Cowboy Trail Forum

What is the best type of bike to use for this trail?

In April 2024 I had two other riders with me, their bikes had hybrid tires and mine had road bike tires. While my partners had 1-3 scary incidents in softer gravel, I had about 9-10 with the skinnier tires. If I ride the Cowboy trail again it will be with minimally 2" tires. The softer surface while generally at road crossing pop up randomly along the trail!

A gravel or mountain bike is better suited. The trail can have inconsistent surfacing at times where having a wider tire can help. I'd recommend a minimum of 40c or 2.0 tire width. Air it down a bit for some cushion and enjoy the "party pace"! Hope you come ride the trail!

Can I rent a bike one way at Valentine and return it at Norfolk? What is the best season for doing this ride? TIA

Hello!

Unfortunately, a bike rental option like that doesn't exist in Valentine. This area is very rural and the only bike shop "nearby" is in Norfolk but they don't rent bikes. Tony with North Fork outfitting in Norfolk does rent bikes, I'd say they are more suited for a day trip on the trail vs a multi-day tour but it could probably be done. He also offers shuttle service. UNL outdoor adventures in Lincoln rents good touring bikes as another option. If you're handy, people have shipped their bike to Valentine, built it, ride the trail, and then ship it back home in Norfolk. It is somewhat a challenging trail to plan for logistically because it is so rural, but that's the beauty of it too!

My favorite times to ride it are late April/May where you get to experience spring wildflowers, farmers planting, and young calves trotting around, and cooler weather 60s - low 80s. In late September/early October harvest will be happening so lots of agriculture in action (combines, tractors, swathers) in the adjacent fields. Weather is always unpredictable year round, keep an eye on the forecast for thunderstorms, heat waves, crazy wind, frigid temps, tornadoes, etc.

Hope you come out and ride the trail!

Thank you Alex for your very helpful reply!

Please let me know if you have used Panda Transpotation for your self and bikes after doing the Cowboy Trail? I am thinking of putting a group together for April of 2026 to ride the trail.
Thanks so much,
Ellynn

Ellynn, I can’t tell you anything about Panda, but would be interested in hearing if the group you are putting together is open to other riders. I’ve thought about doing the Cowboy Trail for a while and would prefer to do it with a group of like minded riders. You can email me at Cldsmith@msn.com.

I don't think Panda Transporation exists anymore. Give Tony a call with North Fork outfitting in Norfolk. He does shuttles along the Cowboy Trail. The other option is U-Haul.

I know many of the towns along the trail have some sort of campground, I was just wondering if camping on the trail is allowed?

Hello! Unfortunately camping is not permitted along the trail or the trail's right of way by park regulation. Just try to plan your days and milage the best you can.

We are considering a 120+/- out and back on the Cowboy trail. Any suggestions on the best section(s). We are seasoned long-distant bikers.

THX

Chris

Consider Long Pine to Valentine and back. Two of my favorite places are in that ride. Long Pine Creek bridge is nice. The stretch between Arabia Ranch and Valentine is the Sandhills at their best. You ride home on the downgrade if you start in the east, but I would ride out into the wind.

I can't say as we've been limited to the eastern half of the trail this year. I will say my wife and I bumped into a couple of riders in Battle Creek that had started in Valentine and felt the trail was in good condition except for a couple spots of rather deep gravel. One was near Tilden that I mentioned above, and one was near Valentine. They did say no flats, but both had tubeless setups.

Unfortunately, a couple of our favorite spots are out of commission. One between Oakdale and Neligh (waiting for a bridge replacement) the other between Neligh and Clearwater (which most likely will never be reopened as the river has reclaimed this area).

I feel the need to give my opinion on riding this trail. Many trails have stunning landscape which one always finds enjoyable. IMO this trail is about the ride. You sort of get the feeling you are crossing the plains much like fur traders, wagon trains and cattle drives once did.....especially in the western part of the trail. I feel you need to really enjoy being on a bike to enjoy this ride, which I do. Not everyone does. Imo the scenery is beautiful in its own way. We have done many trails (Katy trail, Mickelson trail, Erie Canal, Great Allegany Passage/ C&O, paved trails in Florida, Coeur d'Alene in Idaho, Centennial in Washington State and probably some that I'm forgetting) Personally I feel I enjoy all of them for different reasons. The Cowboy trail is no different in that aspect, but it is certainly different in the type of trail it is. Anyone thinking of riding this trail might want to look at some pictures of the sandhills before striking out. I personally know of one lady who has ridden the trail many, many times and says she always feels invigorated after riding it. Best 100 miles? I guess it depends on what you like, but you should do the whole thing at least once.

food is awesome

We've been gone part of the summer hiking and traveling, so I was surprised to see the trail west and east of Tilden has been improved. Yes, there are still some loose gravel spots so a little vigilance around this area is warranted, but it has been very much upgraded. The ride from Norfolk to Oakdale and back makes a nice 60+ mile ride.

I should point out that at Oakdale the detour takes you on the road if you are continuing west. I, and several others, have bypassed the road closed sign and continued for another 1.5 miles to the site where the bridge has been washed out. DO NOT go all the way to the edge of the trail however as the river has washed away and undercut the trail and it is just hanging over the river for several feet. Make sure to turn around at the sign before the river. Some have carried their bikes across the river and continued on the trail on the other side. I don't think this is a good idea as the Elkhorn can be unpredictable and this doesn't seem safe to me. Still the 3 miles out and back from Oakdale to the bridge out is in fantastic shape if you are turning around and heading back east.

Is there anyone on the way, (Stuart, NE area) that offers a return ride service to Norfolk? The wife and I would like to do a century ride one way rather than turning around at mile fifty and heading back to Norfolk. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Also, any more updates on those goat heads? Were thinking mid september for our ride. Thx.

As for goatheads, I returned from an adventure trip to western Ne last week and on my return trip decided to camp at Tilden and bike to Oakland and back and Norfolk and back . Trail was in great shape. Barely a hint of any vegetation on the trail. I managed to pick up one, but that may have been riding through the campground. My brother and I will do the entire trail both ways the first week of Sept and if there are any bad areas I'll post, but trail maintenance has been great the last few years.

Tony with North Fork Outfitting does offer shuttles. 402-316-0157

Need to leave a car in Norfolk for 1 night and 2 days. Is it safe to leave it at the park trailhead?

For sure! We Do It for five nights every year when we go to Valentine and back and there's never been a slightest issue. There is a dedicated Cowboy Trail parking area

Hello all, I would like to inform everyone that bridge 414 west of Long Pine is now open. I would like to that everyone for their patience. It took my crew and I a few days to make the needed repairs after the storm.
See you along the Trail,

Hi all - Long Pine and Johnstown area had multiple significant storms over the weekend and there are multiple downed trees blocking parts of the trail. We are working on cleaning it up. Please exercise caution in this area.

Temp Bridge Closure:

Bridge 414 is temporarily closed due to storm damage to the deck. You can detour around this bridge by taking 887th rd just to the north of the trail between 434th and 435th st. Bridge 414 is located at 42.536770, -99.787599.

Bump - Bridge is still closed. Just a short detour is required. Storm damage is cleared and the bridge will be fixed next week.

I'll be heading to w. Nebraska in a couple of weeks and thought I'd check out the completed section from Gordan to Rushville since I read that it's open. Any knowledge of trail conditions on this section? Alex?

Gordon to Rushville is open. I rode it back in April - the surface material from Gordon to the KSDZ radio station is just ok but serviceable, from KSDZ to Rushville is great. It's the western edge of the sandhills so there's minimal shade. I'll also say...bridges are decked from Rushville to MM400 (about 5 miles east of Chadron) and NNTA has cleared a single track the rest of the way to town. It'll Rushville to MM400 be surfaced in 2026.

Alex, thanks for the reply. So I could ride from Gordan to Chadron, albeit some of it singletrack? I'd wonder if the goathead situation on this section would be worse than the rest of the Cowboy with less upkeep, would that be a fair assessment? What would the distance be, approx. 70 miles?

The goathead situation is pretty much the same as the rest of the trail. On the trail you're fine, off the trail - YMMV. I'm just saying on the rushville to MM400 section the bridges are there...surfacing will be coming in 2026. Technically it's still closed trail, no trail maintenance is performed until it's developed. Gordon to Chadron would be 45ish miles.

Going to be riding the trail in September. Will be riding tubeless. Will we have problems with thorns?

It's probably too early to tell what it will be like in Sept, but 2 of us do it out and back every fall and the last 3-4 years the goatheads haven't been too bad. Before that there were years when it was a death trap but trail maintenance has been much better.

I've only had one flat report and it's up for debate if it's from the trail or moving off the trail in towns or a park. If you're tubeless you'll be fine but always have a tube for backup. If you do pick one up, I have had luck just leaving it in. It'll break off and the thorn part will act like a plug, your sealant will do the rest. September is a great time to ride the trail, enjoy the adventure!

I have walked quite a lot of the Oregon Trail auto tour route through Nebraska and this looks very much like something I would like to walk. I’m just curious, do people walk this or only ride it with bikes? I am interested in walking this but also would need to tent along the way each night. Would that be possible do you think? Is the terrain such that it would allow me to get off the trail and camp?

The trail is designed for hikers, bikers, and equestrian and is walkable. You are not supposed to camp on the trail right of way, but most towns have camping available. These parks are mostly right on the trail.

Thank you! I appreciate your feedback!

I've done this 8 times out and back(so 16 CT trips) and maybe run into 3 thru hikers in that time, and I know one of them didn't finish. Heck, I've run into at least 2 bikers that quit b/c it wasn't what they were expecting. It would be totally doable if you're up for it, but the only caution that I'd advise is that although Arabia is listed on the map it's misleading b/c it's only a road that the trail crosses so don't plan on getting water or anything there. Big disappointment my first trip. So it's 25 miles from Valentine to Wood Lake, which seems to me like a long way to carry water. Wood Lake has a nice campground right off the trail with water and a RR but no shower. Someone mentioned parks and campgrounds usually near the trail, but in Bassett it's on the opposite side of town so that's good to know. Don't let me scare you off b/c I love doing this each year b/c it's an adventure. Happy Trails!

Good to know! I just might bike it….. I can walk a 25 mile day, so no worries there, and I have a baby jogger stroller that holds all of my equipment so I will be able to carry water.

Are you currently able to ride the trail on the west end from Valentine to Chadron? I see it is listed as undeveloped, what does this mean? Is it passable?
Thanks for any information.

At the moment, it is rideable only from Gordon to Rushville. Highway 20 has a wide shoulder. Traffic on a lot of the road through Cherry County is light, especially early mornings.

Gordon to Rushville is completed - appx 15 miles. Rushville to about 5 miles east of Chadron will be open sometime later 2026.

Are there any companies that do daily luggage transfers

Give Tony at North Fork Outfitting a call - (402)316-0157. He offers shuttles, not sure about luggage transfers though. Also "Bubbas Pampered Pedalers" may run another fully supported ride next year. They just completed one at the beginning of June.

I stopped here for a break on the Cowboy Trail. Great spot to camp. It was only 10am when I rode by so I didn't camp. It costs $20 has water and electric. A nice shower room with AC and clean towels.

Tilden has great amenities for trail users! Thanks for your report.

Heads up we had some severe storms in the long pine area and have some downed trees blocking parts of the trail. We're getting things cleaned up but just exercise some caution in that area.

Hi, we’re planning to ride the trail in a couple weeks. We’re running tubeless so we need to top off our tires every day or two. Are there bike pumps available along the trail or in the towns? If not, what do others do? We have a mini-pump and CO2 cartridges for flats, but neither is convenient for routine topoffs. Thanks!

I run tubeless all the time and have a Lezyne mini pump strapped to my down tube. I don’t find it a hassle to top off the tires when needed. Alex with Nebraska Game Fish and Parks will know about air in towns.

I also use my mini pump. I make it part of the daily routine. You might invest in a battery powered unit. I do not recall pumps en route, but I never have looked. Happy trails.

We bike all different kinds of trails in the USA and I have a Lezyne Micro Floor Drive XL Pump
It’s only about 12 inches long and fits in my Salsa Frame bag. It can be purchased on line at cambriabike.com for $66.99. (bike shops usually charge $99.00 for it)
We use it on long trips like the 440 mile Natchez Trace and it was excellent topping off our 4 inch tire fat bikes so it would work really well for the Cowboy Trail for air. We don’t leave home without it. ??????????
PS Presta and Shrader compatible

Greetings! We have one bike fix it station with a pump in Neligh by riverside park. Alternatively, there are plenty of gas stations in the towns along the trail which have air available. If you have presta valves it'd be good to carry an adapter. A frame pump or small electric one is a good idea as well. CO2 works too but is better for emergency. Enjoy your trip!

Thank you, everyone!

My husband and I hope to ride the trail next month. We’re wondering what the road riding is like where the trail is closed and you have to detour. How wide are the shoulders? What’s the speed limit? And how much traffic is there? Any other info also welcome. Thanks!

Not to worry. I've done the trail out and back for 7 years and always been impressed by the consideration given to bikers by drivers. There is a nice wide shoulder and even so most will move to the other lane when passing. I think the speed limit is 65. Never as issue with someone passing me close.

I second Doug's comment - people driving on HWY 275/20 are very considerate of cyclists using the shoulder. You can use google street view to take a look if you'd like.

Street View example by Oakdale, NE:
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.0846279,-97.9720433,3a,60y,25.76h,82.91t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sqdDb0tizxBVEA2hMasz2KQ!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D7.093527642591681%26panoid%3DqdDb0tizxBVEA2hMasz2KQ%26yaw%3D25.760790871554676!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDUwNi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

Sorry that link was bad - use this instead:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/zLTXM7M4Mjum2p2s8

Thanks so much!

Greetings all - looking forward to another trail season. I've been getting calls and emails about visiting the trail so I thought I'd post an updated list of detours for those planning trips this year. As always I will post on here if we get any new damage or temp closures that arise.

Here's a list of current closures and detours:

- A bridge approach to our bridge, No. 211, over the Elkhorn River between Oakdale and Neligh is still out so you will need to take the highway shoulder between Oakdale and Neligh for about 4 miles.

- Between Neligh and Clearwater there is a section of trail that is permanently closed due the river reclaiming the trail in this section. You will need to take 519th ave back to the highway and ride around on the highway for about 3 miles. You can take 517th ave and head south to get back on to the cowboy trail. About a 2.5 mile detour for this one.


On NGPC's online trail map it will show a closure just east of the Niobrara River trail bridge, it is passable at the moment but exercise caution in the area. These detours are likely to remain the same for the remainder of 2025.


Happy Trails!

I rode the entire trail in mid May 2024 and had no flats. In 2023 I had 4 flats in 110 miles during that same time. None of the flats were on the trail, all on streets with the worst by a grain elevator. I presume trucks were carrying the burrs in from fields. I am back again in 2025 with tubes and repair kits just in case.

I'll bet that was in Bassett? A couple of years ago there were goatheads growing in the trail in the city limits by the grain elevator. Two of us did the trail out and back last year with no flats. 4 flats in 110 miles can give a guy a bad attitude!

I think the goat heads are seasonal and worse in the fall. We road the trail in august/sept and had an average of 5-6 a day between two bikes. Of course we were riding fat tires so we were sweeping the trail of goat heads for the two riders that were with us. They averages less than one a day.

Anyone interested in sharing a shuttle from Norfolk to Valentine on either the morning of Friday, May 23 or Saturday, May 24?