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Cedar Falls, IA Birding Trails and Maps

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Looking for the best Birding trails around Cedar Falls?

Find the top rated birding trails in Cedar Falls, whether you're looking for an easy short birding trail or a long birding trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a birding trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.

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Name
Length
Most Popular

12th Street Trail

1.51 mi

State: IA

Concrete

1st Street Trail

1.6 mi

State: IA

Concrete

218 Trail

1.43 mi

State: IA

Concrete

Big Woods Trail (IA)

1.9 mi

State: IA

Concrete

C.R. Roberts Memorial Trail

1 mi

State: IA

Asphalt

Cedar Heights Drive Trail

0.6 mi

State: IA

Concrete

Cedar Prairie Trail

7.9 mi

State: IA

Asphalt, Concrete

Cedar Valley Lakes Trail

11.3 mi

State: IA

Asphalt, Concrete

Cedar Valley Nature Trail

69 mi

State: IA

Asphalt, Crushed Stone

Charley Western Recreational Trailway

4 mi

State: IA

Asphalt

Comet Trail

7 mi

State: IA

Crushed Stone, Grass

Denver-Jefferson Trail

1.8 mi

State: IA

Asphalt

Donald Street Trail

2.54 mi

State: IA

Concrete

Evansdale Nature Trail

1.9 mi

State: IA

Asphalt

Gilbert Drive Trail

1 mi

State: IA

Concrete

Great American Rail-Trail

3743.9 mi

State: DC, IA, ID, IL, IN, MD, MT, NE, OH, PA, WA, WV, WY

Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone

Greenhill Trail

4.68 mi

State: IA

Concrete

Grundy County Lake Trail

3 mi

State: IA

Asphalt, Concrete

Hubbard Prairie Trail

1.3 mi

State: IA

Crushed Stone

Hudson Road Trail

2.22 mi

State: IA

Concrete

Accordion

Iowa 330/US 30 Trail

11.1 mi

State: IA

Concrete

Linn Creek Recreational Trail

10 mi

State: IA

Asphalt

Lone Tree Road Trail

2.31 mi

State: IA

Concrete

Manchester Walkway/Bikeway Trails

3.5 mi

State: IA

Concrete

Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Trail

3.54 mi

State: IA

Concrete

Old Creamery Nature Trail

15.3 mi

State: IA

Cinder, Crushed Stone, Gravel

Path of Progress

3.3 mi

State: IA

Asphalt, Gravel

Pine Lake Trail

2.4 mi

State: IA

Concrete

Pioneer Trail

11.5 mi

State: IA

Crushed Stone

Prairie Lakes Trail

3.4 mi

State: IA

Asphalt, Concrete

Readlyn Grump Trail

6.3 mi

State: IA

Asphalt

River Forest Road Trail

1.5 mi

State: IA

Asphalt

River's Edge Trail (IA)

2.7 mi

State: IA

Concrete

Riverside Trail (IA)

1.2 mi

State: IA

Asphalt

Riverview Recreation Area Trail

2.7 mi

State: IA

Concrete

Rolling Prairie Trail

15 mi

State: IA

Asphalt, Crushed Stone

Sergeant Road Trail

9.9 mi

State: IA

Asphalt

Shaulis Road Trail

5.59 mi

State: IA

Concrete

Shell Rock River Trail (Butler County Nature Trail)

5.9 mi

State: IA

Asphalt

South Riverside Trail

3.5 mi

State: IA

Asphalt

South Tama Recreation Trail

5.6 mi

State: IA

Crushed Stone, Dirt

Trolley Trail (Waterloo)

1.4 mi

State: IA

Asphalt, Dirt, Gravel

UNI Preserve Trail

0.8 mi

State: IA

Asphalt, Concrete

US 63 Trail

0.8 mi

State: IA

Concrete

Union Road Trail

1.01 mi

State: IA

Concrete

University Avenue Trail

3.1 mi

State: IA

Concrete

Wapsi-Great Western Line Trail

27 mi

State: IA

Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone

Waverly Rail Trail

7.6 mi

State: IA

Asphalt

Wolf Creek Trail (IA)

2.6 mi

State: IA

Asphalt, Crushed Stone

Trail Image	Trail Name	States	Length	Surface	Rating
	12th Street Trail The 12th Street Trail, occasionally referred to as the Pheasant Ridge Trail after the golf course it runs next to, is a wide concrete sidepath that stretches from Hudson Road to Union Road on the...	IA	1.51 mi	Concrete	0 reviews
	1st Street Trail 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...	IA	1.6 mi	Concrete	0 reviews
	218 Trail 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...	IA	1.43 mi	Concrete	0 reviews
	Big Woods Trail (IA) Cedar Falls, Iowa serves as the endpoint of one of Iowa’s favorite regional trails, the Cedar Valley Lakes Trail, but also features an extensive network of multi-use paths and on-street bike...	IA	1.9 mi	Concrete	2 reviews
	C.R. Roberts Memorial Trail 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...	IA	1 mi	Asphalt	0 reviews
	Cedar Heights Drive Trail A short sidepath trail built along the side of its namesake roadway, the Cedar Heights Drive Trail provides a useful connection between the longer University Avenue Trail and the Greenhill Trail,...	IA	0.6 mi	Concrete	0 reviews
	Cedar Prairie Trail 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...	IA	7.9 mi	Asphalt, Concrete	2 reviews
	Cedar Valley Lakes Trail Closure Notice: Since 2019, a portion of the Cedar Valley Lakes Trail within George Wyth State Park (just east of the Krieg's Crossing bridge junction with the South Riverside Trail) has been closed...	IA	11.3 mi	Asphalt, Concrete	3 reviews
	Cedar Valley Nature Trail 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...	IA	69 mi	Asphalt, Crushed Stone	29 reviews
	Charley Western Recreational Trailway The Charley Western Recreational Trailway provides a useful off-road route around the outer limits of Charles City. Built on the site of the former Charles City Western Railway, the trail runs along...	IA	4 mi	Asphalt	0 reviews
	Comet Trail 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...	IA	7 mi	Crushed Stone, Grass	3 reviews
	Denver-Jefferson Trail 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...	IA	1.8 mi	Asphalt	2 reviews
	Donald Street Trail 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...	IA	2.54 mi	Concrete	0 reviews
	Evansdale Nature Trail 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...	IA	1.9 mi	Asphalt	0 reviews
	Gilbert Drive Trail 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...	IA	1 mi	Concrete	0 reviews
	Great American Rail-Trail Note: This developing route is not yet fully contiguous – it is just over 50% complete. Please refer to the Trail Map for more information on the existing sections of trail, as well as the online...	DC, IA, ID, IL, IN, MD, MT, NE, OH, PA, WA, WV, WY	3743.9 mi	Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone	3 reviews
	Greenhill Trail 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...	IA	4.68 mi	Concrete	0 reviews
	Grundy County Lake Trail 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,...	IA	3 mi	Asphalt, Concrete	0 reviews
	Hubbard Prairie Trail The Hubbard Prairie Trail is a one-mile rail-trail extending from the northwest edge of the small town of Hubbard in central Iowa to the Meier Wildlife Refuge. The refuge offers a pleasant place to...	IA	1.3 mi	Crushed Stone	0 reviews
	Hudson Road Trail 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...	IA	2.22 mi	Concrete	0 reviews

Accordion

Iowa 330/US 30 Trail The Iowa 330/US 30 Trail stretches from just west of the small town of Melbourne to the outskirts of Marshalltown, the largest city and county seat of Marshall County, located close to the geographic...	IA	11.1 mi	Concrete	5 reviews
Linn Creek Recreational Trail 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,...	IA	10 mi	Asphalt	7 reviews
Lone Tree Road Trail 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,...	IA	2.31 mi	Concrete	0 reviews
Manchester Walkway/Bikeway Trails 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...	IA	3.5 mi	Concrete	0 reviews
Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Trail 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,...	IA	3.54 mi	Concrete	0 reviews
Old Creamery Nature Trail 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...	IA	15.3 mi	Cinder, Crushed Stone, Gravel	3 reviews
Path of Progress 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...	IA	3.3 mi	Asphalt, Gravel	0 reviews
Pine Lake Trail 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...	IA	2.4 mi	Concrete	3 reviews
Pioneer Trail 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...	IA	11.5 mi	Crushed Stone	3 reviews
Prairie Lakes Trail 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...	IA	3.4 mi	Asphalt, Concrete	0 reviews
Readlyn Grump Trail The Readlyn Grump Trail offers a 6-mile paved path across Bremer County with views of open fields, several streams, and a bridge over Quarter Section Run. It begins at the terminus for the Waverly...	IA	6.3 mi	Asphalt	1 reviews
River Forest Road Trail 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...	IA	1.5 mi	Asphalt	0 reviews
River's Edge Trail (IA) 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....	IA	2.7 mi	Concrete	0 reviews
Riverside Trail (IA) 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...	IA	1.2 mi	Asphalt	0 reviews
Riverview Recreation Area Trail 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...	IA	2.7 mi	Concrete	0 reviews
Rolling Prairie Trail When complete, the Rolling Prairie Tri-County Trail System will connect several communities and two state parks as it travels through quintessential northeastern Iowa prairie. Following an 80-mile...	IA	15 mi	Asphalt, Crushed Stone	2 reviews
Sergeant Road Trail 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...	IA	9.9 mi	Asphalt	0 reviews
Shaulis Road Trail 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,...	IA	5.59 mi	Concrete	0 reviews
Shell Rock River Trail (Butler County Nature Trail) 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...	IA	5.9 mi	Asphalt	3 reviews
South Riverside Trail 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...	IA	3.5 mi	Asphalt	2 reviews
South Tama Recreation Trail 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...	IA	5.6 mi	Crushed Stone, Dirt	0 reviews
Trolley Trail (Waterloo) 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...	IA	1.4 mi	Asphalt, Dirt, Gravel	0 reviews
UNI Preserve Trail 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...	IA	0.8 mi	Asphalt, Concrete	0 reviews
US 63 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...	IA	0.8 mi	Concrete	0 reviews
Union Road Trail 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...	IA	1.01 mi	Concrete	0 reviews
University Avenue Trail 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...	IA	3.1 mi	Concrete	0 reviews
Wapsi-Great Western Line Trail The Wapsi–Great Western Line Trail is a 27-mile pathway on the former Chicago Great Western Railroad. The trail passes through a plethora of backdrops, including wide, rolling landscapes, Iowa...	IA	27 mi	Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone	16 reviews
Waverly Rail Trail The Waverly Rail Trail offers a pleasant, small town–meets-rural experience as it travels for 7.6 miles from downtown Waverly to its eastern endpoint north of Denver. It is also part of the Rolling...	IA	7.6 mi	Asphalt	4 reviews
Wolf Creek Trail (IA) 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...	IA	2.6 mi	Asphalt, Crushed Stone	3 reviews

Accordion

More Cedar Falls bike trails

Accordion

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Accordion

More Cedar Falls running trails

Recent Trail Reviews

Big Woods Trail (IA)

Great Family Friendly Trail

April, 2021 by al.ways_smiling

Well maintained family friendly trail.

Great American Rail-Trail

best trail ever

March, 2021 by tpassarelli_tl

wonderful trip across America

Old Creamery Nature Trail

Pleasant, flat ride

November, 2020 by jeff-murray

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.

Accordion

South Riverside Trail

Great for bike riding

October, 2020 by ckoher

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.

Wapsi-Great Western Line Trail

Rode Norh from Riceville to end of paved trail ~10 miles. In McIntire watch for signs on the back of street signs to navigate through town and checkout Goosey's bar an grill if you are hungry. Saw Amish horses and farms.

September, 2020 by schuckj88

Rode Norh from Riceville to end of paved trail ~10 miles. In McIntire watch for signs on the back of street signs to navigate through town and checkout Goosey's bar an grill if you are hungry. Saw Amish horses and farms.

Readlyn Grump Trail

Not Limited to Grumpy Riders

September, 2020 by januska

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.

Iowa 330/US 30 Trail

well-maintained

September, 2020 by dbahrenfuss

Nice trail!

Cedar Valley Nature Trail

Trees down

August, 2020 by dan.gronemus

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

Pine Lake Trail

Peaceful

August, 2020 by dbahrenfuss

This is a very scenic trail. There is a good combination of paved and hiking trails. The lake and trees are lovely.

Pine Lake Trail

Peaceful

August, 2020 by dbahrenfuss

This is a very scenic hike! There is a good combination of paved trails and hiking trails. The lake and trees are beautiful.

Big Woods Trail (IA)

great trail for walking and biking

July, 2020 by rrk8091_tl

This is a fully maintained trail around Big Woods Lake and connects the campground to all other trails int the area.

Great American Rail-Trail

Great ride today

July, 2020 by vlc9802

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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