Eldora, IA Running Trails and Maps

253 Reviews

Looking for the best Running trails around Eldora?

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

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Activities
Length
Surfaces
Type
63 Results
Activities
Length
Surfaces
Type

Big Woods Trail (IA)

1.9 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Boone River Recreational Trail

5.7 mi
State: IA
Concrete

C.R. Roberts Memorial Trail

1 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Cedar Valley Lakes Trail

16 mi
State: IA
Asphalt, Concrete

Cedar Valley Nature Trail

70.6 mi
State: IA
Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone, Dirt

Chichaqua Valley Trail

29.7 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Evansdale Nature Trail

1.9 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Franklin Grove Heritage Trail

3 mi
State: IA
Asphalt, Cinder

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

High Trestle Trail

31.74 mi
State: IA
Asphalt, Concrete

JewEllsworth Trail

3.5 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Lone Tree Road Trail

2.31 mi
State: IA
Concrete

River's Edge Trail (IA)

7.1 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Rolling Prairie Trail

21 mi
State: IA
Asphalt, Crushed Stone

Sergeant Road Trail

9.9 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Skunk River Trail

4.1 mi
State: IA
Asphalt, Concrete

South Riverside Trail

8 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Three Rivers Trail

39.9 mi
State: IA
Crushed Stone
Accordion

Veterinary Medicine Trail

1.2 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Waverly Rail Trail

7.6 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Cedar Prairie Trail

7.9 mi
State: IA
Asphalt, Concrete

Denver-Jefferson Trail

1.8 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Heart of Iowa Nature Trail

25.8 mi
State: IA
Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass

Iowa 330/US 30 Trail

11.1 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Linn Creek Recreational Trail

10 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Neal Smith Trail

24.5 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Newton Hike and Bike Trail

6 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Old Creamery Nature Trail

15.3 mi
State: IA
Cinder, Crushed Stone, Gravel

Pine Lake Trail

2.4 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Pioneer Trail (IA)

11.5 mi
State: IA
Crushed Stone

Readlyn Grump Trail

6.3 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Rock Creek Recreation Bike Trail

5.8 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Wolf Creek Trail (IA)

2.6 mi
State: IA
Asphalt, Crushed Stone

Comet Trail

7 mi
State: IA
Crushed Stone, Grass

Prairie Land Trail

13.6 mi
State: IA
Crushed Stone

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

Bloomington Road Trail

2.4 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Brewer Creek Trail

2.2 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Cedar Heights Drive Trail

0.6 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Donald Street Trail

2.54 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Greenhill Trail

4.68 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Grinnell Trail

1.8 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

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

Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Trail

3.54 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Path of Progress

3.3 mi
State: IA
Asphalt, Gravel

Praeri Rail Trail

10.5 mi
State: IA
Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass

Prairie Lakes Trail

3.4 mi
State: IA
Asphalt, Concrete

Reumpers Nature Trail

0.3 mi
State: IA
Cinder

Riverview Recreation Area Trail

2.7 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Shaulis Road Trail

5.59 mi
State: IA
Concrete

South Tama Recreation Trail

5.6 mi
State: IA
Crushed Stone, Dirt

Stange Road Trail

2.4 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

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
Trail Image Trail Name States Length Surface Rating
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
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...
IA 5.7 mi Concrete
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
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...
IA 16 mi Asphalt, Concrete
Overview The Cedar Valley Nature Trail follows the fertile Cedar River between Evansdale and Ely. The 70.6-mile trail comprises three former trails—the Cedar Valley Nature Trail, the Cedar River...
IA 70.6 mi Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone, Dirt
Overview The paved Chichaqua Valley Trail crosses nearly 30 miles of central Iowa farmland between the northeastern Des Moines suburbs and the rural community of Baxter. The trail’s name,...
IA 29.7 mi Asphalt
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
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...
IA 3 mi Asphalt, Cinder
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
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
Overview The High Trestle Trail, which spans 31.4 miles across Iowa, is one of the most pristine and highly trafficked trails in Iowa—even at night. The trail’s popularity is largely due to its...
IA 31.74 mi Asphalt, Concrete
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...
IA 3.5 mi Concrete
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
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 7.1 mi Concrete
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. The railroad on which...
IA 21 mi Asphalt, Crushed Stone
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
Part of the Rolling Prairie 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...
IA 5.9 mi Asphalt
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...
IA 4.1 mi Asphalt, Concrete
The South Riverside Trail is one in a series of trail systems throughout Cedar Falls, Iowa. Starting at the northern endpoint in Cedar Falls, the first section of the trail runs from Main street at...
IA 8 mi Asphalt
The Three Rivers Trail runs for nearly 40 miles from the small community of Rolfe—named after the early English settler who married Pocahontas—to just west of Eagle Grove. The mostly rural trail is...
IA 39.9 mi Crushed Stone
Accordion
The very appropriately named Veterinary Medicine Trail passes through the animal science research hub for Iowa State University. A paved shared-use path in the City of Ames, the trail provides a short...
IA 1.2 mi Asphalt
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
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
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
The Heart of Iowa Nature Trail traverses classic Iowa farmland along the former route of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad, also known as the Milwaukee Road. The trail transitions...
IA 25.8 mi Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass
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
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
Overview Part of an expansive trail network in the Greater Des Moines region, the 24.5-mile Neal Smith Trail rolls along the banks of the Des Moines River through the Ding Darling Greenway...
IA 24.5 mi Asphalt
Located just over thirty miles east of Des Moines, the small city of Newton boasts a charming midwestern feel - and complementing the city's charm is the lovely Newton Hike and Bike Trail, which...
IA 6 mi Concrete
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
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
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
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
The Rock Creek Recreation Bike Trail is a paved multi-use trail that provides a connection between the small, charming college town of Grinnell and Rock Creek State Park, a popular destination for...
IA 5.8 mi Asphalt
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
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
The Prairie Land Trail follows an abandoned railroad corridor 13.6 miles between 240th Street in Mason City and 1st Street S in Thornton. With a surface of crushed limestone, the rail-trail runs...
IA 13.6 mi Crushed Stone
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
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
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
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...
IA 2.4 mi Asphalt
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...
IA 2.2 mi Concrete
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
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
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
The trail is made up of two as yet unconnected segments: the northern segment is about half a mile long, providing access to Grinnell Community Senior School, Lion's Park, and Iowa Valley Community...
IA 1.8 mi Asphalt
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
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
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
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
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
The Praeri Rail Trail runs on an old section of railroad right-of-way between Zearing and Roland in central Iowa. Sections of the trail near Roland and McCallsburg have a crushed limestone surface,...
IA 10.5 mi Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass
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
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.
IA 0.3 mi Cinder
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
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
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
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...
IA 2.4 mi Asphalt
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
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
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
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
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

Recent Trail Reviews

Great American Rail-Trail

Warden to Lind

April, 2025 by howmarplus3

Ok section, kind of dull. Agriculture & cows. Found a bit of shade by a grain elevator for lunch. Several washouts filled with tumbleweeds as you get closer to Lind.

Skunk River Trail

quiet trail

November, 2024 by hawkman275_tl

This trail has much less use than others in town. Watch out for the many deer

Great American Rail-Trail

such a beautiful trail!

October, 2024 by sherryschie

We started in Akron and rode about 18 miles north. Loved it!!!

Accordion

Three Rivers Trail

Damaged trail

October, 2024 by d_ochsner

Flood waters earlier this year have damaged a section of trail between Rolfe and Bradgate. East of Melson Park / Pilot Creek Road the trail was some large areas of trail that have been washed out. The trail is virtually unrideable. The bridge over the Des Moines River just west of Bradgate has been cleared and is open. But my estimate is there are several hundred years of trail that have been washed out. I’d suggest either of the short road options between Melson Park & Bradgate

Chichaqua Valley Trail

Great trail

October, 2024 by dpate

I rode the Chichaqua Trail in early October 2024. From the southwest end to 88th street east of Bondurant is smooth cement. There is parking and a restroom at 88th st where it changed to asphalt with a few minor issues. The worst part was between Ira and Baxter. Just watch for cracks. Some bad spots are paint marked. Overall a great long trail away from noise and traffic that I would highly recommend riding. I give it 5 stars! Traveling cyclist Facebook

High Trestle Trail

Great trail

September, 2024 by dpate

I rode from 1st street in Ankeny north to Slater then west to just outside of Perry. The map shows it is broken just west of Woodward but it in fact continues into Perry. I think it’s the HT Trail to Raccoon RV trail but there is not a map for that one. Definitely a 5 star trail! Traveling cyclist Facebook

Neal Smith Trail

3 cheers!

September, 2024 by dpate

I rode the trail from Cherry Glen Rec Area into Des Moines for 15 miles. There are some older sections that are a bit rough but there are also some new cement sections that are fabulous. It winds through great scenery and even with rough areas I would rate this trail five stars. I highly recommend checking this trail out! Traveling cyclist Facebook

Sergeant Road Trail

Good trail

September, 2024 by dpate

This is another great trail in the Cedar Valley Trail system. It’s a smooth trail and though it runs near a road the noise is not deafening. I enjoyed this trail and I rate it 5 stars. Traveling cyclist Facebook

Cedar Valley Lakes Trail

Trail closed

September, 2024 by dpate

I wanted to ride the Cedar Valley Lakes Trail while I was in the area. I started from Deerwood Road near Deerwood Park. I rode about 4 miles until 11th street where the trail was closed. I crossed the river north of there and rode a trail on the other side of the river which was also closed at 11th street. Doing research I am not sure if it is all closed or not. I will return in the future and hope this will be open. Traveling cyclist Facebook

Cedar Valley Nature Trail

Kind of rough

September, 2024 by xgqrms2jbn

In early September 2024 I started this Cedar Valley Trail in Evansdale and headed south. The trail was paved but it has a lot of big perpendicular cracks and little sink spots that detract from the enjoyment. Too bad they haven't paint marked the bad spots that you cannot see when they're in shadow. It is one of the rougher trails I have ridden and I was begging for it to turn into crushed stone. At Miller Creek Road the trail was closed. I believe it's where the much wanted gravel section would have started. I think they are paving the gravel parts so the new parts should be good when completed. I was anxious to ride this trail but I was a little let down by the condition and the closing. 4 stars for surface condition.
Traveling cyclist
Facebook

Evansdale Nature Trail

Nice trail

September, 2024 by xgqrms2jbn

I discovered this trail after connecting from the Gilbert Drive Trail. It is a great little trail.
Traveling cyclist
Facebook

Gilbert Drive Trail

Good connector

September, 2024 by xgqrms2jbn

I started this trail at Deerwood Park and rode it to the connection to the Evansdale Trail and back. I noticed going east on the south side it has a sign bike trail ONE WAY and vice versa in the north side heading west. 5 stars for this shorty. Traveling cyclist Facebook

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