HomeIowaDes Moines › Easter Lake Spine Trail

Easter Lake Spine Trail

4.6 ★★★★★ 18 Google reviews · Running trail in Des Moines, Iowa · Hours vary

Runner's snapshot

Surface
Not reported
Distance
Not reported
Shape
Not reported
Shade
Not reported
Access
Not reported

We have not been able to confirm the surface, distance or shape of Easter Lake Spine Trail yet from its own listing, the park's website or runner reviews — so those cells stay blank rather than guess. What is below comes straight from the listing and from reviewers' own words. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.

ScenicQuiet

What runners say about Easter Lake Spine Trail

Pulled from public reviews of this trail (18 of them) — the things people bring up again and again, in their own words. Nothing here is written by us.

🏞️ beautiful scenery 5 mentions

“It still spring in Iowa the wind is chilly off the lake but it was a good walk around beautiful peaceful good way to disconnect”

🌾 quiet & peaceful 3 mentions

“It still spring in Iowa the wind is chilly off the lake but it was a good walk around beautiful peaceful good way to disconnect”

I love this trail the concrete is very smooth so you can use anything with wheels on it. It goes all the way around the lake with multiple exit points if you want off the trail. This trail also breaks off and goes to desmoines

★★★★★ — Quade , Feb 2022

It still spring in Iowa the wind is chilly off the lake but it was a good walk around beautiful peaceful good way to disconnect

★★★★★ — Melissa , Apr 2022

Excerpts from public Google reviews. Read all 18 reviews →

Trail conditions & character

What this trail is actually like underfoot and overhead, taken from its own listing and from reviews. Each one links to every other trail with the same character. Busy or quiet is reported as a plain fact, not a plus or a minus — a runner heading out alone at dawn often wants company on the path, and someone running intervals wants an empty one.

🏞️ Scenic views 5 mentions

“It still spring in Iowa the wind is chilly off the lake but it was a good walk around beautiful peaceful good way to disconnect”

More trails like this →

🤫 Quiet / uncrowded 3 mentions

“It still spring in Iowa the wind is chilly off the lake but it was a good walk around beautiful peaceful good way to disconnect”

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Plan your run at Easter Lake Spine Trail

The practical stuff

  • AccessHours vary — hours are not posted for this trail, so check before an early or late run
  • DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
  • ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.

Where to find Easter Lake Spine Trail

5646 SE 36th St, Des Moines, IA 50320

Get directions

Running trails near Des Moines

Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.

Easter Lake Park

4.6 ★★★★★ 568 reviews

Des Moines, IA

PavedScenic

Shady lakeside park featuring a beach, playgrounds, hiking and walking trails.

1.0 miles away

Ewing Park

4.7 ★★★★★ 863 reviews

Des Moines, IA

ShadedScenicDog-friendly

Spacious park with playgrounds, an 18-hole disc golf course, a pond & a lilac arboretum.

1.8 miles away

Ewing Park Flow Trails Trailhead

4.5 ★★★★★ 52 reviews

Des Moines, IA

Natural surfaceScenic

2.1 miles away

Carl Voss Trail

4.6 ★★★★★ 14 reviews

Des Moines, IA

2.4 miles away

Fort Des Moines Park

4.6 ★★★★★ 582 reviews

Des Moines, IA

LoopScenic

Community recreation space with large picnic shelters, a playground & trails, plus a fishing lake.

3.4 miles away

Doanes Park

4.6 ★★★★★ 125 reviews

Pleasant Hill, IA

Scenic

Ample open space featuring baseball, tennis, soccer and basketball courts, plus a playground.

3.6 miles away

All running trails in Des Moines, IA →

Nearby towns

Listing verified July 2026 from public records, the trail's own website and runner reviews. Trail conditions change — paths flood, gates close at dusk, and shaded woods stay muddy for days after rain. Something out of date? Report a correction. Manage this trail? Send us the details — it is free.