Snowshoes at Hartman, Skis From UNI: Where Black Hawk County Gears Up for Winter Trails

Hartman Reserve Nature Center charges $5 to snowshoe its trails for the day. It doesn't rent a single pair of cross-country skis. Its own rental page sends skiers somewhere else, starting with the university across town.

That split shapes winter outings around Waterloo and Cedar Falls. Snow depth decides which gear is worth renting, the type of gear decides which counter you visit, and a nature center calendar that changes in December decides when you can pick it up. A household that plans around those three things gets on the trail the first weekend the snow sticks. One that plans around trails alone may find the doors locked.

Three inches is the line

Hartman sets a clear minimum: snowshoes can't be used until there are at least 3 inches of snow on the ground. Below that, the rentals stay on the shelf. On a skimpy early-season snow, the trails are for hiking boots.

Skiing has its own threshold. Hartman says classic ski tracks are groomed at Irv Warren Golf Course in Waterloo and that the South Riverside Bike Trail may also be groomed. Both depend on the weather. For current grooming, Hartman points readers to the Iowa ski blog. So the order is practical. The first real snowfall makes snowshoeing possible, and groomed classic track comes later, once conditions let someone set it.

That order decides which rental counter matters first, and the two counters are in different places.

Who rents what, and for how much

Hartman rents snowshoes only, in modern and traditional styles and in sizes for ages 5 and up. The University of Northern Iowa's Outdoor Recreation office rents snowshoes and cross-country skis, and UNI Recreation Services says its rental gear is open to students, faculty, staff and the community. Anyone outside the UNI rate, alumni included, pays the community price.

For a day on snowshoes, Hartman costs half of UNI's community rate. A weekend works differently. Hartman's weekend rental is $10 a pair, but taking snowshoes off-site requires a $100 deposit per pair and a copy of your driver's license. Both are returned or shredded when the snowshoes come back in the same condition. For a family of four, that's $400 in deposit checks. UNI charges $15 a weekend at the community rate. UNI takes credit cards only, for rentals and purchases alike.

Skis come from UNI. For an adult renting at the community rate, a full Rossignol package of skis, boots and poles runs $12 a day or $20 a weekend. UNI says its staff will show first-timers how to use the equipment, and it keeps local maps and guidebooks on hand. The Outdoor Recreation office is in room 174 of the Wellness and Recreation Center, at 319-273-7163.

Hartman also lists ski rentals beyond Black Hawk County: Crawdaddy Outdoors in Waverly, Butler County Conservation in Clarksville and Chickasaw County Conservation in Ionia.

The calendar is the real constraint

Hartman's posted nature center hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The building is closed Saturday and is normally open Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. Those Sunday hours close for the season from December through February.

Those are the snowiest months. Between December and February, the building has no posted weekend hours. That's where the $10 all-weekend rental comes in. For a Saturday morning on snowshoes, plan on a stop before the building closes Friday afternoon, deposit check and license copy in hand. Groups of more than seven, or any organized group, have to call ahead during business hours to make sure enough snowshoes are available. Hartman can also schedule a private program with a naturalist.

A workable sequence for the first good snow looks like this:

1. Check the depth. Under 3 inches, snowshoes don't come out at Hartman.
2. For snowshoes on a weekend in December through February, pick them up from Hartman during weekday hours, or rent from UNI.
3. For skis, go to UNI's Outdoor Recreation office in WRC 174, and bring a credit card.
4. Before driving to a classic track, check the Iowa ski blog for grooming at Irv Warren and the South Riverside Bike Trail.

Where the gear goes

Hartman's day-use rate covers snowshoeing on Hartman's own trails, and many outings start and end there. Off-site rentals open up the rest of the county.

George Wyth State Park, at 3659 Wyth Road in Waterloo, is listed by the Iowa DNR as a cross-country ski and snowshoe destination. Its trail system mixes paved and soft multi-use trails. It sits between Waterloo and Cedar Falls, so skis picked up at UNI don't have far to travel.

Irv Warren Golf Course in Waterloo is where Hartman points for groomed classic track. The South Riverside Bike Trail is the other site Hartman says may be groomed.

At the south end of the county, Hickory Hills Park, at 3338 Hickory Hills Road near La Porte City, lists cross-country skiing, ice skating and sledding among its activities. It's open 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. all year. Its late closing time stands out in a season of short afternoons.

When the snow isn't there

Some weeks the snow won't reach 3 inches, and the ski blog won't report fresh track. The indoor option has a fixed price and a posted calendar. Young Arena, at 125 Commercial Street in downtown Waterloo, holds public skate sessions with $7 admission and $5 skate rentals. Its calendar shows public skates on Saturday, November 14, and Sunday, November 15, 2026. The Saturday session runs 1:30 to 3 p.m.

A skater bringing their own skates pays $7. One who rents pays $12, the same as a day of community-rate skis at UNI. On a thin-snow weekend, the money that would have gone to ski rental covers an afternoon of public skating downtown.

At Heather Federspiel, we pay attention to the small details that make winter around here easier to enjoy, like which counter rents skis and which building closes on Sundays. If you've got a favorite snowshoe loop or a question about the trails near home, contact us. We're glad to compare notes.