For a current map of our Cherokee Trail System, please click on the link below. 

 Cherokee Trail Expansion Project: After years of seeking public input and careful planning, the City of Cherokee is ready to develop Magnetic Park – a 50-acre natural area that will serve as both the key connecting piece for the Cherokee trail system and a multiuse park. Located on the eastern edge of Cherokee, Magnetic Park will meet our city’s long-standing desire for a trail and park system that will encourage our active community to explore Cherokee on foot or by bike. Magnetic Park will be a county-style park, bringing paved and soft trails, outdoor classroom areas and restored natural areas right into the backyards of our citizens.

With the help of Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, Magnetic Park was secured for this opportunity while the Cherokee Trail Committee, on behalf of the City, raised funds to purchase the land. Through grants and fundraising, the City raised the funds to purchase the land within one year and the City took ownership of the land in the summer of 2019.

The development of Magnetic Park will be a destination unlike any other in Cherokee County, providing a hub for multiple recreational opportunities. The development will include 0.97 miles of a ten-foot-wide concrete trail. This paved trail will loop around a pond, known as "Magnetic Lake", and a historic barn, which are two of the central elements of the park. The paved trail will offer three separate entrances to the park. The park will also include soft trails (grass or dirt) totaling 1.25 miles through the park’s woodland and future reconstructed prairie land. These soft trails will allow for more of a hiking experience than the paved trails, along with providing a place for mountain biking. See map below titled Magnetic Park Site Plan.

Developing the trails in Magnetic Park will begin in 2020 and is a critical step in connecting Cherokee's trail segments. On behalf of the City, the Cherokee Trail Committee is actively pursuing the development of a connected trail system. As shown in the map titled City Wide Trails Proposed Master Plan, the City plans to build an additional 1.28 miles of paved trail to connect Magnetic Park with Cherokee’s existing trail segments and create a six-mile loop around the City. These future phases will extend the trail into the heart of the City of Cherokee and run adjacent to residential neighborhoods in Cherokee.

The Trail Committee is requesting donations from our community. You can support this project through a check/cash donation, a pledge card commitment up to 5 years (automatic withdrawal of payment is available) or a donation of grain. Donations can be made payable to the “Cherokee Community Foundation - Trails”, a tax exempt (501(c)(3)) corporation. Donations and pledge cards can be dropped off at City Hall. Each gift or pledge of $1,000 or more will be recognized on the new site. The Trail Committee is very grateful for all of the support our community has provided.