Parks and Trails

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Enjoy a visit to one of the City of Iowa City's many parks! Iowa City is home to over 50 parks, natural areas, and open spaces. Almost 100 percent (99.4 percent) of Iowa City residents live within 1/2 of a mile of open space areas, including the City’s parks, schoolyards, or natural areas. The Parks and Forestry Division provides and maintains adequate open space, parks, and trails for the residents of Iowa City.

The Parks and Recreation regulations are contained in Chapter 10 of the City Code of Iowa City. These regulations have been established to keep our parks beautiful and to ensure your enjoyment.

Terry Trueblood Recreational Area

Currently, there is no swimming permitted at Terry Trueblood Recreational Area, 579 McCollister Blvd. This advisory is due to the level of E. Coli detected in Sand Lake and will last indefinitely until water quality improves.

Advisories are generally updated on Fridays of each week. Check for updates on this page. For other questions, contact Parks and Forestry Superintendent Tyler Baird at tbaird@iowa-city.org or 319-356-5100 x2069.

Updated: June 13, 2023

Maps

Trails

Do you love to get outdoors? Then Iowa City is a great place for you. We are home to 60+ parks, trails, and open spaces. The trails are a variety of hard-surfaced, either concrete or asphalt, and all non-motorized use is permitted, including walking, jogging, in-line skating, skateboarding, scooting, etc. Please observe trail etiquette when using the trails, and respect other trail users.

To view the most up-to-date trail maps and bicycle resources visit the Metropolitan Planning Organization of Johnson County page.

Biking in Iowa City

City Channel 4 produced a series of short videos, that focus on bicycle education and safety. Each video will run 30 to 60 seconds and are meant for sharing with your friends, family, and co-workers on social media using #ICBikeShorts. The videos feature local bicyclists and cover a range of topics, anything from fixing a flat tire to locking your bike, to trail etiquette and navigating a roundabout.

Bike Shorts Series

Bicycle Rules of the Road:

Trails in the Winter

Did you know that the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department clears snow from about 90% of the trails in the winter? Snow removal efforts will provide places for outdoor recreation during the winter months. Please be patient with our crews as the trails are a lower priority on the snow clearing list.

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