The Cedar Valley Nature Trail (CVNT) is a 69 mile multi-use trail moving from Ely through Cedar Rapids and on to Waterloo passing through many small towns and pastoral scenes. Paved from Evansdale to 2.5 miles east of La Porte City with the rest of the trail being crushed limestone, easily ridable when dry.
The CVNT was Iowa’s first rail-to-trail conversion and follows the floodplain of the Cedar River through forested areas, wetlands, and rolling farmlands, with tree tunnels punctuated by open vistas. Campgrounds are located at McFarlane Park and in Black Hawk Park.
The southern end of the trail passes through the heart of Downtown Cedar Rapids including the neighborhoods of Czech Village and NewBo before ending in the charming community of Ely.
The CVNT is a key link of both The American Discovery Trail, America’s first coast-to-coast trail and the new Great American Rail Trail.
The American Discovery Trail is a collection of urban paved trails, crushed stone, quiet roadways, and wild traditional hiking trails. While the Great American Rail Trail is an effort by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy to complete multi-use trails suitable for road bikes connecting Washington D.C. to Seattle, Washington.
Both trails are complete in Linn County. Because of the early trailblazing efforts from the Linn County Trails Association, our area was able to complete this wonderful, now 69-mile trail. Likely, the metro would not have been included in these national trails if it was not for the LCTA’s early work completing the CVNT.
