Iowa’s Best Tour Features Great Heights & Gorgeous Views

Iowa’s Best Tour Features Great Heights & Gorgeous Views

Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad & Museum, Facebook

This might be a fun activity for the family this summer!

If you're looking for something new and exciting to try, Yelp can help! The review website has put together a list titled, Best Tour in Every State 2025, and it features all sorts of different experiences. The article reads:

"Whether you’re looking for a boat tour, food tour, historic walking tour — or even a wildlife safari — we’ve uncovered the top tour in every state (plus Washington, DC) based on thousands of Yelper ratings and reviews."

Iowa's best tour isn't any of those things! It's actually an incredibly unique experience over in Boone, Iowa with Rail Explorers.

Rail Explorers is a company that provides pedal powered rail vehicles for railroad tours in seven different cities across the U.S. There's one in West Virginia, Kentucky, California, and Rhode Island, plus two in New York: one in the Catskills, and another in Cooperstown. The Rail Explorers experience in Boone is the ONLY one in the Midwest.

Rail Explorers has partnered with the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad for several different two-hour tours, including:

  • Scenic Valley Trail - 12.5 miles
  • Scenic Valley Sunset - 12.5 miles
  • Scenic Valley Lantern Tour - 12.5 miles
  • Scenic Valley Trail to Eddy's Cove - 11.5 miles

No matter which tour you choose, Rail Explorers says that you'll enjoy some stunning scenery. The website reads:

"Riders can enjoy beautiful views of the Des Moines River Valley, where is it is not uncommon to see a convocation of bald eagles along the riverbank. The ride’s showstopper is the 750’ long, 156’ high 'Bass Point Creek High Trestle.' Riders crossing this bridge have panoramic views of the valley and experience the thrill of soaring high above the creek below."

And, don't worry! You won't be pedaling 10+ miles all on your own. All of the Rail Explorers have an electric motor, so your group won't have to work too hard! The Tandem Explorers are for two riders, and the Quad Explorer can hold up to four.

If you do want to do one of the tours with Rail Explorers, you definitely need to book your date/time in advance, because space is limited! You can get more information on all of the available tours in Boone HERE.

Wondering what the top tours are in other Midwest states? Here are Yelp's picks for Iowa's neighbors:

Check out the top tours for all 50 states HERE.

Courtlin's First Trip to South Dakota

Gallery Credit: Courtlin

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