Running trails in Waverly, IA
Waverly has 4 trails in the directory — 2 paved and 1 on crushed gravel or dirt, 1 loop that returns to the trailhead, 1 with a stated distance, 1 shaded, and 2 open 24 hours. 3 of them post opening hours, so you can check the gate before an early start. They're ranked here by rating weighted by review volume, across 278 Google reviews. Filter by surface, loop, distance, shade or lighting to get to the run you're actually planning — no made-up difficulty score, just the facts you'd check before driving out.
Cedar Bend County Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 135 reviews
Wooded park with a campground and a canoe launch, plus trails for hiking and walking.
Kohlmann Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 124 reviews
Riverside expanse with a playground, shelters and an amphitheater for events.
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Waverly
- Match the surface to your legs. Waverly gives you a choice: 2 paved and 1 crushed gravel. Asphalt and concrete are fast, predictable and runnable year-round but the least forgiving; crushed limestone and dirt take the sting out of high mileage; boardwalk is flat and scenic but slick in the wet. If your shins or knees are complaining, the fix that actually works is varying the surface you run on rather than chasing one "best" one. More paved trails →
- Loop or out-and-back? 1 trail here is a loop, so you finish back at the car with no backtracking — the easiest way to run a set distance without thinking about it. On an out-and-back you turn round at half your target distance, which makes any trail fit any run. The longest stated distance in Waverly is Cedar Bend County Park at 4 mi.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 2 trails in Waverly are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 3 of the 4 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm. 2 are lit, which is what you want for winter evenings.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 2 have trailhead parking, 3 have restrooms, and 2 have a water fountain in Waverly. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 1 shaded, 1 that runners describe as quiet, and 2 dog-friendly. Busy or quiet isn't a good-or-bad thing here: a busy path is the safer choice for a solo run at dawn, a quiet one is better for intervals.
More on all of this in the trail-running guides.
Browse Waverly trails by type
Running trails near Waverly
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.