North Sioux City/McCook Lake

The North Sioux City/McCook Lake Trail is a paved sidepath trail that runs for over four miles through the suburban community of North Sioux City. The concrete trail may not be much to look at, with sounds from the nearby interstate interfering with the natural tranquility that many trails offer, but the pathway does offer a convenient means for cyclists and pedestrians to travel across the small city. Things get a bit more scenic on the northern end of the trail, where McCook Lake and a variety of surrounding parks and recreation sites provide a more pleasant accompaniment to the trail. The path begins in the south at the junction of Military Road and River Drive; continuing west along River Drive, the trail passes by a number of suburban neighborhoods and commercial sites as it approaches the highway underpass. Past the underpass, the trail turns north to follow the side of Streeter Drive, paralleling the highway to the east. The trail begins following Northshore Drive at the northern end of McCook Lake, and then turns south to head into the entrance of the Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve – a 1500-acre recreation site that features its own looping trail for cyclists and pedestrians.