Returning from our August 2017 trip to Minnesota and the Dakotas, we planned to stop at the Interstate 29 Welcome Center in Sioux City, Iowa to stretch our legs. However, as we approached the exit we noticed a trail tucked in between the interstate and the Missouri River and decided to explore it for a few minutes. The welcome center and the trail are both located at exit 149. Instead of following Larsen Park Road around to the welcome center, we turned right into the first parking lot we found. Once in the lot, we noticed that it also has a boat ramp and parking for vehicles with boat trailers. Signage near the boat ramp noted that we were in Chris Larsen Park. The signs also noted that this section of the Missouri River is part of the Lewis & Clark Water Trail and that the Riverfront Trail is part of the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail. We decided to follow the Riverfront Trail upstream for what turned out to be a mile before retracing our steps and exploring the boat ramp area. We continued downstream ¼ mile to the marina for a nice view of the Siouxland Veterans Memorial Bridge over the Missouri River. After walking for a very enjoyable 2.5 miles, and realizing we still had miles to go, we headed over to the welcome center and found that it had just closed. With a number of historical attractions nearby, Sioux City is definitely on our list of places to explore.
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| Topographic map with GPS route |
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| Wide concrete trail |
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| Meandering through the trees |
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| Missouri River |
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| Another view of the river |
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| Between the river and I-29 |
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| House and dock on the Nebraska side of the river |
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| A bench about ½ mile from the boat ramp |
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| Distance markers painted on the trail |
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| Our turnaround point |
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| View of the river on the way back |
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| Boat ramp |
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| Missouri River from the boat ramp |
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| Siouxland Veterans Memorial Bridge |
Entry to Chris Larsen Park is free.
The city park webpage is https://www.sioux-city.org/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/54/164.
The city trails webpage is https://www.sioux-city.org/government/departments-g-p/parks-recreation-department/trails.
The Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail website is https://www.nps.gov/lecl.
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