Spring 2026 Newsletter
All the Dirt on Dirt Trails in Central Iowa
Spring 2026 Newsletter
As we move into the spring riding season, it’s exciting to see our trail systems coming back to life and our community gearing up for another great year on the dirt. With longer days and improving conditions, there are plenty of opportunities ahead to ride, connect, and give back.
Weekly Ride Opportunities
Our popular Monday Night No Drop Dirt Rides (MNNDR) are back for the season. These rides will take place every Monday at 6:00 PM throughout the summer, beginning at Center Trails for the first month. Each month, we’ll rotate to a different trail system across the region. These rides are designed to be inclusive and welcoming to riders of all abilities, so we encourage everyone—from first-time trail users to experienced riders—to join in.
In partnership with shedHer Des Moines, CITA will be hosting Women's rides on Thursday nights this summer. Providing a supportive and encouraging environment for female riders. The first ride will take place at Denman’s Woods. We look forward to continued growth and participation in this important initiative.
Details for MNNDR, Thursday Women’s Rides, trail workdays, and all upcoming events can be found on our website. For the most current updates, including weather-related changes or cancellations, we encourage everyone to check the associated Facebook event pages.
Upcoming Events & Trail Stewardship
Trail stewardship remains at the heart of what we do. We will be hosting a Trail Work Day at Center Trails on the second weekend of May, helping prepare the system for the upcoming Wolfpack Scholastic MTB Team practices and the MTB Meet scheduled for the last weekend of May. These efforts are critical to ensuring safe, sustainable, and enjoyable trail conditions for all users.
This weekend also marks International Women’s Mountain Biking Day. We encourage the community to support the event hosted by ShredHER Des Moines, taking place Saturday at Greenwood Park. It’s a great opportunity to celebrate and grow the presence of women in our sport.
Volunteer Appreciation & Resources
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all of the volunteers who dedicate their time and energy to maintaining our trails. Your contributions are essential to the continued success and expansion of our trail network.
As a reminder, CITA maintenance equipment is available for community use and is stored in the trailer at Erik’s Bike Shop and in the trailer near Sycamore. We encourage anyone interested in contributing to trail upkeep to take advantage of these shared resources.
Staying Connected
We value your feedback and perspective as trail users. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to the board to share your experiences, ideas, and suggestions. Your input helps guide our efforts as we continue to strengthen relationships between trail users, land managers, and community stakeholders. CITA is currently seeking member representative on several committees. If you have a passion or skill to share in any of the following categories please reachout via Facebook or our email: info@centraliowatrails.com Committees: Events & Communication, Finance & Fundraising, Trail Stewardship & Maintenance, Trail Signage & Maps.
Together, we can continue to maintain, improve, and expand access to high-quality singletrack trails across Central Iowa.
We look forward to seeing you out on the trails this season.
Ride on,
CITA Board of Directors
Central Iowa Trail Associaiton Website
Events
Check out the new events page on the CITA website here.
International Womens MTB Day May 2nd - Facebook Event Link
Save the Date: Movie Night In The Park May 29th - Facebook Event Link
Trail Work Day - Center Trails - Second Weekdend in May - Facebook Event Link
Log Volunteer Hours
Trail volunteers are the silent heros that make the trails we all enjoy possible. This section will be a recurring corner where we recognize the hard work and dedication of our trail fairies. Log your hours and be eligible to win cool prizes!
Pay Pal Giving
Have a PayPal account, or just want to give more to support your local trails, donate through PayPal today and we'll put your support to work building and maintaining the singletrack you ride right here in Central Iowa/