Things To Do on an eBike in Story County, IA
Story County rides along the Heart of Iowa Nature Trail. The county reports 21 miles of that trail fully paved from Slater to Collins, a short paved connector called the Tedesco Connector Trail links Ames to it, and the High Trestle Trail meets it at Slater. East of Collins the surface changes, so the first question on any ride here is which section you are on.
This guide sticks to figures published by the county and its park pages. Where a number is missing, we say so. Check the posted signs, your bike class and the weather before you load the bike. Iowa rules are summarized below and in our Iowa eBike laws guide.
Where to ride in Story County
The backbone of eBike riding in Story County is the Heart of Iowa Nature Trail. The county says the trail is fully paved for 21 miles from Slater to Collins as of late 2024, and that the surface on that stretch is 100 percent paved concrete. The county lists the whole trail at 32 miles and notes that it is not continuous for all of those miles. TrailLink gives a different length, 25.8 miles, on its Heart of Iowa Nature Trail page. Treat 32 miles as the county's listed figure and 25.8 miles as TrailLink's, and plan your ride by the section distances below rather than by either total.
Two other features shape a day here. The Tedesco Connector Trail, a 10-foot paved trail, connects the Tedesco Environmental Learning Corridor and Ames to the Heart of Iowa Nature Trail and the High Trestle Trail, according to the Story County page for the connector. And the Skunk River Greenbelt, described on MyCountyParks, stretches from Story City to Ames, with the Water Trail extending south to Cambridge. The greenbelt is more of a park and river corridor than a long paved route, so read its access rules before you bring a bike.
The trail hours are worth knowing. The county lists the Heart of Iowa Nature Trail as open 5:00 A.M. to 10:30 P.M., and the Skunk River Greenbelt park hours are 5:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. daily. If your ride might run late, plan to be off the trail before closing, and carry a front and rear light anyway.
Planning is mostly about sections. The Slater trailhead, the Huxley trailhead, Maxwell, Collins and the Marshall County line are the reference points the county uses, so those are the names we use too. We do not have published mileage between every pair of them, so we only give the distances the county gives.
eBike shop hubs
Use these city directories for addresses, phone numbers, detail pages, and claim links. A city page is a contact index, not proof of current rental stock or route access. Call before you drive.
Slater and Huxley sit on the Heart of Iowa Nature Trail, so those two hubs are the practical places to find repair help close to the paved section. Ames is the county's largest directory page and a good place to look for a bike, parts or a battery question before you head out to the trail.
Named eBike routes and access checks
Every route below comes from the county or a park page. For the e-bike rule, we follow the Iowa guide: all three classes may use bicycle and multiuse paths, and Class 3 riders must keep to the posted limit, or 20 mph when none is posted. We did not find a separate Story County e-bike rule for these trails, so the state default applies and the posted signs win.
1. Heart of Iowa Nature Trail, Slater to Collins (21 miles paved)
This is the county's main paved ride. The Slater trailhead is on the northeast corner of Slater on 510th (R-38/Linn St), 0.5 miles north of Highway 210. From there the county lists 21 miles of fully paved trail to Collins, and the surface is 100 percent paved concrete. The same page says a 10-foot wide mowed grass path runs next to the pavement for the majority of the trail, which gives walkers and slower riders somewhere to go besides the concrete. Any of the three e-bike classes can use a path like this under Iowa's guide, but Class 3 riders hold to the posted limit or 20 mph. Etiquette is simple: announce yourself before passing, keep right, and drop your assist level when you come up behind walkers. Hours are 5:00 A.M. to 10:30 P.M.
2. Heart of Iowa Nature Trail, Slater to Huxley Railroad Park (4.1 miles)
This is the short version of the paved ride, and a sensible first outing on a new bike or with a newer rider. Start at the Slater trailhead on 510th, 0.5 miles north of Highway 210. The county lists 4.1 miles from the Slater trailhead to Huxley Railroad Park, which is the Huxley trailhead at Railway and South Main. The surface is the paved concrete the county describes for the Slater to Collins stretch. The e-bike rule is the Iowa default for paths, so check the signs at both ends. On a segment this short, the etiquette that matters is at the Huxley end: it is a town park, so slow down and give people room before you turn around.
3. Heart of Iowa Nature Trail, Maxwell to Collins Trailhead (5.5 miles)
The county lists 5.5 miles from Maxwell to the Collins Trailhead. Start at Maxwell, or at the Collins Trailhead if you want to ride toward Maxwell. The surface is paved concrete, because the county describes the whole Slater to Collins section that way. This works as a mid-length ride for anyone who wants to avoid the Slater end, though we do not list a published parking or facility detail for Maxwell, so confirm where you can leave a vehicle before you go. The e-bike rule is the state default; look for posted signs at the trailhead. Etiquette is the same as elsewhere on the trail: keep right, call out when passing, and keep the grass shoulder clear for people on foot.
4. Tedesco Connector Trail (2.6 miles)
The Tedesco Connector Trail is 2.6 miles long and was constructed in 2020. It is a 10-foot paved trail running from University Boulevard to county highway R-38. Start at the University Boulevard end if you are coming from Ames, or at R-38 if you are coming from the Heart of Iowa side. The county says it connects the Tedesco Environmental Learning Corridor and Ames to the Heart of Iowa Nature Trail and the High Trestle Trail. The surface is paved. We found no Story County e-bike rule specific to this trail, so the Iowa default applies and the posted signs govern. At 10 feet wide, two-way traffic is tight when groups ride side by side, so ride single file and keep right.
5. Heart of Iowa Nature Trail, Collins to the Marshall County line (4 miles, unpaved)
East of Collins to the Marshall County line, the county says the Heart of Iowa Nature Trail remains a natural or limestone surface. The county's Phase 7 plan would pave the four remaining miles between Collins and the Story-Marshall County line, with estimated completion in FY32, per the Water and Land Legacy Bond page. Start from the Collins Trailhead. Until paving happens this is a different ride from the concrete to the west: expect looser footing, and carry a tire repair kit. We found no separate e-bike rule for this section, so the state default applies and the signs win. Etiquette on softer surfaces means slowing early, because braking distance grows on crushed stone.
One more connection to keep in mind: the High Trestle Trail meets the Heart of Iowa Nature Trail at Slater, according to the county. Our Iowa guide describes the High Trestle Trail as a 25-mile route with a half-mile, 13-story lighted trestle bridge. The county page gives no mileage for the portion in Story County, so use the Slater trailhead as your reference point and check that trail's own signs and manager information before you ride it.
Half-day and full-day eBike plans
Half day, Slater to Huxley: Park near the Slater trailhead on 510th, 0.5 miles north of Highway 210, and ride the 4.1 miles to Huxley Railroad Park. Stop in Huxley for a break or a bike question at one of the shops listed below, then ride back the same way. Keep your assist low on the way out so you have margin on the return.
Half day, Tedesco Connector: Ride the 2.6-mile paved Tedesco Connector Trail between University Boulevard and R-38, then decide at the far end whether to continue onto the Heart of Iowa Nature Trail or turn around. Ride it as a short outing if the weather is borderline.
Full day, paved Heart of Iowa out and back: Start at the Slater trailhead and ride the paved concrete toward Collins. The county lists 21 paved miles from Slater to Collins, and an out and back on the full stretch means riding that distance twice, so count the return before you commit. The Maxwell to Collins piece is 5.5 miles of that route if you want a shorter version. Carry water and a charged phone, and plan stops by the trail hours of 5:00 A.M. to 10:30 P.M.
For any route day, carry water, a charged phone and only the tools you know how to use. Build the return around the battery already on the bike; never assume a trailhead has an outlet.
What not to ride in Story County
The unpaved Collins to Marshall County line section on a skinny-tire road setup. The county describes it as natural or limestone, so wet days and narrow tires are a poor mix.
The Skunk River Greenbelt as a general bike route. The MyCountyParks page says it is open to pedestrians and off-road bicyclists only from Sopers Mill (170th) to Bear Creek. That wording does not say how e-bikes are treated, so read the posted signs and do not assume a river trail is open to a motorized bike.
Any trail after hours. The Heart of Iowa Nature Trail and Skunk River Greenbelt both list 5:00 A.M. to 10:30 P.M. Do not ride the trail outside those hours.
A trail through barriers or closure notices. Construction, flooding or maintenance can close a section, and the county's trail work is ongoing. Follow barrier signs and pick another route rather than bypassing them.
A long out and back with no battery reserve. The 21 paved miles are easy to start and harder to finish if you ignore the return, particularly into a headwind.
When to ride Story County
Our Iowa guide gives April through October as the riding season. Spring and fall are the comfortable months for long rides on the paved Heart of Iowa section. Summer riding works best early or late in the day, which also fits the trail's 5:00 A.M. opening time. The unpaved section east of Collins is best ridden when it is dry. Winter riding depends on whether the managing agency has cleared the trail, and the posted notice is the only reliable answer, so check it the morning you ride.
Wind matters on open trail corridors, so check the forecast direction and ride the headwind leg first when you can. That leaves you a tailwind when the battery is lower.
Iowa eBike rules snapshot
For Iowa class rules, ages and path limits, see our Iowa eBike law guide.
All three classes may use bicycle and multiuse paths, but Class 3 must obey the posted limit or stay at 20 mph when no limit is posted. No license or registration is required for compliant Iowa eBikes, and Iowa has no statewide eBike-specific helmet mandate. A trail manager can still post its own signs, so read them. For the full text and the Iowa Code reference, see our Iowa eBike laws guide.
For county-level planning, start from the Story County eBike shops hub, which keeps the full local directory.
Planning notes for Story County
Plan around the surface first. The paved concrete from Slater to Collins is a different ride from the natural or limestone surface east of Collins. The county's published segment lengths, 4.1 miles Slater to Huxley Railroad Park and 5.5 miles Maxwell to Collins, are the numbers to build a day from. Where the totals disagree, 32 miles from the county and 25.8 miles from TrailLink, do not rely on either for timing.
Future work may change these routes. The county's Phase 7 project would pave the last four miles to the Marshall County line, estimated for FY32. The Ames to Slater Trail Connection, called the R38 Trail Alternative, was identified as the highest priority in the 2025 Story County Trails Master Plan, with estimated completion in FY29. Those are plans, not open trails, so do not look for them on the ground yet.
Frequently asked questions
How much of the Heart of Iowa Nature Trail is paved?
Story County lists 21 miles as fully paved concrete from Slater to Collins. East of Collins to the Marshall County line the trail remains a natural or limestone surface.
How long is the Heart of Iowa Nature Trail?
The county lists it at 32 miles and says it is not continuous for all of those miles. TrailLink lists 25.8 miles. Plan by the section distances instead.
Where does the Heart of Iowa Nature Trail start at Slater?
The Slater trailhead is on the northeast corner of Slater on 510th (R-38/Linn St), 0.5 miles north of Highway 210.
What is the Tedesco Connector Trail?
The Tedesco Connector Trail is a 10-foot paved trail, 2.6 miles long, running from University Boulevard to county highway R-38. It connects Ames to the Heart of Iowa Nature Trail and the High Trestle Trail.
Can I ride a Class 3 eBike on Story County paths?
Iowa lets all three classes use bicycle and multiuse paths, but Class 3 must obey the posted limit or stay at 20 mph when no limit is posted. Class 3 operators must be at least 16. Check posted signs.
What are the trail hours?
The county lists Heart of Iowa Nature Trail hours as 5:00 A.M. to 10:30 P.M. The Skunk River Greenbelt park hours are 5:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. daily.
Other local service contacts
These cards are preserved for repair, sales, or general service enquiries. They are not presented as rental operators.
All eBike shops in Story County
See every listing on the Story County eBike shops page.