The Cedar Valley Nature Trail was one of the pioneer "linear parks" built on an abandoned railroad right-of-way in the early 1980s. Originally a limestone treadway on the old railroad bed, portions have now been asphalted and connected on either end to new trails in Hiawatha on the southern end, and Evansdale on the northern end.
(NOTE: Record flooding of the Cedar River in 2008 devastated portions of this trail, and it remains non-contiguous on the northern 1/4 at this time.
Location
Accessible from several locations with a southern trailhead on Boyson Road in Hiawatha, IA. Another good access point in Linn County is from the historic Center Point Depot in Center Point.
GOOGLE MAP LOCATION FOR HIAWATHA TRAILHEAD
Access to the Hiawatha Trailhead 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.
GOOGLE MAP LOCATION FOR CENTER POINT DEPOT
The historic depot and associated parking lot/trail access is located between E. Washington and E. State Streets on this map. 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 & Center Point Historical Museum
- 52-mile linear trail from Hiawatha to Evansdale
- Modern restrooms at Hiawatha Trailhead
- 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
- Southern 3 miles of trail have asphalt surface (from Boyson Road to County Home Road)
Operating Hours & Seasons
- Generally, the trail is open from 4:00 AM - 10:30 PM
- While the trail is open year-round, there is no snow removal performed
- Trail may be closed from time to time due to maintenance, construction or storm damage
Closures
- There are currently portions of the trail closed in Black Hawk and Buchanan counties due to the 2008 flooding