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Lime Creek Nature Center
4.9 ★★★★★ 507 Google reviews · Running trail in Mason City, Iowa · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Mixed
- Loop distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Loop
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Lime Creek Nature Center's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Conservation education facility with hands-on exhibits, live animals, a library & nature trails.
What runners say about Lime Creek Nature Center
“There are also miles of well-maintained trails here for hiking through beautiful natural areas.”
“Plus, the seating area offers a great view of a bird feeding spot where you can just sit, relax, and observe the diverse species of birds that visit.”
I went to visit my girl and had no where in particular to go. She learned about this place so we decided to come for a minute. We ended spending a couple hrs there. Had a good hike, beautiful sunny day, and learned a few things about over 100 types of eggs. Great visit!!
Great place for a morning walk. The River Bluff trail was nice and the Prairie Loop was cool. Several different types of trails to choose from. I saw three deer, several squirrels. There were tons of unique Bird calls also. The nature center was decent, but didn't see a lot of information for children's activities.
Beautiful nature trails. Amazing views and many great habitats for wildlife. Great place to see the geological formations of Iowa!!
Lime Creek is definitely always such an amazing place to go out and just dive into nature. The miles of trails thoughout the forest is breath taking, literally if your a biker, jogger or like to do some hiking.
Trail conditions & character
“Plus, the seating area offers a great view of a bird feeding spot where you can just sit, relax, and observe the diverse species of birds that visit.”
“My favorite trail is probably the Quarry Lake Loop as you get to see the lake and have both rocky and woodsy parts of the trail.”
“There is even a trail by the visitors center that is partially paved for handicap accessibility.”
“There are several miles of trails of all different types (grasslands, prairie, woods, rocky, flat and hilly).”
“The location was spotlessly clean and they even had really nice restrooms.”
Plan your run at Lime Creek Nature Center
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- SurfaceMixed — more than one surface along the route, so check the segment you plan to run
- DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadrestrooms — reported by runners
- Websitelimecreeknaturecenter.com
- Phone+1 641-423-5309
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | 7:30 am–4 pm |
| Tuesday | 7:30 am–4 pm |
| Wednesday | 7:30 am–4 pm |
| Thursday | 7:30 am–4 pm |
| Friday | 7:30 am–4 pm |
| Saturday | 1–4 pm |
| Sunday | 1–4 pm |
Running trails near Mason City
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
River Bluffs Winnebago River Trail
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Zerbles Trail
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Evans Preserve
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East Park
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Community park with tennis and basketball courts, a playground, disc golf, and a bandshell.