Entry No. 29 — the Des Moines file — filed under: haunted bridge
Kate Shelley High Bridge
The Kate Shelley High Bridge is a soaring 185-foot-tall, 2,685-foot-long double-track railroad viaduct completed in 1901, looming over the Des Moines River valley west of Boone — named for the teenage girl who crawled across a flood-wrecked trestle in a midnight storm to save a passenger train. Locals swear the area is haunted by phantom trains and the ghost of Kate herself, spotted carrying a lantern in the dark.
The story
In July 1881, fifteen-year-old Kate Shelley crawled across a collapsing wooden rail trestle over the flooded Honey Creek during a midnight storm, lantern bleeding light into the rain, to warn the station agent and halt an incoming passenger train. Twenty years later, the Chicago & North Western Railway bypassed the old track and built a massive steel viaduct across the Des Moines River valley, naming it in her honor—a rare tribute to a teenage girl on a line built by iron-and-steam barons.
What you stare up at from the valley floor isn't just one engineering feat, but two. The original 1901 iron viaduct soared 185 feet high and stretched 2,685 feet across, serving as a vital east-west transcontinental artery. By 2009, modern heavy freight outgrew the old double-track structure, prompting Union Pacific to build a taller concrete replacement alongside it, leaving the rusted 1901 original standing shoulder-to-shoulder with its successor.
A place built on floodwaters, night storms, and high-wire steel inevitably accumulated dark folklore. Valley locals swear that when the wind drops, you can hear phantom train whistles echoing through the timber when no diesel engine is anywhere near the tracks. Others claim that if you linger down on the access road after dark, a flickering lantern light moves along the shadow of the lower girders—Kate still walking her midnight patrol.
What it's like
You’ll turn off US-30 west of Boone onto J Avenue, trace 208th Street east, and turn north onto Juneberry Road—a dirt-and-gravel track that turns into a rutted mess after rain. Pull onto the gravel shoulder where the twin structures block out the sky. Standing underneath while a Union Pacific freight train thunders 185 feet overhead will vibrate straight through your boots. Do not attempt to climb or step foot on the spans; UP keeps active security cameras and private property enforcement in place. Stick to the road below, arrive around golden hour for sharp silhouettes, and bring a flashlight if you intend to stick around for dusk.
The move: Drive out on rural roads at dusk to stand beneath the massive steel span and watch for Union Pacific freight trains thundering 185 feet overhead — then linger after dark with flashlights to soak up the haunted atmosphere, swap the Kate Shelley legend, and listen for phantom train sounds echoing through the river valley.
📍 Before you go It sits about three miles west of Boone: from US-30, head north and follow Juneberry Road until the spans loom overhead, then pull onto the gravel shoulder. That last stretch is dirt-and-gravel and genuinely bumpy, so take it slow and skip it after heavy rain. You're actually looking at two bridges side by side — the original 1901 iron viaduct and Union Pacific's taller replacement, which now carries the live freight. The catch: it's an active, private UP line with cameras and security, so view from the roads below and never step onto the span. Golden hour silhouettes it best. Pair it with an excursion ride on the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad in town.
- 📍 Boone
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Juneberry Rd, Boone, IA 50036 (approx. 3 miles west of Boone off US-30; take J Ave north to 208th St east to Juneberry Rd north)
Hours: Mined 2026-06-07 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Paradox Antiques, Art, & Oddities — Drive four miles into Boone afterward to browse curated dark oddities and Victorian medical curiosities.
- Boone County Historical Society (former Masonic Temple) — Pair the bridge's local folklore with a visit to Boone's historical center, housed in a 1907 Masonic temple with its own rumored resident ghost.
- High Trestle Trail Bridge — Head 14 miles south to Madrid to compare this massive freight viaduct with Iowa's famous lit-up pedestrian trail bridge over the same river valley.
Good to know
Can I walk on or climb the Kate Shelley High Bridge?
No. Both structures are private Union Pacific railroad property equipped with security cameras and alarms. View the spans strictly from the public gravel shoulder of Juneberry Road below.
Why are there two bridges side by side?
The original iron viaduct was completed in 1901. In 2009, Union Pacific finished a heavier concrete-and-steel replacement directly adjacent to carry active rail traffic, leaving the original historic span standing.
How do I get to the viewing area below the bridge?
From US-30 about three miles west of Boone, head north on J Avenue, turn east on 208th Street, and follow Juneberry Road north until the spans loom overhead. Take the gravel stretch slow.
When is the best time to visit?
Golden hour gives you the best lighting for photography through the steel lattice, while late twilight is ideal if you want to soak up the local haunted atmosphere.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Tripadvisor · Roadside America · Wikipedia · Official site · Reddit
last checked: 2026-06-07