The Wapsi-Great Western Line (WGWL) Trailhead is located at 110 East Main Street in Riceville, Iowa, which is nestled in northern Iowa off of U.S. Highway 9.

Northern Branch: From Riceville and the Trailhead, the WGWL's Northern Branch proceeds northwesternly 14+ miles in Mitchell County and goes passed the ghost town of Bailey to the Minnesota border.

Southern Branch: The WGWL Southern Branch proceeds southeasternly 12+ miles in Howard County and goes passed the ghost town of Acme to the city limits of Elma where it meets a .44 mile of the Old Roundhouse Trail segment.

The majority of the 27+ mile trail runs on abandoned railroad beds and winds through rural countryside.  Less than one mile is on shared roadway.

You will traverse through five biospheres: prarie, wetland, farmland, marsh and woodlands.  You will cross three waterways: Wapsipinicon River, Watson's Creek and Lake Hendricks.  You may encounter white tail deer, muskrat, otter, turkey, phesant, fox and numerous native species.

The WGWL Trail was one of the first 500 Rails-to-Trail in the country and has been designated as the interstate connecting trail between Iowa and Minnesota.  We look forward to the near future when WGWL will connect to Minnesota's Shooting Star Trail.