Cyanide tailings have become one kind of the most hazardous solid waste. In order to recycle iron in the cyanide tailings, we present a technique using roasting- water leaching- magnetic separation. After analysis of the different parameters on recovery efficiency of iron, the optimum reaction parameters were proposed as the following: in reduction roasting process, weight ratios of cyanide tailings / activated carbon at 100:10, roasting at 750 °C; the liquid to solid ratio is 15:1 (ml /g), leaching at 60 °C for 5 min at water leaching. The grade of magnetic concentrate 53.8231％Fe and recovery rate of 76.5458％ were obtained. Mineralography of roasted product, water-leached sample were studied by X-ray powder diffraction technique (XRD).