The Principal Riverwalk loops 1.2 miles along both banks of the Des Moines River through downtown, crossing the river twice via dedicated pedestrian bridges. It is the easiest way to see the city's relationship to its river and links almost every downtown landmark — Cowles Commons, the World Food Prize, the Pappajohn park, and the East Village — into a single walkable circuit.
The southern crossing is via the Iowa Women of Achievement Bridge, an elegant white cable-stayed bridge lit a different colour each night. The walk takes about thirty minutes at a casual pace and is at its best at sunset, when the gold dome of the capitol catches the western light from the east bank.