Mason City High Line Trail groundbreaking scheduled for Thursday morning postponed to Monday

MASON CITY — The groundbreaking for the High Line Trail spanning over eight miles in Mason City was scheduled to take place tomorrow morning, but it has now been postponed to Monday. When completed, the trail will stretch from the city’s south side up to near the entrance of the Lime Creek Conservation Area and Nature Center along an abandoned Union Pacific Railroad line.

Mayor Bill Schickel says the High Line Trail will be a main connector for all the bike trails in Mason City.  “It will be part of the Riverwalk and really link up the community. We have 20 miles of trails in Mason City right now connecting with 600 acres of park land in Mason City, that’s more per capita for a city our size than most cities in the country. It’s really a major step forward in terms of outdoor recreation.”

Schickel says outdoor recreation is a huge draw in Iowa and this project is seen as an area for potentially more draw.  “We do $100 million in tourism now and we really think this can up the game there.”

The groundbreaking ceremony has been postponed due to trail conditions after this morning’s heavy rain. Monday’s celebration will take place on the UP bridge over State Street at 10:00 AM, with parking available along State Street and 1st Street Southeast.

Schickel made his comments on the “Ask the Mayor” program on AM-1300 KGLO earlier today. Listen back to the program by using the audio player below