Beyond the Loop, there are about 17 more miles of trails — including walking-only paths, railroad-bed trails, and nearby water trails for paddlers.
Home to Mile Marker Zero on the Loop Trail, the Maasdam Barns preserve the historic Evergreen Ridge Stock Farm. From 1910–1938, owner J. G. Maasdam bred award-winning Belgian and Percheron draft horses here, and the barns still showcase the innovative Louden overhead hay-carrier systems of the era. Today the site is a recreational, educational, and historical center with exhibits on the Maasdam family and early regional agriculture.
Maasdam Barns on Jefferson County →
About eight miles of crushed-limestone trails, including roughly a mile on the abandoned Rock Island Railroad roadbed. Connects to the Cedar View, Erma Hartman, and other trails. Managed by the Jefferson County Conservation Board.
Main entrance: Libertyville Rd, 1.3 mi west of Iowa Hwy 1.
See the park on Jefferson County Conservation →The trail that started it all — extending from Jefferson County Park southwest along the old Rock Island roadbed, crossing Cedar Creek on a 376-foot bridge built on the original railroad abutments. Connects to the Loop Trail's DOT-South segment.
Cedar View Trail on Jefferson County Conservation →Four quieter, foot-traffic-only trails near Fairfield — including paths encircling parts of Bonnifield Lake and the east sides of Pleasant Lake, plus a walking trail in the Neff/Lamson wetlands.
Lamson Woods on Jefferson County Conservation →Have a boat? Non-motorized water trails are nearby, and Pleasant Lake allows fishing and non-motorized boating along the Loop Trail's Lakes segment.
Pleasant Lake on Jefferson County Conservation →A short interpretive route through restored prairie and pond habitat — one of several natural areas highlighted by kiosks along the trail system.
Nady Prairie on Jefferson County Conservation →The Heritage Tour of historic buildings and the virtual Louden Machinery Company tour act as "virtual trails," telling the story of Fairfield's history and its place in farm-equipment innovation.
Take the virtual Heritage Tour →A 25-acre biological state preserve of upland and bottomland forest about 7 miles east of Fairfield, with a walking path through the woods. Willed to the town in 1922 by naturalist Hiram Heaton.
More on the City of Fairfield site →Where the Louden Bridge and Crow Creek segments meet, via the Huggins Family Bridge. A paved loop road offers good walking — shared with cars in summer, but closed to vehicle traffic in winter for a quieter lap.
Chautauqua Park on the City of Fairfield →Home to Bonnifield Lake and its swimming beach, right along the Loop Trail's Lakes segment. Its own walking trails connect directly with the Loop Trail for a longer lakeside stroll.
Waterworks Park on the City of Fairfield →About half a mile from Mile Marker Zero via Hwy 1. A city park with softball fields, a skate park, sand volleyball, a playground, and a dog park.
O. B. Nelson Park on the City of Fairfield →A city park a block from the western end of the Rock Island Railroad segment, on North 9th Street, with ballfields, basketball, a great pickleball court, and benches.
Heritage Park on the City of Fairfield →Two small downtown parks near the Louden Bridge segment. Central Park has a bandstand and brick walkways; Howard Park, two blocks north, hosts the Fairfield Farmers Market in warmer months.
A 0.9-mile gravel path circling the Jefferson County Health Center's campus, connecting to the Loop Trail right at Mile Marker Zero on both the south and east sides.
Read more from the Health Center →A connecting trail providing a walking- and bicycling-only northeast entrance into Jefferson County Park, tying the park into the broader trail network.
About five miles of trail follow retired railroad beds — including the Rock Island and the historic 1858 Burlington & Missouri River alignments — giving gentle grades and a direct link to local rail history.
Not a trail in itself, but a system of marked city streets — Northern, Downtown, Eastern, and Southern routes — that help pedestrians and cyclists move safely around town and connect to the Loop Trail.
Plan your visit
Print a map before you go, or open the route on your phone. Trailheads around the loop offer parking, and many have restrooms.
