A Rural Park
If you are a road trip adventurist and love to get off the beaten path, I have a trip for you. It’s a park that sits literally in the middle of a cornfield, North of beautiful rural Hartley, Iowa at 2950 Tanager Avenue. There’s a small dirt road that takes you north and south and just out of the clearing (if you take a lookout in the field) you will see a bright barn red building sitting in the open. That’s the old trestle bridge and the direct spot of Trestle Park! Don’t believe me that it sits in the middle of a cornfield? Check out the video below –
The great thing about the park – is that it’s unique and offers a fantastic opportunity for wide-open adventure. You get the chance to gather some fresh country air – and wander around for a bit around the property. Just make sure the gate is open off of Tanager Avenue – if it is – go ahead and wander down the path through the cornfield.
An Old Train Trestle
The creative thing about the park is that they took an old train trestle in the middle of the country and turned it into a little walk-through museum of sorts. You can walk up to the building through the grassy trail and walk by old train set rides (the kind that used to entertain some of us before video games came into play!) and old artifacts of yesterday. Walking through the trestle is like walking back through time – a living time machine sitting in the middle of rural Iowa.
Getting Married?
How about getting married out in the country? Trestle Park houses a small, cute white chapel that overlooks a small pond. It’s scenic and beautiful – and if you were looking for a wedding scene that is more out in the open? You couldn’t get any better than the chapel sitting on Trestle Park grounds. It didn’t appear to seat too many people – but for some, that is the perfect setup! Not to mention that it offers fantastic views and photo opportunities for great wedding pictures! Even if you are looking for a place to get some unique rural photos – this is the place!
Tractor Ride
It’s not a guarantee, but if the owner is around there might be opportunities for a tractor ride! I was lucky while visiting that he took us on a small tractor ride around the park and gave us a small tour with his John Deere tractor – One possibility would be if you were getting married – to ask about a tractor ride? That could add to a unique wedding opportunity. No promises from this blog – but I like the rural possibilities that Trestle Park has to offer.
Other Unique Buildings And Windmills
Another neat feature of the park is some of the old buildings and structures sitting on the land – the old Sanborn Christian Schoolhouse sits along with one of the trails and can be explored. Other unique items sit around and can be explored – and of course, O’Brien County has a large area filled with Wind Turbine’s – if windmills excite you (and maybe they do!) then discovering trestle park is right up your alley because you are surrounded by them to the North! Take a moment and hike around the premises and take in nature – plus the scenic views of fields and windmills in the distance.
Come Visit Trestle Park – And Hartley, IA
Discovering Trestle Park in Hartley, Iowa – might be one of your most unique adventures. Take out your GPS and put in 2950 Tanager Avenue – and go explore! Also – if you are coming to Hartley go check out one of the coolest coffee shops in the area – Grounded Coffee and Junk in Hartley, Iowa. It provides a perfect combination – go and grab a coffee or meal, explore their shop and then drift northwards to Trestle Park and make an afternoon with it. (Insider Tip: Tell Kelly and Deidre -the owners of Grounded – that Country Pilgrim sent you.) The owners are great people – as are the people of Hartley! You will love the area. Drive around and take in the rural setting – it’s a little slower-paced in this area, but in my opinion – that’s a GOOD THING!
Country Pilgrim 