
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 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.
- 📍 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.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3
Verified 2026-06-07.