INHF 25th Anniversary Event #16
Cedar Trails Festival

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Grab your bike, head over to the Cedar Valley Lakes Trails Network and ride in one or all four of their unique trail events during this special festival weekend.

Event details
The Cedar Trails Festival is organized by the Cedar Trails Partnership and was established as a way to celebrate the outstanding recreational trail system located in the Cedar Falls/Waterloo metro area. It also provides a means of fundraising for maintenance and added amenities along the trails. The organization attempts to include activities for all types of trail users including cyclists, runners, walkers and rollerbladers. An effort is also made to feature a new section of trail each year because the 80+ mile system continues to expand.

The first event of the weekend is the Bike Rodeo, which will be held on Saturday at 9-11 a.m. at Blackhawk Park in Cedar Falls. Officers from the Black Hawk County Conservation office, Black Hawk Park, the Black Hawk sheriff's office, the Cedar Falls police department and the Waterloo police department will hold a free bike safety check. Riders are then able to bike through an obstacle course painted out in a grassy field, complete with obstacles like a runaway dog, a fire truck, etc. Anyone can participate, and last year, the officers cooked and served pancakes! This event is free.

Meanwhile, to the south at Prairie Lakes Park, the Waterloo/Cedar Falls Courier's staff invites you to join them for an interesting 25-mile ride taking in many different sites throughout the metro area. Be sure to check back to find out what the exact route will be (it changes every year to give people a chance to see the many different parts of the trail network.) More than likely, the route will take riders over the unique Krieg's Crossing Bridge over the Cedar River. This bridge is the longest recreational bridge in the Midwest. This is not a race! Take your time and enjoy the scenery on this fairly-flat course. Water stops will be offered along the way as well as food, fun and prizes at the end. The ride beings at 10 a.m. and there is no charge to participate.

The Light Up the Night Ride, a favorite festival, will take place Saturday evening at dusk or approximately 9 p.m. There's nothing like whisking through the quite coolness of the woods by the warm glow of candlelit luminaries. Over 1,000 riders of all ages come out for this event which takes riders along a 9-mile route through George Wyth State Park, Hartman Reserve Nature Center, across the Medal of Honor bridge and into Cedar Falls' Great American Main Street. The event is free; however, donations are always appreciated. All proceeds maintain and provide amenities along the trails. Registration will begin at 7 p.m. at the Sturgis Falls Celebration Shelter located at Gateway Park and include musical entertainment while we wait for dusk. Please wear a helmet and light your bicycle, even if you have to attach a flashlight to the handlebars with duct tape! The Cedar Falls Jaycees organize the huge job of lighting over 5,000 of the candles required for the event, while Europa Cycle and Ski provides a financial sponsorship.

On Sunday morning a little detective work is helpful as participants take off for the 4th Annual Poker Ride, which begins at 11 a.m. at Toad's Bar and Grill, 204 Main Street in Cedar Falls. Riders will get their first clue when they register Sunday morning (the fee is $10.) That clue will lead them to the first of a series of interest points, where riders will pick up more clues to guide them on their way through the trails to other points of interest. Everyone will gather back at Toad's where the poker madness begins and winning hands are determined at 4 p.m. Please check back for more information regarding the poker hands as more information becomes available.

For more information and to order T-Shirts visit the Cedar Trails festival page.

The story behind this place
The Cedar Valley Lakes Trails Network is noted nationally as a great example of how to fit trails into a community's infrastructure. The 80 miles of completed trails in this community are free and open for non-motorized, non-equestrian activities such as biking, hiking, cross-country skiing and skating. An additional 60 miles of trails are planned for the network.

The trails system is an outgrowth of the metro area's freeway improvements during the 1980s. Gerald F. Schnepf, who was president of INHF at that time, was asked to chair the Cedar Valley Lakes Committee: an interagency group that identified the best ways to enhance the Cedar River Greenbelt for public recreation in conjunction with the highway project. This committee's plan guided improvements at public areas such as George Wyth State Park, placed DOT "borrow pits" where they would leave the most beneficial ponds, and began a trail system that included the Greenbelt's natural features. The fruits of those plans are now visible in and along much of the Cedar Valley Lakes Trail Network.

As an independent non-profit, the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation can provide objective leadership for multi-jurisdictional efforts like this one--where several state, county and city agencies are working for a common goal.

While you're in the area, check out the Cedar Valley Nature Trail--a 52-mile trail that links to the trail system. It follows a former railroad corridor between Waterloo and Cedar Rapids. This was one of INHF's first rail-trail projects and is considered one of Iowa's top nature trails.

Partner Information
The Cedar Trails Partnership is a grassroots, volunteer organization that was formed to give all trail enthusiasts a say in the development and maintenance of the system. Members advocate for the expansion and maintenance of the trails, support programs to improve trail safety, organize trails events and provide grant monies for trail-related projects.

Site Map
http://www.cedartrailspartnership.org/map.html
INHF Trail Guide (PDF format)

Driving Directions
The Cedar Falls/Waterloo area is conveniently linked to Interstate 380 and located at the intersection of Highways 20 and 218/58/27 (Avenue of the Saints).
More maps can be found at http://www.cedarfallstourism.org/maps.asp.

Visitor Info
Cedar Falls Tourism and Visitors' Bureau
(800) 845-1955
visit@cedarfallstourism.org

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