Moments from downtown Cedar Falls, this loop travels around Big Woods Lake and to Black Hawk Park. Visit the Cedar Falls Rotary Club’s prairie restoration and cycle along open spaces and residential areas, the forested bank of the Cedar River, Cottage Row’s homes, and Island Park on your return to downtown Cedar Falls.
Connecting the downtown areas of Cedar Falls and Waterloo, this popular loop skirts Washington Park in Cedar Falls, the floodplain forests in George Wyth State Park and Hartman Reserve, and runs through the industrial area west of Downtown Waterloo, while providing grand views of the Cedar River.
Travel along babbling brooks and prairie preserves before entering the University of Northern Iowa campus. You’ll also pedal through Paw Park and past The Falls Aquatic Center. Take time out to visit the College Hill art galleries, bookstores, and coffee shops, and then stop by the Hearst Center for the Arts’ sculpture garden on Seerley Boulevard.
Take a trip to Prairie Lakes Park and enjoy views of the lakes, native prairies, and associated wildlife. Stop by the Cedar Falls Tourism & Visitors Bureau and pick up a souvenir! Then head to Pfeiffer Springs Park and continue your journey through Paw Park and by sparkling Dry Run Creek.
This loop has a little bit of everything. It passes by fields and wooded areas, over creeks and rolling hills, and through residential areas, shopping centers, and industrial districts. It skirts the edge of the Cedar Valley Soccer Complex and crosses through the Katoski Greenbelt and over Black Hawk Creek. It then runs through Downtown Waterloo and finally back past the Cattle Congress Grounds, through Sherwood Park, and the Hartman Nature Reserve.
Welcome to downtown Waterloo! Whether it is a concert at the amphitheater, a splash in Mark’s Park, a stroll through the river plazas and overlooks, a visit to many of the cultural venues, or a great meal at one of many locally owned restaurants, Waterloo’s downtown Riverfront Renaissance offers it all!
The Hudson Road/Union Road Loop is a 9-mile urban ride utilizing the multi-use side path trails around the UNI Dome and northwest Cedar Falls area. You can mix and match the trails to your desired route length using Hudson Road, West 1st Street, West 12th Street, and the paved bike lane along West 27th Street.