Explore the best rated trails in Iowa Falls, IA. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the South Tama Recreation Trail and Readlyn Grump Trail. With more than 64 trails covering 4171 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.
_0_st.jpg)
Forging a link between the South Riverside Trail (and the smaller, unpaved Trolley Trail) on one end and the Cedar Prairie Trail on the other, the Greenhill Trail is a key component in the expansive...
The Denver-Jefferson Trail, also known as the Jefferson City Trail, offers a short north-south connector between the Waverly Rail Trail and the small city of Denver in eastern Iowa. At its southern...
Forming an important connection in the area's excellent network of multi-use trails, the Lone Tree Road Trail parallels its namesake roadway for over two miles in the northern reaches of Cedar Falls,...
The paved Chichaqua Valley Trail crosses 27 miles of central Iowa farmland between the northeastern Des Moines suburbs and the rural community of Baxter. The trail’s name, pronounced chee-chak-wah, is...
The High Trestle Trail is one of the most pristine and highly trafficked trails in Iowa—even at night. The trail’s popularity is largely due to its famous 130-foot-tall High Trestle Bridge, which...
_53359_sc.jpg){kind=spacer}
The best place to begin the Trolley Trail is in Mason City in Ray Rorick Skate Park, located adjacent to the 81-acre Lester Milligan Park, which has two fishing and swimming ponds, hiking and biking...
A lovely concrete and asphalt path that traverses through a pleasant, tree-lined corridor in the southern edge of Cedar Falls, the Prairie Lakes Trail offers plenty of means of recreation and serves...
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....
Sheffield's Path of Progress is a railroad-turned-multiuse-trail. The trail sits on the former Union Pacific right-of-way. The trail surface switches from asphalt in the northern half, to gravel for...
The Sergeant Road Trail is part of the larger trails system in the Cedar Valley region of Iowa, which includes the cities of Cedar Falls and Waterloo. The trail parallels US 63—also known as Sergeant...
Installed in 2018 as part of a major overhaul of the adjacent roadway, the University Avenue Trail provides convenient access to destinations on the corridor that were previously impossible to reach...
Cedar Falls, Iowa is well known for being home to regional treasures like the Cedar Valley Lakes Trail, but what really makes the city special is its trail network. Miles of dedicated sidepaths, park...
Brewer Creek Trail is a 2.2 mile multiuse pathway in Webster City, Iowa. As the name suggests, the trail traces the course of Brewers Creek. To the north, flat prairie stretches out, while to the...
There are few better ways to experience Boone River without actually getting your feet wet than the Boone River Recreational Trail. The trail weaves along the scenic river, taking you from one end of...
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...
Stange Road trail connects residents of the Somerset neighborhood in north Ames, to the Iowa State University campus that lies directly south of it. The shared use path sits on the west side of Stange...
_36944_sc.jpg)
The Wolf Creek Trail begins in Gladbrook, a small city about 70 miles northeast of Des Moines. The trail was established in 2001 by volunteers from the Gladbrook community who secured the right-of-way...
_187267_sc.jpg)
Following a former railroad corridor, the River's Edge Trail (formerly known as Iowa River Trail) will one day span 34 miles from Marshalltown in Marshall County to Steamboat Rock in Hardin County....
The Pine Lake Trail runs through a heavily wooded state park of the same name, which is especially known for its 250-year-old white pine trees. The trail begins at Deer Park, a half mile east of...
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 Cedar Valley Nature Trail follows the fertile Cedar River between Evansdale and Ely. The 69-mile trail comprises three former trails—the Cedar Valley Nature Trail, Cedar River Trail and parts of...
Sheffield's Path of Progress is a railroad-turned-multiuse-trail. The trail sits on the former Union Pacific right-of-way. The trail surface switches from asphalt in the northern half, to gravel for...
Central Iowa's Pioneer Trail—which gets its name from the early settlers of Grundy County—is built on a former rail line that once connected the towns of Holland and Reinbeck and the communities in...
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...
Stange Road trail connects residents of the Somerset neighborhood in north Ames, to the Iowa State University campus that lies directly south of it. The shared use path sits on the west side of Stange...
The Sergeant Road Trail is part of the larger trails system in the Cedar Valley region of Iowa, which includes the cities of Cedar Falls and Waterloo. The trail parallels US 63—also known as Sergeant...
The Franklin Grove Heritage Trail rests on top of an abandoned Rock Island railroad corridor that runs through the heart of the small Iowan city of Belmond. The trail connects the residential section...
Right in the heart of the campus of the University of Northern Iowa, the UNI Preserve Trail offers a shockingly scenic trek through prairie and woodland, giving students the opportunity to escape into...
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...
It took a nearly a decade of work and collaboration between two Central Iowa communities and a host of other partners to move the JewEllsworth Trail from vision to reality. The trail sits in the...
The Comet Trail is built upon an abandoned right-of-way of the old Chicago Northwestern Railroad. It runs for 7 miles between the town of Conrad (City Park) and just east of Beaman, traversing a...
The Pine Lake Trail runs through a heavily wooded state park of the same name, which is especially known for its 250-year-old white pine trees. The trail begins at Deer Park, a half mile east of...
_124932_sc.jpg)
Black Hawk County’s Trolley Trail, also known as the Trolley Car Trail, runs for less than 2 miles in western Waterloo. The trail is the lone vestige of the Waterloo, Cedar Falls and Northern...
Although short, the Reumpers Nature Trail runs under a beautiful canopy of trees along the former Chicago Northwestern Railroad in Radcliffe, a small town in central Iowa.
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...
Picking up from the end of the 1st Street Trail, the Union Road Trail continues the network of multi-use sidepath trails on the western edge of Cedar Falls, serving as the western section of a...
The Bloomington Road Trail is a shared use path along the road of the same name. The trail is located in Ames, near the northern city limits. It provides a safe, car-separate facility where residents...
The Grundy County Lake Trail circles its namesake 40-acre lake, where outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy fishing, boating, and many other recreational opportunities. The paved trail then continues north,...
_171756_sc.jpg)
The Shell Rock River Trail, also known as the Butler County Nature Trail, connects the eastern edge of Clarksville with the community of Shell Rock. The trail runs through open fields and at times...
_0_sc.jpg)
Charles City's Riverside Trail runs for a little over a mile along the banks of the Cedar River, providing gorgeous views and recreational opportunities, as well as access to several city...
The Bloomington Road Trail is a shared use path along the road of the same name. The trail is located in Ames, near the northern city limits. It provides a safe, car-separate facility where residents...
Right in the heart of the campus of the University of Northern Iowa, the UNI Preserve Trail offers a shockingly scenic trek through prairie and woodland, giving students the opportunity to escape into...
Central Iowa's Pioneer Trail—which gets its name from the early settlers of Grundy County—is built on a former rail line that once connected the towns of Holland and Reinbeck and the communities in...
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...
Installed in 2018 as part of a major overhaul of the adjacent roadway, the University Avenue Trail provides convenient access to destinations on the corridor that were previously impossible to reach...
A lovely concrete and asphalt path that traverses through a pleasant, tree-lined corridor in the southern edge of Cedar Falls, the Prairie Lakes Trail offers plenty of means of recreation and serves...
A multi-use sidepath that runs from University Avenue to 1st Street in Cedar Falls, the Hudson Road Trail helps provide off-road access to the campus of the University of Northern Iowa, and forms an...
The Pine Lake Trail runs through a heavily wooded state park of the same name, which is especially known for its 250-year-old white pine trees. The trail begins at Deer Park, a half mile east of...
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...
Waterloo's Donald Street Trail is a concrete sidepath trail that helps to connect parks and neighborhoods in the city's northern edge with the area's trail network, enabling cyclists, joggers and...
Cedar Falls, Iowa is well known for being home to regional treasures like the Cedar Valley Lakes Trail, but what really makes the city special is its trail network. Miles of dedicated sidepaths, park...
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...
As it runs directly through the heart of Marshalltown in central Iowa, access to the Linn Creek Recreational Trail is easy for many of the city's residents. They will want to take advantage of it,...
The paved Chichaqua Valley Trail crosses 27 miles of central Iowa farmland between the northeastern Des Moines suburbs and the rural community of Baxter. The trail’s name, pronounced chee-chak-wah, is...
South Skunk River is a tributary of the Mississippi River. In Ames, the Skunk River Trail brings residents closer to river and to nature. The shared use path sits on the shady west bank of South Skunk...
Picking up from the end of the 1st Street Trail, the Union Road Trail continues the network of multi-use sidepath trails on the western edge of Cedar Falls, serving as the western section of a...
Brewer Creek Trail is a 2.2 mile multiuse pathway in Webster City, Iowa. As the name suggests, the trail traces the course of Brewers Creek. To the north, flat prairie stretches out, while to the...
Charles City's Riverside Trail runs for a little over a mile along the banks of the Cedar River, providing gorgeous views and recreational opportunities, as well as access to several city...
It took a nearly a decade of work and collaboration between two Central Iowa communities and a host of other partners to move the JewEllsworth Trail from vision to reality. The trail sits in the...
Although short, the Reumpers Nature Trail runs under a beautiful canopy of trees along the former Chicago Northwestern Railroad in Radcliffe, a small town in central Iowa.
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.
As of Sept 15 the trail is clear from the South Skunk River to the Trail Head on Broadway in Des Moines. That gives you about 15 miles of clear trail with Bondurant as the center point. Just to the east of the Skunk River there are trees down. Valeria still has trees down going both directions, so that is still a no go. Even though the trail is clear in places keep in mind there are still branch up high that are loose, so pay attention especially if there is any wind.
I recently rode the Waverly Rail Trail connecting down to Denver. I noticed the Readlyn Grump Trail and came again for a visit a few weeks later.
As one would ride east out of Waverly toward Readlyn the tree canopy fades to riding across open areas east of Highway 63. The trail is very straight and the pavement is well maintained.
There are no services on the trail, but it's a nice ride to the town of Readlyn, which is an idyllic little burg to ride around when you reach the end of the trail.
It's a great add-on to the Waverly Trail.
We attempted to get on the trail in Valeria and found that the trail is still blocked by limbs and downed trees from the derecho.
This trail is nicely paved with asphalt. It was expanded in 2019 for .6 miles to the northeast and .6 miles to the southeast, now making it 3.0 miles long. There are sunny areas and shady areas. It is bike, walker, jogger and wheelchair friendly. The trail features a Story Walk along with a Little Free Library. There are all kinds of parks and activities nearby: disk golf, swimming, tennis, skateboard facility, playgrounds, picnic spots, and brand new in 2020, a pickleball court. If you are hungry, you can find hamburgers, pizza, sub sandwiches, Mexican food and ice cream in Belmond. A nice system of sidewalks connect the trail to the whole town.
Unless you’re the hardy type A lot of trees down about half miles worth near the Wright brothers intersection. Work is being done to clear it but I imagine it’s going to be a long process you can get through it but you’re gonna have to do a lot of lifting of your bike
This is a very scenic trail. There is a good combination of paved and hiking trails. The lake and trees are lovely.
This is a very scenic hike! There is a good combination of paved trails and hiking trails. The lake and trees are beautiful.
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails conservancy
(a non-profit) and we need your support!
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a non-profit) and we need your support!
Map Search
_187267_st.jpg)
_0_st.jpg)
_171756_st.jpg)
_53359_st.jpg){kind=spacer}
_124932_st.jpg)
_36944_st.jpg)
