Rock Valley Trails and Campground Master Planning
Rock Valley, Iowa

“The picture of rural America”….”A quiet and beautiful little town”…”A place of Opportunity”…From the mouths of visitors to the town’s very own logo, come these catch phrases used to describe Rock Valley, Iowa. This small town in Northwest Iowa has a huge amount to share with its neighboring communities and the rest of the state. In particular, the community was interested in showcasing all of its natural and recreational features: Parks, campgrounds, schools, the Rock River, prairie, wildlife, and even an old railroad truss Bridge.

Howard R. Green Company helped Rock Valley create a master plan and obtain funding to build an impressive trail system. Made up of three primary loops throughout the community, the trail system connects people to the many recreational opportunities available in Rock Valley. The biggest motivator for developing a cohesive loop throughout the community was the need to connect up all the "dots".

		The Rock River and all its associated attributes in the west,
		Plans for several new housing developments in the south, and
		The various schools, parks, playing fields and community areas in the east.

By incorporating trailheads, accessible links, and logical trail alignments, this master plan provides an achievable and flexible framework for the future planning and development of Rock Valley’s Trail System.

A second master plan was created for the Recreational Vehicle Campground & Quarry Park north of the city. HR Green worked with members of City Staff and the Community to generate alternative campground layouts. With input from City Staff the HR Green design team honed the alternatives into one recommended design layout for use in preparing a Master Plan Report for the city.

In addition to camping, a number of other activities are provided at the RV campground. These include park spaces with playground equipment, a beach and swimming area, space for small group gatherings and campfires, fishing docks, river access, a scenic overlook, and over a mile and a half of paved recreational trail which links into the community’s trail system. Distributed throughout the site, these amenities provide an additional draw to patrons coming to the campground from outside the local area.