Elma, IA Walking Trails and Maps

198 Reviews

Looking for the best Walking trails around Elma?

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

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Activities
Length
Surfaces
Type
41 Results
Activities
Length
Surfaces
Type

Big Woods Trail (IA)

1.9 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Cedar Valley Lakes Trail

16 mi
State: IA
Asphalt, 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

Harry Cook Nature Trail

2 mi
State: IA
Crushed Stone

Lone Tree Road Trail

2.31 mi
State: IA
Concrete

NIACC Trail

2.2 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Prairie Farmer Recreational Trail

20 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Rolling Prairie Trail

21 mi
State: IA
Asphalt, Crushed Stone

Root River State Trail

42.1 mi
State: MN
Asphalt

South Riverside Trail

8 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Trout Run Trail

11 mi
State: IA
Asphalt, Concrete

Wapsi-Great Western Line Trail

27 mi
State: IA
Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone

Waverly Rail Trail

7.6 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Winnebago Trail

3.7 mi
State: IA
Crushed Stone

Cedar Prairie Trail

7.9 mi
State: IA
Asphalt, Concrete

Denver-Jefferson Trail

1.8 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Harmony-Preston Valley State Trail

18 mi
State: MN
Asphalt

High Line Trail

2.7 mi
State: IA
Asphalt
Accordion

Readlyn Grump Trail

6.3 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Shooting Star State Trail

24.3 mi
State: MN
Asphalt

Cedar River Greenbelt Trail

4 mi
State: IA
Crushed Stone

Prairie Land Trail

13.6 mi
State: IA
Crushed Stone

12th Street Trail

1.51 mi
State: IA
Concrete

40th Street Bike Path

1.5 mi
State: MN
Asphalt

48th Street Bike Path

2.1 mi
State: MN
Asphalt

Donald Street Trail

2.54 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Hart Farms Trail

0.7 mi
State: MN
Asphalt

Hudson Road Trail

2.22 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Path of Progress

3.3 mi
State: IA
Asphalt, Gravel

Riverside Trail (IA)

1.2 mi
State: IA
Asphalt

Southern Woods Trail

0.75 mi
State: MN
Asphalt

St. Bridgets Bike Path

0.75 mi
State: MN
Asphalt

Sweet Water Creek Trail

2 mi
State: IA
Asphalt, Concrete

The Gardens Trail

1.1 mi
State: MN
Asphalt

Todd Park Bike Trail

2.4 mi
State: MN
Asphalt

US 63 Trail

0.8 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Union Road Trail

1.01 mi
State: IA
Concrete

Wildwood Trail (Austin)

1.2 mi
State: MN
Asphalt
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
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
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
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
The Harry Cook Nature Trail runs for 2 miles from the edge of the small city of Osage, Iowa to the city's public Spring Park. The trail, which opened in the early 1990s, occupies the bed of an...
IA 2 mi Crushed Stone
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
The NIACC Trail in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, connects the campus of North Iowa Area Community College with the edge of downtown Mason City. The trail provides a convenient and safe alternative to...
IA 2.2 mi Asphalt
The Prairie Farmer Recreational Trail follows part of the former Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad corridor, which traces its origins as far back as 1866. Its history lives on in...
IA 20 mi Asphalt
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
Along much of its route, the Root River State Trail follows the winding course of its namesake river for 42 miles through the Minnesota towns of Fountain, Lanesboro, Whalan, Peterson, Rushford, and...
MN 42.1 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
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 Trout Run Trail provides an experience unique to any other in Iowa, with a hilly landscape that reminds trail users of the meteorite that struck the area long ago. The trail actually loops all the...
IA 11 mi Asphalt, Concrete
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
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 Winnebago Trail provides the residents of Mason City with a safe, off-road link to nature, winding 3.7 miles from East Park and through residential areas to the Lime Creek Nature Center as it...
IA 3.7 mi Crushed Stone
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 Harmony–Preston Valley State Trail runs 18 miles on a north-south line between the town of Harmony and the Root River State Trail, which it meets between Lanesboro and Fountain. The paved trail is...
MN 18 mi Asphalt
When finished, the High Line Trail will stretch 8 miles across Mason City, IA and connect to other local trail routes. In 2023, the trail's first 3 miles opened from 12th St. NE to 19th St. SE. The...
IA 2.7 mi Asphalt
Accordion
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
Shooting Star State Trail, which is over 24 miles long, is an 8-foot-wide asphalt path from Nicolville (east) to Le Roy (west). It follows an unused railroad bed on Milwaukee Road, which once...
MN 24.3 mi Asphalt
The Cedar River Greenbelt Trail snakes along the west side of the river between Osage and Mitchell. The limestone trail is suitable for walking, jogging, biking and horseback riding. The trail is open...
IA 4 mi Crushed Stone
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 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...
IA 7.5 mi Asphalt
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
The 40th Street Bike Path is an asphalt sidepath trail that follows its namesake roadway through a lightly developed stretch of southern Rochester, coasting over rolling hills and the edge of woods to...
MN 1.5 mi Asphalt
Running for over two miles over gentle hills, highway exit ramps, and creeks and fields, the 48th Street Bike Path is an asphalt sidepath trail that provides a route for cyclists and pedestrians in...
MN 2.1 mi Asphalt
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
A short sidepath trail that runs through a neighborhood in the southern reaches of Rochester, the Hart Farms Trail offers a pleasant asphalt path for local residents. Sharing the roadside with a row...
MN 0.7 mi Asphalt
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
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
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
The Southern Woods Trail is a short, paved trail that runs through a pretty section of suburban southern Rochester. The trail starts in the north where the 48th Street Bike Path crosses over Willow...
MN 0.75 mi Asphalt
A straightforward asphalt sidepath trail, the St. Bridgets Bike Path runs along the side of its namesake roadway in southern Rochester, in a residential and commercial pocket just off Highway 63....
MN 0.75 mi Asphalt
The Sweet Water Creek Trail provides an alternative way for Tripoli residents to access Sweet Marsh Wildlife Management Area without driving. The trail extends two miles from the heart of the city and...
IA 2 mi Asphalt, Concrete
Forming a circuit around a suburban development in southern Rochester, The Gardens Trail offers a dose of natural beauty and recreation just off of the busy nearby highway. The trail branches off from...
MN 1.1 mi Asphalt
The Todd Park Bike Trail makes use of an old railroad grade to connect recreational destinations in Austin. The paved trail links Todd Park to Mill Pond on the Cedar River. The trail traverses Todd...
MN 2.4 mi Asphalt
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
Located in the low-lying woodlands in along Wolf Creek, this trail picks up across 11th Street from Todd Park and its paved bike trail. The trail winds through the riparian forests on lands once owned...
MN 1.2 mi Asphalt

Recent Trail Reviews

Cedar Valley Lakes Trail

Great ride!

October, 2025 by gingerhikes

Idk why this trail doesn’t have more reviews. What a nice ride. Great mix of woodland and a little bit of urban. We rode from Black Hawk Park (BHP) to Waterloo with an excursion around Big Woods Lake for a total almost 30 miles round trip. In Waterloo went to Single Speed for lunch(don’t get Pizza), easy to get to. Trail is well maintained. Had no problems with bugs until the end about 2:30 p.m. when we got back to BHP and got nto grass and the No-seeums were bad! Pretty good directional signs along the way!

Wapsi-Great Western Line Trail

Great trail. Varied terrain, pastoral, oak savannah, creekside, agri fields, it's all here. Love love this one!! Some rough spots, so pay attention!

September, 2025 by rebecca.anderson79

Great trail. Varied terrain, pastoral, oak savannah, creekside, agri fields, it's all here. Love love this one!! Some rough spots, so pay attention!

Root River State Trail

Fabulous Trail, A+++

September, 2025 by julieganser

We rode from Lanesboro to Fountain and back. Trail was in great condition 95% of the time with lots of shade and numerous interesting views. We started down the Harmony-Preston spur but turned back after a couple miles. It had lovely scenery but the condition is not up to par with the rest of the trail. From Lanesboro to Rushford the trail was A+, but slipped down to a B+ around Rushford. Happily after that area the trail went back to A++. The incline between Rushford and Houston is a bit challenging but so much fun on the downslopes!

Accordion

Root River State Trail

great trail

August, 2025 by eyhoerle

well maintained trail. scenic views of farmland, small towns, wildlife along the trail.

Harmony-Preston Valley State Trail

Beautiful scenery, MN fails to maintain

July, 2025 by tmccabe77

This trail would be an absolute gem for the state of Minnesota if they would get it together and maintain this trail which runs through the beautiful driftless area of southern Minnesota. The trail is hard on the bike and the body as it has a plethora of cracks, roots, bumps, holes and generally failing asphalt everywhere. The area it goes through is as beautiful as you’ll find however. What a shame. Next time we consider this trail, we’ll have to decide if we have enough ibuprofen first…..

Root River State Trail

Great Trail!

June, 2025 by rjbrown73

Rode round trip, including Rushford to Preston plus the spur to Fountain and back. Well maintained, beautiful trail with wonderful trail towns pleasantly spaced. I stayed in Lanesboro and would highly recommend it!

Shooting Star State Trail

Boring, Straight, and not well cared for.

June, 2025 by hreadfnp

We rode 1/2 way to LeRoy from Austin end. Just over 10miles. Parked our car at a gas station that’s there and took our electric scooters! Weather was beautiful and in the 80s but we were not too hot. The trail was boring and followed the road. Straight most of the time. Weeds are growing into the trail and the asphalt needs repair. Lots and lots of cracks! We had a good time but we won’t go again.

Prairie Farmer Recreational Trail

Definitely a few rough areas but overall a nice path. If you're coming from the Calmer side the path markings in Ridgeway are non existent (turn left, not right) so you might have some issues there. The markings are much better coming from Cresco

May, 2025 by jhicok_tl

Definitely a few rough areas but overall a nice path. If you're coming from the Calmer side the path markings in Ridgeway are non existent (turn left, not right) so you might have some issues there. The markings are much better coming from Cresco

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.

Great American Rail-Trail

such a beautiful trail!

October, 2024 by sherryschie

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

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

Waverly Rail Trail

Nice trail

August, 2024 by dpate

I rode this trail in mid May 2024. There was a bridge being replaced without a detour around. I would guess about five miles out of Waverly. I then went to Denver and rode the other way to the closure. It’s a good trail that could by now be complete again so I plan to return soon. 5 stars Traveling cyclist Facebook

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