The Hudson Road/Union Road Loop is a 9-mile (Figure-8) urban ride utilizing the multi-use side path trails around the UNI Dome and the 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, Union Road, and the paved shoulder along West 27th Street. The newly-completed Union Road Trail now runs all the way from 1st Street to 27th.

Connecting to the rest of the trail system is easy. From the UNI area, you can ride east on Seerly Boulevard to connect to the UNI Preserve Trail or the Cedar Prairie Trail, and from 27th Street, you can connect to the western leg of the Greenhill Road Trail. With care, from the corner of 1st Street and Hudson Road, you can take the sidewalk east along 1st Street into Downtown Cedar Falls and connect to the Cedar Valley Lakes Trail. You can also use the newly-designated bike routes along 2nd and 4th Streets to make your way through the quiet city neighborhoods and into Downtown.

The loop is mostly flat with a few small, though gentle,  hills so it’s great for getting in some quick miles. There are plenty of small eateries along 1st street as well, and College Hill and Downtown Cedar Falls are just minutes away. The scenery is actually quite good for an urban side-path trail.