Surface Type: Paved/Street and Sidewalk Miles: 1.6 (shares one leg with Cedar River Trail Trail Description: Paved trail around Cedar Lake Features & Sites: Shares one leg with Cedar River Trail. Water is available at Cedar Lake, Sokol Park and C street. Let's go Black Hawk County and get this taken care for next year. There are a few places downtown, and a good place to make a detour is 3rd Street SE in the New Bohemia section of Cedar Rapids. Cedar Rapids, Iowa 369 contributions 89 helpful votes Really beautiful views! Where the trail crosses Ely Road and Wright Brothers Boulevard, a plaque explains the area’s unique landscape formed by two distinct landforms: open plains and pahas, hills formed by windblown silt. Within NewBo City Market are a good mélange of food choices, while across the street thare are other casual food places with nice menus. We stayed on the East side north of Waterloo where the trail moves up onto a dike and then down through a winding path across small marshy areas. I headed south from Evansdale toward La Porte City. It was an interesting change of scenery and ride, but unless I just want a workout, I'll stick to the trail next time. We started in Cedar Rapids - very nice new Double Tree hotel (GOOD BREAKFAST) and it is right on the trail. Hunting is allowed on publicly owned portions and there is off-road parking at both ends. This is a great asset for any community and hope more people get out and find how enjoyable this is..just like I did. The trail is great but even in the parking lot off Boyson Rd in broad daylight on a busy Sunday--some creep broke my car window to steal my daughters cell phone. The last was paved. Rent includes garbage. Four mile limestone trail that parallels the west side of the Cedar River from Interstate Park at Mitchell to Falk's Wildlife Area 1.5 miles west of Osage at the Mitchell County Headquarters and Cedar Bridge Park location. Early morning walk along the Cedar River in Edgewater Park. I look forward to biking on other segments of this popular trail in the future. The middle third of the trail is crushed limestone but the rest is paved. The original section of trail turned right on Dow Street and left at Main Street and ended about 200 feet south of Rowley Street in Ely. Learn more at www.greatamericanrailtrail.org. I did almost 27 miles and greatly enjoyed it! At 17.4 miles in length the CRT is a paved, off-road trail for the first 12.3 miles, and features a soft surface for the last five miles. The 1.5 mile concrete walkway provides an easy walking surface to enjoy the park & river. A long hot day, badly sun burnt as the trail is exposed most of the way but a memorable start to the upper Midwest riding season. Gateway trails represent those iconic trails that make possible the Great American Rail-Trail in each of the states it connects. The trail seems to have something for everyone. The 67 mile Cedar Valley Nature Trail connects Evansdale to Ely and runs through several small towns. Cedar Valley Nature Trail. With the exception of downtown Cedar Rapids and the strip mall territory at the north end, there are no services. The Cedar River Preserve is in Solon Swamp, near the southwest corner of South Lake Leelanau. Running from north to south, Werner Ave (large lot), McCloud Place (small lot), Cedar Lake (mostly on street parking), Sokol Park/Czech Village (on street), and C Street. We did all of the route during the summer of 2012, but had to circumvent the bridge. The 52-mile pathway, one of the first rail-trail conversions in the state, follows the beautiful Cedar River through agricultural fields and scenic swaths of prairie and wildflowers, while also connecting the urban centers of Waterloo, Cedar Falls and Cedar Rapids. Cedar Rapids, Iowa , United States | 20 mi. The limestone trail is suitable for walking, jogging, biking and horseback riding. The paved trail's north end connects with the Cedar River Trail in a very smooth trasition and runs into the town of Ely. Cedar River Trail ride test with my new GoPro Hero3 black helmet cam. Go 0.2 mile, and bear left onto Sixth St. Bear right onto River Road, go 0.4 mile, and look for the trailhead parking on the left. There are a few casual restaurants along the route. Check or FAQs for more common login questions. The Cedar Valley Nature Trail. Cedar Lake Park, Nashua, IA 50658 Chickasaw County (portage dam on left) GPS coordinates, latitude, longitude: 42.95638,-92.535427 Take out above the dam on river left and carry across the street and down to the river. Stone arch bridge on the Cedar River Trail over Ely Road in Cedar Rapids Location Cedar Rapids, Linn County, Iowa Status Open to traffic History Built 1887 Builders - Cedar Valley Quarry of Cedar Valley, Iowa (Extractor) - Elmer J.C. Bealer of Cedar Valley, Iowa (Stonemason) Railroads - Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railway (BCRN) A disc golf course is adjacent to the path so aware for flying discs. To reach the southern trailhead in Ely from I-380 S./SR 27 S., take Exit 13 toward The Eastern Iowa Airport, and take a sharp left onto Wright Brothers Blvd. Miles: 13 (for total trail); 7.2 for south part of trail. 20 mi 541 ft elev +  Sign in to save Story. The trail follows the Cedar River and Indian Creek on the southeast side of Cedar Rapids. Cedar Rapids to Cedar Falls IA, 70+ miles average speed 9.8 mph. People,this a beautiful way to spend a day on a well maintained trail that is mostly paved all the way to Center Point.Nice people ,great scenery,peaceful,stress free relaxation and it is good for you. native grasses and wildflowers have been established along sections of the trail and offer vivid floral displays of nativeIowa prairie. The trail follows the river for 17.4 miles, from the Cedar River Watershed’s western boundary at Landsburg, downstream to the mouth of the Cedar River, where it … The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. We did not do the return ride - I took a taxi back to CR, got the car and drove back to pick up the bikes. Beginning at the northern trailhead, you’ll head southeast over the Cedar River and along a 4.5-mile stretch to Gilbertville, where a trailhead at East Washburn Road offers restrooms, water, and parking. We now ride on this trail a minimum of three /four times a week and love every minute of it. My sons and I had a great time riding our bikes on the CVNT. as far as Shultz Road, less than 3 miles from Center Point. Mostly tree lined, with some picturesque views of the Cedar River valley and the river itself. At the south trail head it provides access to the Cedar River trail system in Cedar Rapids and to the north access to the extensive Waterloo / Cedar Falls trail system. We stayed at the park and rode the trail, it was nice, no problems with surface, mostly shaded. The McFarlane bridge that was destroyed by the flood of 2008 has be reconstructed and is now open, Also the trail is also now paved from McFarlane Park to the bridge. About River Trail Apartments. This site is uniquely situated between the Cedar Valley Nature Trail and the Cedar River. Explore the best trails in Waterloo, Iowa on TrailLink. The railroad reached Cedar Rapids in 1859 and hastened the demise of the riverboats used for commerce. The trail out of Waterloo is asphalt for awhile, then changes to chipped asphalt. The Cedar River flows from just north of Austin, MN all the way down to southeast Iowa, where it joins the Iowa River and becomes a major tributary into the Mississippi. Big Sioux River Larchwood to Sioux City Boone River Boone River – Hamilton County DNR – Boone River Water Trail PDF Webster City to the Des Moines River West & East Fork Des Moines River, Upper Des Moines River, Lizard Creek and Boone River Cedar River The last section was from south of Center Point to Hiawatha - asphalt in very good shape. Friendly locals. In LaPorte City, you’ll find food and refreshments as well as a park offering shade at Maple and Walnut streets (next to a railyard). W. Go 3.8 miles, and turn right onto Ely Road. We were hoping to bike the 50-mile roundtrip loop from Evansdale to Brandon and back, but ended up with a 32-mile roundtrip loop. "We started near Waterloo and rode south on the section all blacktop. The crosswalk can be quit formidable to use. This apartment community was built in 1997 and has 3 stories with 108 units. Had a BLAST and will return to go from Brandon to Evansdale when the trail is fixed. Depending on where you go on the river there are really exceptional views; sometimes you will see bald eagles. North to south from Evansdale to Hiawatha. Cedar River Trail Blazers is an Iowa Revised Domestic Non-Profit filed on May 10, 2004. Once all planning is complete, County Conservation staff will coordinate with the Iowa DNR on a variety of water trails … (Lame Breakfast BTW go to the coffee shop at the end of the street.) The description says 52 miles however it is very hard to tell where that measurement takes its start and end points from ground level. Cedar Falls, IA 50613 . Some blogs described small towns and places to eat however we did not see any, at least within in an easy detour from the trail. This River Trail Development condo has 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Absolutely wonderful trail! However, just last week the trail improvement of going under the railroad bridge at 8th Ave SE has been completed. The Cedar River Greenbelt Trail snakes along the west side of the river between Osage and Mitchell. It is open to biking, hiking and horseback riders. Many drivers do not heed the lights, so proceed with extreme caution. CAN'T WAIT! It's an old rail trail, so it's flat. Due to the Flood of 2008, there have been quite a few detours on the eastside of downtown Cedar Rapids. Business Category Located in Waterloo, Iowa only feet from the bike trail, a few blocks from the brand new sportsplex, and a short walk from 4th Street. So far I've got videos of most of the trail except for the section between Urbana & McFarlane Park and I've been very impressed. Big Sioux River Larchwood to Sioux City Boone River Boone River – Hamilton County DNR – Boone River Water Trail PDF Webster City to the Des Moines River West & East Fork Des Moines River, Upper Des Moines River, Lizard Creek and Boone River Cedar River