Explore the best rated trails in Cedar Rapids, IA. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Old Creamery Nature Trail and CEMAR Trail. With more than 50 trails covering 4031 miles you’re bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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The Kewash Nature Trail winds for nearly 14 miles between the towns of Keota and Washington. These endpoints were creatively combined to form the trail's name. The trail has a crushed limestone...
Named for the U.S. Highway that the trail follows, the 218 Trail is far from the most scenic trail in the Waterloo area's impressive trail network, but it does form a very important connection in that...
The Ranshaw Way Trail is a sidepath trail for biking and walking in the suburban community of North Liberty, outside Iowa City. The trail runs along the side of Ranshaw Way/Highway 965 for over a...
The Dovetail Recreation Trail is a short community pathway that runs through developing neighborhoods in the eastern edge of the suburb of Coralville, just north of Iowa City. The concrete trail...
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The Heritage Trail rolls along like a dream for nearly 30 miles from the Mississippi River town of Dubuque to Dyersville, home of the movie set for Field of Dreams. Along the way it passes through the...
The Highway 1 Trail is an urban sidepath trail that follows a stretch of the highway through southwestern Iowa City, providing a useful commuting alternative to the busy roadway. The trail, while...
Passing over the same ground that Mormon pioneers once crossed on their way out west, the Mormon Trek/Coralville Strip Nature Trail provides a welcome dose of historical reflection and natural beauty...
The River Forest Road Trail sits atop the levee along the Cedar River on the west side of Evansdale, Iowa. (It's alternatively called the Cedar River Levee Trail for this reason.) The paved shared-use...
The Cedar Prairie Trail is an important component of the extensive trail system in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The paved pathway runs between the South Riverside Trail at Waterloo Road and the Sergeant Road...
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The Central City Trail winds for 3 miles along the banks of the Wapsinicon River, running through Pinicon Ridge County Park into downtown Central City. Pinicon Ridge County Park is 966 acres of...
The Oakdale Boulevard Trail is a sidepath trail that runs along the north side of Oakdale Boulevard through suburban Coralville, Iowa. While most of the trail is little more than a wide sidewalk,...
The Shaulis Road Trail is a ten-foot wide concrete trail that runs along the side of Shaulis Road in the sparsely populated southern edge of Waterloo, IA. The trails runs over gentle, rolling hills,...
The Muddy Creek Trail is a paved, multi-use trail that runs through the suburban community of Coralville, following the route of the small creek through residential neighborhoods and lovely wooded...
The Great American Rail-Trail highlights some of the country’s most iconic landmarks, well-known geography and storied history across a 3,700-miles-plus route between Washington and Washington....
Located in a creekside park on the outskirts of the campus of the Univeristy of Iowa, visitors who travel on the Mormon Handcart Trail will learn quite a bit about the journey that the Mormon handcart...
Constructed on the west side of the four-lane highway that gives it its name, the US 63 Trail offers a surprisingly pleasant means of traversing the busy corridor on foot or bike. While many sidepath...
Iowa City's Sycamore Greenway Trail is a paved trail running alongside the Sycamore Greenway, a stormwater management system comprising a series of cells planted with native flowers and grasses, which...
The South Tama Recreation Trail connects the adjacent towns of Tama and Toledo in Tama County, Iowa. The original section of the trail, a 1 mile stretch built on an abandoned railroad corridor, opened...
Connecting Waterloo's urban center with a popular recreation area that supports the local ATV community, the Riverview Recreation Area Trail forms a vital link in the area's multi-use trail network...
The CeMar Trail between Cedar Rapids and Marion, in eastern Iowa, continues to take shape. As of 2020, there are over two miles on the ground with 5 more in various stages of development. The trail...
Constructed on the west side of the four-lane highway that gives it its name, the US 63 Trail offers a surprisingly pleasant means of traversing the busy corridor on foot or bike. While many sidepath...
The C.R Roberts Memorial Trail in Dysart picks up right on the western end of the Old Creamery Nature Trail which travels all the way to Vinton via Garrison. Unlike the latter trail, this trail is...
The Manchester Walkway/Bikeway Trails are a network of concrete paths that form a disconnected circuit around the small city of Manchester, Iowa. The pathway provides a great opportunity for cyclists...
Although only a mile long, the Gilbert Drive Trail is a key connector between two other trails in the northeastern Iowa community of Evansdale. To the west, it intersects with the Cedar Valley Nature...
The Central City Trail winds for 3 miles along the banks of the Wapsinicon River, running through Pinicon Ridge County Park into downtown Central City. Pinicon Ridge County Park is 966 acres of...
The Edgewood multiuse trail connects residents along Edgewood Road to the Cedar River in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The concrete trail sits in the grassy margin of the road, and stretches from O Avenue...
The Heritage Trail rolls along like a dream for nearly 30 miles from the Mississippi River town of Dubuque to Dyersville, home of the movie set for Field of Dreams. Along the way it passes through the...
The Shaulis Road Trail is a ten-foot wide concrete trail that runs along the side of Shaulis Road in the sparsely populated southern edge of Waterloo, IA. The trails runs over gentle, rolling hills,...
Named for the U.S. Highway that the trail follows, the 218 Trail is far from the most scenic trail in the Waterloo area's impressive trail network, but it does form a very important connection in that...
The SolonLake Macbride Recreation Trail runs for 5 miles between the scenic state park and the town of Solon to the east. The popular trail is perfect for cycling or walking and skiing or...
A concrete pathway that runs for just shy of a mile, the Lower Finkbine Trail forms a crucial link in the Iowa City area's multi-use trail network, connecting residents of the University Heights...
The Highway 1 Trail is an urban sidepath trail that follows a stretch of the highway through southwestern Iowa City, providing a useful commuting alternative to the busy roadway. The trail, while...
The Dovetail Recreation Trail is a short community pathway that runs through developing neighborhoods in the eastern edge of the suburb of Coralville, just north of Iowa City. The concrete trail...
The Cedar Street Trail begins on Houser Street in northwest Muscatine and runs until Parham Road over a mile east. It’s a neighborhood trail connecting residents to the homes, schools, businesses,...
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Located amid residential neighborhoods in southwestern Iowa City, the Willow Creek Trail is a paved, multi-use trail that follows the course of its namesake waterway for about a mile and a half. The...
While you might have to look a bit far afield to find any living reefs near the city of Coralville, Iowa, you don't have to look far to find a nice trail for biking and walking, thanks to the Coral...
The Old Creamery Nature Trail, running between Vinton and Dysart, is so named for the Old Creamery Theater Company building in Garrison, another tiny farm community through which the trail passes. The...
The South Riverside Trail is one in a series of trail systems throughout Cedar Falls, Iowa. The trail runs between Main Street at the Cedar Falls Recreation Center and the Greenhill Trail just west of...
Built along the side of the roadway, the Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Trail takes you from right outside the heart of Waterloo's urban riverside area into acres of beautiful, open Iowa farmland,...
Running throughout Iowa City and the surrounding area, the Iowa River Corridor Trail provides residents and visitors alike with an invaluable off-road means of getting around the city. The trail has...
The Muddy Creek Trail is a paved, multi-use trail that runs through the suburban community of Coralville, following the route of the small creek through residential neighborhoods and lovely wooded...
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Nearly 3 miles of the Grant Wood Trail in Jones County has been constructed so far (2012) along a former Milwaukee Road right-of-way in Marion and Olin. The trail is named for the early 20th-century...
The South Tama Recreation Trail connects the adjacent towns of Tama and Toledo in Tama County, Iowa. The original section of the trail, a 1 mile stretch built on an abandoned railroad corridor, opened...
The Oakdale Boulevard Trail is a sidepath trail that runs along the north side of Oakdale Boulevard through suburban Coralville, Iowa. While most of the trail is little more than a wide sidewalk,...
Although only a mile long, the Gilbert Drive Trail is a key connector between two other trails in the northeastern Iowa community of Evansdale. To the west, it intersects with the Cedar Valley Nature...
Connecting Waterloo's urban center with a popular recreation area that supports the local ATV community, the Riverview Recreation Area Trail forms a vital link in the area's multi-use trail network...
Constructed on the west side of the four-lane highway that gives it its name, the US 63 Trail offers a surprisingly pleasant means of traversing the busy corridor on foot or bike. While many sidepath...
A sidepath trail that runs follows a section of highway east of the Iowa River in Iowa City, the Highway 6 Trail is a paved pathway that helps connect residents with shopping destinations and...
The Dovetail Recreation Trail is a short community pathway that runs through developing neighborhoods in the eastern edge of the suburb of Coralville, just north of Iowa City. The concrete trail...
A concrete pathway that runs for just shy of a mile, the Lower Finkbine Trail forms a crucial link in the Iowa City area's multi-use trail network, connecting residents of the University Heights...
The Sac and Fox Trail offers 7.2 miles of beautiful, shady recreation along the Cedar River and Indian Creek on the outskirts of Cedar Rapids. The oldest designated National Recreation Trail in Iowa,...
The Evansdale Nature Trail connects both residential and commercial areas in the northeastern Iowa city of Evansdale. One of the most charming aspects of the trail is the abundance of trees along its...
Running throughout Iowa City and the surrounding area, the Iowa River Corridor Trail provides residents and visitors alike with an invaluable off-road means of getting around the city. The trail has...
Named for the U.S. Highway that the trail follows, the 218 Trail is far from the most scenic trail in the Waterloo area's impressive trail network, but it does form a very important connection in that...
Located in the quaint community of Lost Nation, the Gilroy Rustic Park Trail is one of the most picturesque places in Clinton County. The half-mile path is lined with trees and, although the trail is...
Located amid residential neighborhoods in southwestern Iowa City, the Willow Creek Trail is a paved, multi-use trail that follows the course of its namesake waterway for about a mile and a half. The...
The Hershey Avenue Trail, paralleling its namesake roadway for just under a mile, serves as an east-west connector for the City of Muscatine. The paved pathway begins at the intersection of Hershey...
The Cedar Valley Lakes Trail follows a heavily wooded route along the Cedar River, passing Alice Wyth Lake, Fisher Lake, George Wyth Lake and Brinker Lake. The opportunities for recreation are...
The Cedar Valley Nature Trail follows the fertile Cedar River between Evansdale and Ely. The 52-mile trail comprises three former trails—the Cedar Valley Nature Trail, Cedar River Trail and parts of...
Ellis Trail gets you as close to the Cedar River as you can get without getting your feet wet. The paved path traces the west bank of the river, running for over three miles one-way, with a sidewalk...
Had a nice, slightly windy 70 degree day in november and rode from Vinton to Dysart. Only saw 3 or 4 people on the round trip. Ride is flat and trail well maintained except near Dysart where there were a few trees down (but you could get around) and one bridge that was blocked with a detour sign although i did cross it and it seemed fine. Nice views of farms, a few bridges over creeks and once over the Cedar River. You can stop midway in Garrison and there is about a mile paved extension in Vinton. You could do it on a road bike if its dry although a hybrid might be a bit better. I had my mt bike and that was fine. It was past the nice leaf time but earlier in the fall and I would guess spring/summer there are enough trees it would be quite pretty. Very nice overall and i liked the low usage for the solitude. There are about five parking spots at the trailhead in Vinton (right at the end of 8th street and in Dysart it runs right through town so seemed like a lot of spots.
This is a beautiful section of trail for walking, running, biking. It is one of my favorite trails to ride when in Iowa. Rather flat paved path that runs along the river, and tree covered for a shady ride on warmer days.
If you enjoy biking on non-paved trails, the Solon - Lake Macbride Recreation Trail is a five star trail. If you prefer wider, paved trails, then this is a four-star trail for you. I prefer paved trails but I wanted to explore this route, and I’m so glad I did! The difficult thing for me was the loose rock and the occasional ruts. I really had to pay attention to the path. But the best thing about this trail is the location. You ride through wooded areas and Prairie, and along the lake. It’s unbeatable for the view! Park at the Solon Recreation and Nature Area, where there is a huge parking lot. There are also restrooms there. The Hoover Nature Trail to Ely starts at the north end of the parking lot. This is where you go to catch the Solon - Lake MacBride Trail. After a couple miles of paved trail, you will see the starting point of this trail on the left, heading west. As noted the trail is crushed stone, but about halfway there is a short section where you ride on the park road before getting back to the crushed stone trail. The trail is mostly flat, but there are a few gentle hills on the east/beginning point. However at the west/end of the trail, there is a huge hill! If you are not used to climbing hills on this kind of trail, you might just want to turn around at the base of the hill. I rode this trail on a beautiful August Saturday morning and there was not a lot of traffic. There were a few people walking or jogging, mostly on the east end, but I had the rest of the trail basically to myself with the exception of 2 or 3 bicycles. If you’re riding with kids or if you are a naturalist at heart, there are some great places to pull over and sit at the lake or explore the Prairie.
I rode this trail from Sageville to Farley and back for a total of 41 miles. I exited at Farley and rode through the town and re-entered the trail at Boge Road for the return ride. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the trail and all it's beauty. It was as though I was riding on a paved trail. I'm from Southern California and currently on a motorhome trip visiting relatives in the area. I highly recommend that anyone traveling through the area take the time to ride any portion of this trail.
I’ve ridden this trail from the Mehaffey Bridge South to the I-80 overpass. It’s a nice wide paved trail in great condition. It goes through North Liberty and then south into Iowa City. There are some pretty big hills in this section, but nothing unmanageable. There’s lots to look at along the way, and some opportunities for side trips, like through Waterworks Prairie Park which was very nice! At the far south end the trail loops around Terry Trueblood Recreation Area, which is a great place to spend some time. They have kayaking and other water sports. You could easily spend half a day enjoying this trail.
A moderate level trail primarily because has some loose gravel and a few grade changes. Worth the trip along the lake and many beautiful wildflower prarie restorations. Doesn’t disappoint.
Well maintained wide crushed limestone trail with a few gentle upgrades good for all levels of riders. Beautiful tree canopies, rustic bridges, and streams. Many people access points from Dubuque to Dyersville
Only did upper half. Lower half is having a bridge replaced and is closed. Talked to Parks and Rec they said it was a two year project so probably won’t be open the full way until 2022. Upper part is a nice walk and mostly shaded.
I was riding west on the American Discovery Trail. When I reached the Hoover Nature Trail I was extremely disappointed. My wife was meeting me there to ride this section but it was totally overgrown! No way to ride it. I would have rated this a zero if possible.
This 26 mile trail is beautiful for running and biking. It follows a small river valley over many bridges with great scenery. It is a popular trail for fitness enthusiasts and families alike.
We rode this trail from Toulon to Princeville today. It was great! The path was very good. It is mostly shaded. Excellent. We stopped in Wyoming on our way back for lunch. Ate at 111 Coffee Shop. Don’t be fooled, this is NOT just a coffee shop. The lunch was delicious. And it is decorated all with bikes! Perfect for us bikers. And check out the bathroom. Cute!!! Can’t wait to do more of the route from Princeville going south.
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