Cedar valley nature trail closure

The 67 mile Cedar Valley Nature Trail connects Evansdale to Ely and runs through several small towns. The trail’s surface is asphalt from Evansdale to McFarlane Park, just 2½ south of La Porte City.  From the Park to Center Point, the trail’s surface is compacted limestone. The Cedar Valley Nature Trail runs through wetlands, forested land, and farmland. The Cedar Valley Nature Trail Connects the Linn County Metro area to Waterloo, IA.

DETOUR ALIGNMENT

There is a detour at this time.

The Wolf Creek Bridge in La Porte City is closed.  A detour has been marked outside of Gilbertville and La Porte City.

ORIGINAL TRAIL ALIGNMENT

DISTANCES

Black Hawk County Conservation has released this information on the Cedar Valley Nature Trail. Reconstruction of a quarter mile section of the Cedar Valley Nature Trail just north of McFarlane Park is currently scheduled to occur between April 1, and June 30, This section of trail will be closed for about 1 month (weather dependent) from the date the contractor starts working. If the contractor cannot place the seeding prior to May 31, there may be some seeding occurring in the fall of The Cedar Valley Nature Trail will be closed from Spruce Street in La Porte City to King Road near the entrance of McFarlane Park during construction.

The replacement of Wolf Creek Bridge is currently scheduled for spring of with demolition of the existing bridge potentially occurring in the winter months of The section of trail that is currently closed, Brett Klima Wildlife area to Wolf Creek Bridge, will remain closed through bridge construction completion.

During construction of these two public improvements, trail users will still be able to enjoy the Cedar Valley Nature Trail from the McFarlane Park trailhead south towards Linn County or from Brett Klima Wildlife Area north to Evansdale and the Cedar Falls/Waterloo metropolitan areas.
Thank You all for your patience and cooperation as we work to repair and improve the Cedar Valley Nature Trail.

For further information please contact Cherrie Northrup at the Black Hawk County Conservation office -

The Cedar Valley Nature Trail is one of the pioneer "linear parks" in Iowa. It was built on the abandoned Waterloo, Cedar Falls and Northern (WCF&N) railroad right-of-way in the early 's. Spanning four counties, the mile trail meanders from Hiawatha to Evansdale, passing through Robins, Lafayette, Center Point, Urbana, Brandon, LaPorte City and Gilbertville. It is managed jointly by the Black Hawk and Linn County Conservation Boards. Originally having a crushed limestone surface, Boyson Road North to the Grubbs Creek Bridge (north of Center Point) have been hard surfaced with asphalt (concrete in town). In Black Hawk County about 16 miles of trail have been asphalted.

During the spring, summer and fall, the Cedar Valley Trail is a great trail for walking, running, bicycling, and rollerblading. In the winter months, the trail can be used for snowshoeing and snowmobiling (on designated unpaved surfaces), as there is no snow removal service. Nature study and photography are activities are popular year-round.

Location

The trail is accessible from several locations. A southern trail-head is located on Boyson Road in Hiawatha, IA. Another good access point in Linn County is from the historic Center Point Depot in Center Point.

View a map of the trail.

Parking Details

Boyson Road: Access to the Hiawatha Trail-head parking area for the Cedar Valley Nature Trail is from Kainz Drive - just south of Boyson Road. From this juncture, you can access the Cedar Valley Nature Trail to the north and the Cedar River Trail (managed by the City of Cedar Rapids) to the south.

County Home Road: Access to the Cedar Valley Trail is available at County Home Road, to the east of I

Center Point Depot: The historic depot and associated parking lot/trail access is located between E. Washington and E. State Streets in Center Point. The trail runs parallel to N. Center Point Road and Central Avenue - located in approximately the middle of the block between.

Features

• Historic Center Point Depot - trail rest stop and Historical Museum
• Modern restroom at Hiawatha Trail-head
• Three primitive restrooms
• Trail connects on the south with the Cedar River Trail through Cedar Rapids (Cedar River Trail connects with Hoover Trail to Ely south of Cedar Rapids)

Activities

• Biking
• Walking/Running
• Cross-country skiing
• Rollerblading
• Snowmobiling (on designated limestone portions)
• Nature Study
• Photography

Trail Safety & Enjoyment

The following guidelines will help you have a safe and enjoyable trail experience:

• Be considerate of other trail users
• Wear a helmet and other safety equipment
• Keep to the right to allow others to pass - when in a group, don't block the trail
• Always pass on the left after checking both directions to be sure it is safe to pass
• Announce your presence to other users when approaching them from behind ("pass on the left" alerts them)
• Obey all traffic signs at road intersections
• Rest frequently to avoid fatigue and carry plenty of fluids
• Use front and rear lights after dark
• Maintain your equipment in good repair
• Don't wear headphones as it may limit your ability to hear other trail traffic
• Carry identification with you
• Dogs must always be on a leash (less than or equal to 6' long)

Operating Hours & Seasons

4 a.m. – p.m.

There is no snow removal performed on the trail and the County Home Road parking lot is closed during the winter months.