Fairfield Loop Trail at Pleasant Lake
Put on your detective caps and come out to the Jefferson County Trails system for the 2022 Jefferson County Trails Council Scavenger Hunt. The Jefferson County Trails system will play host to this all-ages event from May 29 to July 2, 2022.
Participants will collect clues at 10 locations along the trail to be entered in a drawing for prizes including: The Ride: Bike Sales and Service bicycle light kit and tee-shirt, Cider House 1949 gift certificate, and the At Home Store gift certificate.
Dated: May 12, 2022 - Please help us. Big Bike Give will help us raise funds this year to replace the decking on a small bridge off Glasgow Road on the Fairfield Loop Trail. Click here for Big Bike Give (may need to wait for it).
The Nady Prairie was opened to the public on June 12, 2021. The Nady Prairie is just west of Pleasant Lake, reached by the Loop Trail, from the parking lot at Pleasant Plain Road. Or use the Loop Trail parking lot on B Street and walk east on the Loop Trail to the Nady Prairie. Read the "Little Prairie on the Trail" article in the June 2021 Iowa Source article.
Nov 03, 2020 - The Loop Trail is now completely open. The portion of the Loop Trail that was closed, because of Phase 2 of construction, is now open to Loop Trail users. Details on our News page.
Refurbishing trail bridges and restrooms - more on News page.
New connection to the Loop Trail, May 1, 2020 - From the Loop Trail to The Cider House 1949 - more on News page.
Notice, Aug 28, 2019 - The Walking-Only Trail on the west side of Pleasant Lake will be impacted by construction, until further notice - more on News page.
Some describe the Fairfield Loop Trail as a "string of pearls" or an "emerald necklace", each element being a jewel on the necklace. Plenty of entrances and exits let you customize your enjoyment of this unique trail.
The Jefferson County Trails Council (Fairfield IA) was instrumental in developing this Loop Trail, and continues to promote this, and other trails, in the Fairfield area.
In addition to the Loop Trail, another 17 miles of trails await you, some of them for walking-only. All of which comprises the Jefferson County Trails System.
To see a PDF version of the map below, click here to enlarge or to print this map. (Updated Sept 2020).
Welcome to our 15.9-mile Fairfield Loop Trail, which encircles Fairfield, with many connection points, allowing you to customize your adventures.
With its variety of terrain and topographies, connections to three lakes, wetlands, a state preserve, our county park, and many city parks, the 15.9-mile Fairfield Loop Trail is an experience unlike most trails.
In fact, we think of the Loop Trail as a long, narrow linear park, with a variety of adventures along the way. Some describe it as a "string of pearls" or an "emerald necklace", each element being a jewel on the necklace.
The many entrance/exit points, parking areas, and connections to other trails, are marked on our map.
Because the 15.9-mile-long Fairfield Loop Trail was built one segment at a time over 14 years, names were given to each of the ten segments. The segments are presented in a clockwise direction, starting with the DOT-South segment in the southern part of Fairfield, Iowa.
The Fairfield Loop Trail officially begins (and ends) next to the Maasdam Barns at Mile Marker Zero. (Mile Markers occur every 1/4 mile along the Loop Trail.) The Maasdam Barns are next to the Jefferson County Health Center (at the interchange of Hwy 1 & US 34).
Go to our Fairfield Loop Trail page for more details.
In addition to the Fairfield Loop Trail, there are a number of other trails in the greater Fairfield area.
Jefferson County Park has about 8-miles of trails. The Cedar View Trail connects to the Loop Trail. Other connections include the Erma Hartman Trail, and the Prairie & Pond Trail.
Walking-only trails are around Pleasant Lake, around Bonnifield Lake, in Lamson Woods, and in Chautauqua Park East.
Retired railroad beds that belonged to the Rock Island Railroad, and the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad (now BNSF), are used for about five-miles of trails.
The Bikeway/Walkway Plan is not really a trail, but rather a system of streets that are marked to enable pedestrians and bicyclists to make their way as safely as possible around town and to the Fairfield Loop Trail and other trails.
The Heritage Tour is a tour of historic buildings in Fairfield, and is also a virtual tour complete with much information about the history of Fairfield.
The Louden Machinery Company Tour is another virtual tour that highlights the contributions made by this Fairfield company to farming around the world, and illustrates it's leadership position in industrial handling equipment. Related to this is the Maasdam Barns project, which was recently developed as a recreational and educational center.
Water trails are nearby (which require a boat or canoe).
Southeast Iowa trails can be found in A J Steiner's (A.J's Bicycle Shop) comprehensive list of trails in southeast Iowa for mountain bike enthusiasts.
Our Mission Statement: The Jefferson County Trails Council's mission is to: build, construct, and maintain a network of trails for public use and enjoyment, and to promote, inform, and educate the general public about the trail system.
See more about the Jefferson County Trails Council on the JCTC/Policies page.
Our Mailing Address: Jefferson County Trails Council, P.O. Box 2375, Fairfield, IA 52556
Our e-mail address is:
Jefferson County Courthouse, Fairfield, IA, during the 2015 RAGBRAI, photo by Werner Elmker
With 10,000 residents, Fairfield has a unique blend of manufacturing and service business diversity that spans over a century of solid growth, and is a major entrepreneurial base for many small businesses and manufacturers.
Take a look at our online Heritage Trail and online Louden Tour to learn more about Fairfield's history, industrial heritage, and architectural diversity.
Fairfield Square, photo by Werner Elmker
Fairfield is also the home of Maharishi International University.
Located in southeast Iowa, Fairfield is easy to find (map below). The Fairfield Convention and Visitors Bureau website has much visitor information about Fairfield and surrounding areas.
Notice: Construction on the Fairfield Loop Trail (07-09-2017)
The Iowa National Guard is constructing a vehicle-storage-expansion north of their existing facility at 1501 West Stone Ave. This project will include relocation of the Fairfield Loop Trail in this area. During construction, the Loop Trail north of the Iowa National Guard property will be closed, with a detour for the Loop Trail marked. See more details on the map (as a PDF) showing the trail detour route.
Construction is anticipated to begin the week of September 18 and will be completed in the spring. The contractor for the project is Leffler Dirtworks of Oskaloosa.
Thanks to everyone who participated in the Scavenger Hunt and made this 2017 event a success! Prizes will be mailed to winners who were not present at July's Fairfield First Fridays.
Ninety-three people entered the 2017 annual Jefferson County Trails Council Scavenger Hunt. The person who traveled the farthest to complete the hunt was from Creston, Iowa.
For details of the Hunt, see 2017 JCTC Scavenger Hunt, which began May 27, 2017 at sunrise.
More news on News page.
Fairfield FairFest 2015 next to the Courthouse, photo by Werner Elmker
The Links page has links to websites about Things to See and Do in Fairfield, plus Arts & Music organizations, Recreation, Government and Services, Media, and Education, in Fairfield and Jefferson County.
Every web page on this website is listed on the Sitelist page for your convenience.
The mission of the Jefferson County Trails Council is to build, construct, and maintain a network of trails for public use and enjoyment, and to promote, inform, and educate the general public about the trail system.
Every effort is made to ensure accurate information is posted to the site. However, Jefferson County Trails Council does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of the content on this site or content which is referenced by or linked to this site. © 2001-2021 Jefferson County Trails Council, Fairfield, Iowa. Updated 11-20-21