Connecting the downtown areas of Cedar Falls and Waterloo, this loop skirts Gateway Park in Cedar Falls, the floodplain forests in George Wyth State Park, and Hartman Reserve. As the trail gets to Waterloo, it runs through Exchange Park with multiple baseball diamonds, a 27-hole professional-level disc golf course, and the Waterloo Bucks baseball stadium in the area.

Note: On the northwest side of Conger Street in Waterloo, you will leave the trail briefly for a couple of quiet blocks, following Longfellow Avenue up a short hill, and then connecting back up to the trail head on Riehl Street at Exchange Park.

The loop travels to downtown Waterloo and crosses the river on 4th Street next to the dam. From there the trail runs beside the Cedar River along reclaimed rail grades, past the Cattle Congress grounds and Sherwood Park, to Pfeiffer Springs Park, past Washington Park, and finally back to Downtown Cedar Falls.

All of the parks linked in this loop description provide convenient parking and serve as excellent trailheads for the loop.

You can extend this loop by about 8 miles on the northwest end by adding the Big Woods Trail Loop to your trip. On the southeast side, you can add a few more miles by going all the way to the 18th Street Trail to cross the bridge in Waterloo. Or keep going and connect up with the Cedar Valley Nature Trail in Evansdale.