happening each week thanks to the “Live Music This Week in DSM” blog series.