white pole road

If you are driving I-80 west of Des Moines between MP 76 and MP 100 going either direction and want a break, get off the freeway and take scenic and historic 26 mile long White Post Road. Originally a dirt road in the early 1900s, it became Iowa's first certified state route stretching from Davenport to Council Bluffs. With over 700 poles painted white it is easy to stay on the trail. The Welcome Center as you enter Iowa from Nebraska has a map and info on the road which goes through the towns of Adair, Casey, Menlo, Stuart, and Dexter if eastbound, but you can also enter the East Gateway at MP 100 if headed westbound. For those not wanting to take the entire route, entrances/exits are available at MP# 76 (Adair), 83, 86, 88, 93, 97, and 100 (East Gateway). The map shows 20 points of interest. Point #9 is Freedom Rock which has a sign at MP#86 on I-80. If you are on the White Pole Road you will have to go south on Hwy 25 and continue south on Hwy 25 one and a half miles after you cross the freeway and watch for a pond on the left side of the road where 56 ton Freedom Rock sits close to the Hwy. Since 1999 local artist Ray "Bubba" Sorensen has been painting the rock yearly as a tribute to veterans. It's very elaborate.For more info on The White Pole Road, you can get self-guiding CDs from Casey's General Store or Kum and Go in Adair (there may be other sites that also sell them). For more info on The Freedom a rock, go to the official website at thefreedom rock.com.I was glad I took the time (could be driven in less than an hour with time to stop for photos) to see this unique section of rural Iowa. It was like a step back in time when the pace was slower. Although there is nothing of great historical significance, the break was appreciated before rejoining the fast paced traffic on the interstate.

A friend of mine had told me about the "White Pole Road" a few months ago, because my husband and I like to do "out of the way" things. Finally, on Wednesday, July 30, we had the time off together to do this scenic/historical road trip! While the map starts in Adair, we actually started in Dexter - doing it backwards is fun, too! There are 20-26 different things to see, depending on which map you use - and then, if you are anything like my husband, you will do a bit of research before you go, and find lots more "off the path" things to see. You will experience small-town Iowa at its best in towns like Dexter, Stuart, Menlo, Casey and Adair. Make sure you allow lots of time and have a camera with you - it's well worth the winding, curvy, stop and go roads that you will travel. Jesse James, Bonnie & Clyde, The Freedom Rock, Rock Island Railroad and much, much more await you! So...fill up your gas tank, pack a picnic lunch, and be prepared to enjoy a great road trip that the interstate can't even compare to.

A friend of my wife's suggested this drive because of all the corky things we like to do. Had a couple of days off together and decided to take a trip around our home state of Iowa. Not being of the normal, we started our trip backwards in Dexter, Iowa. Was not a good start to our trip, as the address we had for the Community House (Roundhouse) was either wrong or we were mislead cause the house we found had no markings and looked like a residence more than a Community dwelling. The Road to the Bonnie and Clyde Shootout Site was under reconstruction. Our GPS found us another route but we were cutoff short of our goal because of the road construction. Lastly Drew's Chocolates was closed. We were 0 for 3, so we moved on down the road to Stuart, Iowa.Our first stop was 0 for 4 as the Depot was being renovated and all boarded up. We did finally find the building that once was a bank and robbed by Bonnie and Clyde and things picked up form there. The Catholic Church, the Friendly Gas Station Man, the Wagon Trail Ruts (Not sure they were made by a wagon train, looked more like a farm tractor as the ruts go through a gate and out to the road) Slayton Rock, Adair Viaduct and the Jesse James Train Robbery Site were all quirky things and reminded me of the Route 66 Drive we took through Illinois a few years ago. White Pole Road is a nice quiet, off the Interstate drive, perfect for a nothing better to do afternoon. Easy to navigate as there are poles painted white the whole way. Some of the attractions do take you off the road, but it's easy to get back on. Funny how history is literally in our backyard because we were no more than a couple hours from home the whole time and didn't know some of these sites even existed. Glad we took the time, you should too.

Fun road that goes through small towns in Iowa. It is neat to see the white poles. There are plenty of gas stations and things to see along the road. Not much to dislike

The White Pole Road is a preservation of part of the historic first automobile road offering a route across the state of Iowa before the advent of the highway system. It is complete from Dexter on the east to Adair on the west and passes through Stuart, Menlo, and Casey. There are many attractions to see along the way. In addition to maps online, there is an audio book on CD that provides turn-by-turn history along the route.