Students in a Senior Capstone course in Civil and Environmental Engineering provided evaluation and design for a regional trail and trailhead connecting Scotch Grove with surrounding points of interest, such as Camp Courageous, Picture Rock Park, and the Cities of Anamosa and Monticello. 

Member of the Scotch Grove Steering Committee have been actively imagining ways to create a unique community environment build around sustainable living and active lifestyles. Scotch Grove is a very small unincorporated community surrounded by natural amenities and abutting Camp Courageous property. This is one of two IISC projects involving design of their ideas around housing and recreation.

This group of engineering students focused on developing a regional trail and trailhead.  The team gathered data about Scotch Grove and its surrounding natural areas to gain more knowledge for the design process. They researched similar projects to gain insights into multimodal trail design, culminating in the design of a trail and trailhead in Scotch Grove aimed at serving the community and providing an engaging recreational route with multiple points of connectivity to the surrounding area. The trail was designed for walking, biking, and equestrian use.

A significant component of the project involved evaluating the feasibility of trail routes through natural areas and along state-owned land. Several alternate paths were eliminated due to extreme topography and the potential for disruption to private landowners. The final trail designs utilize right-of-ways along existing roadways.  The provided trailhead location was previously a Train Depot, offering historical significance. The team provided design renderings and cost estimates.