Whether walking, biking, or nature watching, Prairie Springs Recreation Trail (PSRT) is a 3.5 mile paved trail accessed from downtown Cresco at Balk Park to Vernon Springs winding along the Prairie's Edge Nature Center next to the Turkey River.
Along the trail are benches and picnic tables to stop and enjoy your moment outdoors. Breathtaking beauty and glorious displays of nature can be seen the entire length of this trail surprising the delighted recreational enthusiast with prairie grass, flowers, rolling farmland, and shaded woods that brings you back to a less complex world.
But the trail doesn't stop there! Connecting to the Prairie Springs Farmer Trail, this paved 22 mile experience traverses through an old railroad bed offering views of rich Iowa farmland along the way.
Cresco's Fitness Trail possesses outdoor fitness equipment strategically placed along the recreation trail, PSRT, and offers a work-out for all ages and levels. Enjoy a run/walk and work-out along the trail because this scenic experience now adds a challenge to all fitness levels!
Each year the Norman Borlaug 5K Committee offers a unique 5K Run/Walk/Bike, the third weekend in September, raising funds and awareness for worthy organizations in and out of Northeast Iowa.
As the weather turns colder, trail enthusiasts will find over 10K of cross country ski trails and 5K of snowshoe trails in and around the Prairie Springs Nature Center south of Cresco, Iowa. Prairie Springs XC Ski & Snowshoe Trails are a favorite among skiers from Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois and have hosted the Iowa Winter Games XC Ski in recent years.
As the weather turns colder, trail enthusiasts will find over 10K of cross country ski trails and 5K of snowshoe trails in and around the Prairie Springs Nature Center south of Cresco, Iowa. Prairie Springs XC Ski & Snowshoe Trails are a favorite among skiers from Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois and have hosted the Iowa Winter Games XC Ski in recent years.
Ski trails feature both a skating lane and a classical track. There are both packed and ungroomed snowshoe trails in the north side park unit. The south side park unit has two packed trails for snowshoeing or for walking. We do not encourage walking on ski trails at any time.
Find PSRT on Facebook at Cresco and Howard County and on Twitter @crescoia.
Find Ski & Snowshoe Trails on Facebook at Prairie Springs Ski & Snowshoe Trails and on Twitter @skicresco.
Find Ski & Snowshoe Trails on Facebook at Prairie Springs Ski & Snowshoe Trails and on Twitter @skicresco.