Historical Markers
Four person trekking surrounded with trees - history hikes

Hiking · city, Iowa

History Hikes in Ankeny, IA

Trails and back roads that reach the forts, mills, cabins and cemeteries most visitors never see, with the distances worked out.

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Photo: Vlad Marisescu on Unsplash

Ankeny has a population of about 51,567. The fastest way to learn a place is at the speed of your own feet, and history hikes are built around that speed.

A group of people with backpacks walking up a trail - history hikes
Photo: Alex Moliski on Unsplash
People walking on dirt road between trees during daytime - history hikes
Photo: Lukas Allspach on Unsplash
Man sitting on ancient stone ruins overlooking green hills - history hikes
Photo: Michal Mikulec on Unsplash

On the record near Ankeny, IA

The 12 nearest

239 listed historic sites on the record within 30 miles of Ankeny, IA.

  1. Trier, Paul J. and Ida, House5.6 miles from the center of Ankeny · Building · Johnston · listed 1988National Register of Historic Places
  2. Camp Dodge Pool District6.0 miles from the center of Ankeny · District · Johnston · listed 1995National Register of Historic Places
  3. Big Creek Schoolhouse6.5 miles from the center of Ankeny · Building · Polk City · listed 2004National Register of Historic Places
  4. Firestone District Office and Warehouse7.3 miles from the center of Ankeny · Building · Des Moines · listed 2022National Register of Historic Places
  5. Grand View College (Old Main)7.7 miles from the center of Ankeny · Building · Des Moines · listed 1978National Register of Historic Places
  6. Herrold Bridge7.8 miles from the center of Ankeny · Structure · Herrold · listed 1998National Register of Historic Places
  7. Bailey, William H. and Alice, House8.4 miles from the center of Ankeny · Building · Des Moines · listed 1996National Register of Historic Places
  8. Trent--Beaver House8.4 miles from the center of Ankeny · Building · Des Moines · listed 1996National Register of Historic Places
  9. Franklin Apartments8.4 miles from the center of Ankeny · Building · Des Moines · listed 1996National Register of Historic Places
  10. Goode, Lowry W., and Hattie N., First North Des Moines House8.4 miles from the center of Ankeny · Building · Des Moines · listed 1998National Register of Historic Places
  11. Johnstone, Dr. Anna E. and Andrew A., House8.5 miles from the center of Ankeny · Building · Des Moines · listed 1996National Register of Historic Places
  12. Chaffee--Hunter House8.5 miles from the center of Ankeny · Building · Des Moines · listed 1998National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of Ankeny, IA. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

History Hikes in Ankeny, step by step

  1. 1

    Check the trail and the access to each site before you go

  2. 2

    Pack water, a charged phone and the offline map

  3. 3

    Hike to the first site and read the record on the spot

  4. 4

    Respect closed ground and view private sites from the trail

  5. 5

    Log the sites reached and mark any the record has wrong

What people in Ankeny, IA ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in Ankeny, IA?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

How long is a typical route in Ankeny, IA?

Walks run one to three miles, runs from a 5K up to a long run, rides ten to forty miles, and drives a half day or more. The route is built from the stops, so it is as long as the history in the area allows.

Does the app track my distance as well as my stops?

It counts the stops you reach and the route you followed. Keep using your own watch or fitness app for pace and heart rate, the two work side by side.

How a visit works in Ankeny

  1. Step 1

    Find the place

    Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In Ankeny, IA the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.

  2. Step 2

    Read the story

    The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.

  3. Step 3

    Get there under your own power

    Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in Ankeny, IA are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.

  4. Step 4

    Collect it and come back

    Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.

The rules that make it work

The record comes first

Every site on these pages comes from a published register or marker program, with its source named. Nothing is listed that is not on the record.

Read the whole story

A marker is a few lines on a post. The story behind it is longer, and it includes the hard parts. Both are worth the stop.

Movement makes it stick

People remember the places they walked to. A route through five markers teaches more than fifty marker pages read on a couch.

Local beats famous

The marker two streets over usually has a better story than the one in the guidebook, and nobody else is standing in front of it.

Respect the ground

Many sites are private homes, working churches or cemeteries. View from the public way, follow posted hours, and leave it as you found it.

Every visitor can improve it

Markers go missing, get moved, or carry mistakes. A photo or a location fix from the person standing there is how the record stays right.

More ways in around Ankeny, IA

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