The Martin Luther King Jr. Trail is a 4-mile urban trail with access to downtown and other area trails. It doesn’t pass through nature like other Des Moines trails. But it’s an essential part of the downtown Des Moines trail network!
The Martin Luther King Jr. Trail
The MLK Jr. Trail is an east-west route along Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway from Fleur Dr. to SE 30th Street. It extends along the southern edge of downtown, connecting businesses, and neighborhoods.
The west end of the trail is north of Gray’s Lake at Fleur Drive & MLK Jr. Pkwy, where Meredith Trail leaves off. (It meets up with Meredith Trail again, east of the Des Moines River.)
The east end of the trail is at SE 30th Street.
Know Before You Go!
- The Martin Luther King Jr. trail runs along MLK Jr. Parkway for about 4 miles in Des Moines.
- It’s an important connector for downtown trails. You can link to other trails to get anywhere downtown. Get to Gray’s Lake, Pappajohn Sculpture Park, Principal Riverwalk, Court Avenue District, and the East Village, to name a few.
- Meredith Trail and the MLK Jr. Trail combine to form a wide 4-mile loop around Gray’s Lake and parts of downtown.
- The eastern part of this trail is also called the Southeast Connector Trail.
Trail Map
For more trail maps, check out the regional map at the Des Moines Street Collective. And use the Central Iowa Trails interactive map to plan your route!
Trailheads
There’s no trail parking available at the endpoints of the MLK Trail. Below are two ways to access the trail if you’re not connecting from another downtown trail.
Gray’s Lake. Start at one of the parking lots at Gray’s Lake and take Meredith Trail north along Fleur to get on MLK Jr. Trail. It’s at 2101 Fleur Dr, Des Moines.
Richard A. Clark Municipal Service Center is a city-building with parking and trail access. The address is MLK Jr. Parkway & SE 15th Street, Des Moines.
Of course, you can park almost anywhere downtown to access this and other area trails.
Connecting Trails
Meredith Trail meets up with the Martin Luther King Jr. Trail at Fleur Dr. on the west. The trails intersect again on the west side of the Des Moines River.
Meredith Trail and the east part of MLK Jr. Trail form a ~4-mile loop around Gray’s Lake and parts of downtown Des Moines. The loop starts at Gray’s Lake and heads north along Fleur Dr. and the Raccoon River. There it turns west along MLK Jr. Parkway and south at the Des Moines River. It turns southwest at the confluence of the rivers to get back to Gray’s Lake.
The John Pat Dorrian Trail intersects with MLK Jr. Trail on the east side of the Des Moines River. From here, it runs under MLK Jr. Parkway, extending north to downtown or southeast to Pete Crivaro Park.
There are a few street sidepaths that meet up with Martin Luther King Jr. Trail too. One notable trail spur—SW 15th St. Trail—is a sidepath to get to Grand Ave. and Pappajohn Sculpture Park.
Martin Luther King Jr. Trail Facts
- Location: Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway in Des Moines
- Distance: ~4.1 miles
- Surface: Asphalt
- Difficulty: Easy
- Description: The trail runs alongside Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway from Fleur Dr. east to SE 30th St.
- Trailheads: Gray’s Lake, Principal Park, City of Des Moines Facilities (E. MLK Jr. Pkwy & SE 15th St)
- Connectors: Meredith Trail, Principal Riverwalk, John Pat Dorrian Trail
