Cowboy Trail Forum

Hi all,
I was hoping to walk from Valentine to Norfolk with my pup. I have a large dog stroller and was going to tote what we needed with us. Do you think this is a fool's errand or do you think it is possible?

A second question, is there enough camping grounds/hotels along the way to accommodate a journey like this? I am a teacher so I have all summer off and plan on starting mid May.

Thanks for any input!

Hi Matt. Most people ride the trail on bicycles. You could get a bike and a trailer to hook up to the back of the bike with your pup. People have hiked it but it’s about 10 to 15 miles between towns and not every town has camping and places to stay. It seems like camping is very popular on the Cowboy Trail. There is a shuttle to transport you and your pup if needed so you can walk one way. Valentine to Norfolk seems to be the best way because it’s downhill with the wind at your back hopefully when not a cross wind.
It would take some planning but you two could do it. May seems like a good month because it gets hot in June and the rest of the Summer months. You will be walking in wind almost all the time too they say on the Cowboy Trail but it seems very popular. We were going to ride the trail in the first week of November but the weather turned too cold. Maybe we could ride it in May next year and see you and your pup on the way, I’m no expert of course because we didn’t ride it yet but I did did do a lot of planning for it and people helped me on the forum so I felt I wanted to help you. Apparently the best part of the trail is the other bikers you meet and the great people you meet in Nebraska. Best regards, Paula

Hello! Thanks for reaching out about the Cowboy Trail. The trip is certainly doable - while hiking the entire trail is not done as frequently as riding a bike or horse, people do it for sure!

Some considerations:
- I'd recommend something similar to a jogging stroller, or one that at least doesn't have the small hard plastic wheels.
- The longest stretch will be Valentine to Wood Lake which does have a campground for tents but the distance is about 25 miles. The rest of the trail towns are 8-15 miles apart.
- I'd say all towns have at least a place to camp, may need to talk to the city about camping at the city park. The larger ones have hotels, google maps will be your friend.
- The trail is dog friendly, a 6' leash is required though by park regulation.
- May can be wet, bring a rain jacket.

With proper planning the trip is absolutely doable. I hope you come out and do it!

If interested:

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/20/travel/great-american-rail-trail-progress.html?unlocked_article_code=1.bU4.u434.aPPQyNphOe7Q&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

The trail east of Long Pine no longer has a giant crater in it. Thanks for the patience while we got this one done.

Excellent!!

All - the repair 2 miles west of Neligh next to the highway is complete and passable. Some minor work remains but it can be used again. Thanks for everyone's patience.

PS - the Long Pine Hole is nearly complete, hope to see it open in at the beginning of November.

Hi folks, we have updated our shuttle, and are offering a fall special...up to 2 additional riders free!($150 value) Total cost for 1-6 riders $450! Call 402-316-0157 for reservations.

So here I am again asking for some more help. I’ve been trying to figure out the best mileage ride and places to stay. It sure seems to me the the mileage differs a lot when watching Cowboy Trail videos and other information I’ve been gathering. I certainly would welcome suggestions. So far the best seems to be longer rides and staying in Valentine, Ainsworth, O’Neill and Norfolk or what I just said and throwing in an overnight stop in Neigh.

My other concern is the Rails to Trails website says there’s about 5 trail closures. Doesn’t seem like to long for detours but they also say the Niobrara Bridge is closed. For you wonderful bikers that live in Nebraska I’d welcome your help in figuring this out.

It would be nice to ride the trail the last week of October. I notice on the web that Bubba’s Pampered Peddlers is doing a ride in June over 5 days but doing shuttles back and forward for lodging. Thanks in advance for help and advice. Paula ?????

Your overnights will work fine. I usually stay in Long Pine vs. Ainsworth, but there are a lot more amenities in Ainsworth.
Detours aren't a problem. 4 of them are right next to highway 20, there's a wide shoulder, and most drivers even move over more. Awesome drivers here! Detour on the east side of Long Pine can go either way. On the way to Valentine we usually go left on the gravel to avoid the sun in our and drivers eyes in the early eve, but it's usually both rough and soft(sandy soil). On the return we take the highway option and that's good. None of the detours have signs on the highway(apparently the DNR can't do that for liability reasons?) so you have to watch for the right gravel to turn on. The site can tell you the length of the detour.
Bring plenty of warm clothes. Last year we went in Oct. One morning was 28 degrees! Have a great ride! I always say that the Cowboy Trail is an adventure! Tailwinds!

Thank you Doug so much for all your help and info. We will be riding West to East Valentine to Ainsworth, Ainsworth to O’Neill, O’Neill to Neligh and Neligh to Norfolk We are getting pretty excited. Thanks for the info on the detours as well. We do have warm biking clothes. Looking forward to meeting the friendly folks of Nebraska along the way and riding the miles. We will be riding fat bikes with tubeless set up. Thanks again Paula

I plan to ride Norfolk to Valentine and at the end would like to return to Omaha somehow. Are there any shuttles that run Valentine to Omaha?

Only shuttle service I'm aware of is North Fork Outfitting in Norfolk, NE. (402) 316-0157 Give Tony a call!

I can hook it up, it will be a 10 hour drive for me, so I'll need to make arrangements to get my kid to school, but that's not a major issue. That being said, you may want to call and discuss the cost...402-316-0157.

Two of us doing Norfolk/Valentine/Norfolk Sept 9-14 and just curious as to the goathead situation. Some years it's been horrible but the last two years were good/great. Just curious as to what to expect. Thanks!

So far this year my experience has been good, but I use slime and generally have good luck with it - all bets are off the moment you leave the trail though.

Just finished from Valentine to Norfolk. Condition of trail was great from our experience. East side of Long Pine goat heads were more visible on the sides but had no issues on the trail. They have done a great job mowing on the edges of the trail which has likely helped. I would definitely suggest taking the detours when they arise (don't ask how I know).

Hey Alex and Scott, thanks for the updates. The past two years trail maintenance has really stepped up, and glad to hear that's still the case. One year I had seven flats, which really sucks on a loaded bike.
Word will get around about better conditions and more people will use the trail. Tailwinds, brothers!

Yeah goatheads are tough to manage. Puncture vine produces hundreds of seeds per plant and each seed is viable for 5+ years after it has detached meaning every tire (car, tractor, utv, or bike), shoe, hoof, paw, gust of wind, or deluge of water, will transport seed despite our best management efforts spraying or removing the vine from the trail when it is seen. While we do our best remove the plant on the trail area, it can help only so much when surrounding uses (roadways, ag, residential, commercial lots) don't need its removal so the opportunity for seed to make its way onto the trail will always be there. The hundreds of road crossings of the trail don't help either, that's where I find we have the most goathead issues. The trail superintendents are doing a great job with what they have to work with. Adjusting some management practices seem to be paying off in minimizing their presence but I think goatheads will just always be lurking, waiting for their next victim. I too have had the double flat 3 miles out of town and spent hours pulling dozens of goatheads out of the tires but that was years ago now. Happy Trails!

Got home last night after another 400 mile out and back from Norfolk to Valentine back to Norfolk. Trail conditions are great! This trail is now finally on a par with trails like the Katy Trail, just more of an adventure and not as crowded. I picked up a total of 3 goatheads, all at lunch/break stops(Ewing ball field, Neligh park. I went tubeless this year for this very reason and had no problems. I did see a massive goathead plant right under the hydrant at Tilden, tried to pull it up with only biking gloves on which was a massive mistake. The Cowboy Ultra started late in the week, so perhaps trail maintenance was at its peak, but each of the last 3 years it's been great, and each year better than the last so kudos to the staff.
Signs prohibit horses on the trail as I understand it, but there are always horse tracks west of Atkinson and Stuart, and we met a group of 5 horses east of Ewing on Sat. so people don't pay attention to the signs. Fortunately it has been dry and the trail pretty well packed so they hadn't torn up the trail too badly.
A nice touch this year are the mile marker posts, which are really neat looking. Unfortunately I probably only saw about 30-40 of them because I'm not looking at the side of the trail, but your experience may vary.
I'd give the Cowboy Trail a 10/10 rating. Keep up the good work!

Thanks for the trip report and for coming back to ride the trail!

FYI for any locals that wish to cheer them on:
https://www.kbrx.com/2024/09/12/cowboy-200-this-weekend-locals-to-participate/

And for all you out of state folks there is live tracking of runners: https://the-cowboy-200.legendstracking.com/

Good luck to all the participants!

It was pretty neat. I hope the event continues.

Ewing City RV Campground has sites with electric and water for $13 per night. Yes, they are gravel RV pads, but they will work fine with your tent and sleeping pad. There are no trees or covered shelters.
There are bathrooms and covered shelter toward the baseball field in Schmidt park.

110 Electric
Flushable toilets.

Right off the CBT! This park has very lush grass and ample trees for shade. A small bathroom has 1 stall for each gender. It has metal picnic tables in good condition and a covered picnic shelter in case of rain. An ideal place to camp, but none of the stores appeared open. If you need to restock water, there is a spigot.

Electric - 110 volts
Flushable toilets

I recommend Ma's Cafe in Wood Lake. We had a really good breakfast there after camping in the park. It was quite cheap also.

Anyone riding the trail in the next few weeks who might be interested in sharing transport somehow? I'm flexible with dates, have a car with racks and thought there might be a way to work together.... called the shuttle in Norfolk and it's $450 to Valentine... trying to keep expenses down and just thought I'd put out a feeler to see if anyone was interested or had any ideas!

My husband and I are riding the Cowboy Trail in October. We like the cold. It appears you can rent a U-Haul truck in Norfolk and drive your bike in the back to Valentine for a lot less than the shuttle as long as they can get you their smallest truck. We’ve done this on a lot of Trails in the USA either an Enterprise van rental or a U-Haul truck.

Can you use an ebike?

Yes, as long as it meets the Class 1, 2, or 3 qualifications.

We found 2 sets of bathrooms (one by grandstand and one by baseball fields) - both nice with flushable toilets. The city park sign has SHOWER crossed out now, and we don't think that service is available anymore. There are RV spots with electric and water ($10 per night), or non electric sites ($7 per night). A few covered picnic shelters were available, with water spigots, 110v electric outlets and a pop machine. The picnic tables are old, crusty paint - but have structural integrity.

Flushable Toilets
Electric: 110v

So first of all thank you for you helpful comments. Next, it looks like we could ride the trail the during the last week of August and the first week of September. We’d also like to to the trail out of Omaha on our way home as long as we’re coming all that way. Ideally we’d ride East to West and drive a U-Haul back to Norfolk so we wouldn’t be seeing the trip ahead of time. We’d be riding our Salsa Muluck Titanium Fat tire bikes with our gear and staying in hotels. At this late of date how feasible would it be to get lodging at the towns between Norfolk and Valentine? Before I start trying to plan it all out I thought I’d ask. We’d ride about 10 miles an hour. Thanks very much for your help.

Shouldn't have too much trouble finding a room a few weeks out but hotels can randomly fill up if there is an event or large construction crew rolling through a town where beds are limited. If you're self contained I might recommend planning an 7-8 average mph pace and if you go faster, great! The speed difference on the trail vs pavement is fairly substantial along with headwinds. Last, if you plan to get a U-Haul in Valentine, definitely call the shop and verify everything is set up in addition to whatever online truck rental you make, it's more of a local U-Haul affiliate than a dedicated U-Haul location. Hope you come out and enjoy the trip!

Sorry I forgot to ask about secure bike ?? ?? storage on the CBT. We like to take our bikes inside our rooms. Obviously it’s available at the bigger hotels on each end but what about the smaller hotels and motels in between? I am kind of done with secure bike storage at B&B’s etc. Thanks very much. ?????

Shouldn't have an issue storing bikes in your hotel rooms. If you really want to confirm just ask the desk clerk/manager. Your bike tires are often cleaner than the boots of the hunters, linemen, road crews, etc. they have staying there!

Great Forum very helpful. My husband and I would like to ride the Cowboy Trail one way and put our bikes in a U haul truck for the return trip. Either way doesn’t matter. My challenge is I don’t want to run into snakes. I was wondering if it’s cold in October and November or even early Spring so the snake would be out by the trail. Most of the videos of the Cowboy Trail don’t mention snakes so I’m wondering if it’s really a problem. Thanks very much.

I've done the trail out and back every year since 2018 and have never seen a snake. Not to say you won't, but I'd say that it's a non-issue. Last year I did it with my brother in Oct and we had some pretty cold weather a day or two. Going in Sept this year.

Are there snakes around? You bet! Do they want to bother you? Nope! They really aren't a problem, it's the mosquitos that will drive you nuts in the summer evenings. October can be decent but expect cold nights. November you're really upping the chance of trip ending snow. September is a great time to ride the trail IMO. Hope you come and enjoy the trail!

My son and I rode from Valentine to Norfolk last week. This is our second time riding the trail. Both times neither of us got any flats. I ride Schwalbe Marathon tires which have been pretty much bullet proof. My son rides regular gravel tires and innertubes with self sealing goo in them. I think the thing that saved us from flats is being concussion to walk our bikes anytime we get on and off the trail and check for thorns before we remount. The trail itself seems to be pretty thorn free but we did notes a lot of thorns in off trail area.

The trial was in generally good condition with several detours that are marked. Although, they did get some heavy rains this week so check for updates.

I recommend stopping at Ma's in Lake Wood for breakfast and the Bassett Lodge and Range Cafe for lunch in Bassett. There is also a little pool hall right of the trail(south side) in Newport that is free to use. We did the trip in two days, which is doable if you are in good shape and the wind cooperates. This is a little challenging and I probably would plan a minimum of three days if we do the trail again.

Thanks for making the trip and sharing your experience!

I plan to do a round-trip pedal, perhaps starting late next week (August 7, 2024), starting in Valentine.

What experience do people have in terms of long-term parking while on the trail?

Thanks - Kevin Thomsen

I've not had any problems leaving my vehicle at the city park on the north side of Valentine, just make sure the vehicle is out of the way. You could also call the Comfort Inn next to the trail head and ask about leaving it there for a week while you ride the trail.

Late last week brought some very heavy rains and localized flooding in the Long Pine - O'Neill area. There is some damage and downed trees. There are no closures but there is a fenced off area just east of the Long Pine bridge where you should exercise caution as you travel around. I'll post any updates as things progress.

Just finished a TDN ride with several taking the Cowboy trail on and off. I had road tires on, so I skipped the trail this time around. I will be taking a Cowboy trail later. Those who did however, really enjoyed it......no flats, accidents, and no deaths....unlike the road ride. The hit and run death on the road brought many to say, it may be time for trail riding to take the forefront.

Totally agree about danger of highway riding. I've ridden a lot of highway miles... but have decided to do trails..should be less danger from motitized vehicles!

UPDATE - The erosion spot by the Long Pine bridge has been repaired. The other hole on the east edge of Long Pine from the 2019 flood is starting construction next week and is estimated to be completed in 60 days. Pretty soon we'll be able to roll through Long Pine again!

I would like to come out and bike this trail soon, starting in Norfolk and riding west on the trail. I would be coming from out of state.

- If I flew out there what airport would I fly to?

- Are there places (Hotels) that are close to the trail head?

- When I got to the other end (Valentine) is my only option to rent a car and drive back to Norfolk?

- If I choose not to bring my bike, can I rent one in Norfolk?

Thank you!

- If I flew out there what airport would I fly to? Omaha is probably your best/cheapest option, Lincoln would be a close second. Or if you area alluding to having your own plane - you certainly can fly to Norfolk or Valentine, both have good local airports!

- Are there places (Hotels) that are close to the trail head? In Norfolk there are some good options a little over a mile north of the trailhead in Ta Ha Zouka park. There is sidewalk that goes all the way to the trail head from that area.

- When I got to the other end (Valentine) is my only option to rent a car and drive back to Norfolk? Valentine doesn't really have any car rental places, except a local U-Haul but that is an option. It might be worth considering renting a uhaul truck in Omaha, driving to Valentine and riding to Norfolk. You just have more options renting a vehicle to get back to Omaha to fly home if ending your trip in Norfolk. Last time I checked, renting a uhaul one way from Omaha to Valentine was about $325. North Fork Outfitting operates a shuttle out of Norfolk as well.

- If I choose not to bring my bike, can I rent one in Norfolk? Norfork Bike is the shop in Norfolk - I don't know if they rent bikes. Bike shops in Omaha probably do. I'd recommend a gravel touring bike with nice wide tires that are tubeless. Road bikes aren't suited well for the trail.

Hope this helps and if you come out, enjoy the trail!

While we've been riding sections of the trail flat free with a tubeless set up, I found it interesting to talk to two riders who rode from Valentine to Norfolk completely flat free without thorn resistant tubes, liners, or slime. While I wouldn't recommend it, it does say something about the upkeep of the trail currently. One rider, who started from Seatle Washington, was very impressed with the trail. The other, a local rider, was impressed as well. The only complaint was the lack of follow up detour signs around Long Pine. As one person said they detoured me off, but after that I was on my own. I did about two or three miles more than I needed to.

That's some encouraging news! I'd love to be able to skip the hassle of sealant in my tires and just go with tire liners for once! I wonder if there's a certain window on the calendar when they're worse, probably more dried out and lethal? I've had up to 6 or more flats on an out and back trip from Norfolk/Valentine/Norfolk in past years.
I've done this 6 or 7 times and noticed that the trail is VASTLY improved the last couple of years. I used to warn people that it was pretty rough. We're looking at maybe mid Sept after Labor Day so goathead updates are always appreciated.
I've always hated that there were no signs on the highway where the detours ended and I could go back to the trail, but it seems that I've read that the state won't let Alex post signs on the highway so I guess that lets him off the hook.
Tailwinds, brothers!

For what it's worth the gentleman from Seattle said that he didn't see any at all.

I also was on a road ride around Valentine earlier this year (TDN) and several took the trail for a stretch from Ainsworth to Valentine and all seemed to think it was in good, but soft, condition as rains had happened recently. No one mentioned goat heads at all. My wife and I had road tires on, so we took the road. After one of the riders was killed on a hit and run incident there was much talk of going exclusively to trails by many.

Our agenda is to ride the full thing this year. We have some things going on, so it remains to be seen if the full ride happens this year. If we do, I'm leaving the sealant in, but will carry spare tubes and a liner as a precaution.

I'VE BEEN TOLD that the burrs are worse later in the season. I can't verify that.

We rode the trail a few years ago (doing in again next week). We found that the trail itself was pretty good. We made a conscious effort to walk our bikes anytime we went off the trail (green spaces) and managed to do the whole ride from Valentine to Norfolk without any flats. The only place we got thorns in our tires was off trail and we were able to remove those before they did any damage.

Was planning on doing and out and back from Norfolk this Saturday July 20th. Had noticed in the spring the trail was closed just west of Norfolk. I can’t find any info you it has been reopened. If not is there a detour? Thanks.

Greetings - The repairs are complete but the trail has not yet been refreshed after construction equipment was on it so it's a little bit rough just west of the bridge. You can get through there now.

Thank you. Now if the weather holds off Saturday morning.

If anyone is planning to be in O'Neill this weekend while riding the trail - sounds like there will be an air show at the airport.

https://www.kbrx.com/2024/07/17/oneill-airport-hosting-nebraska-state-fly-in-airshow-this-weekend/?fbclid=IwY2xjawEE0DBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHZodMmbIH5a7vvSi4wD-E7o9HdWkLLcZQUIsUXZbp_aj1RiJ2kW5hNPMzg_aem_aO1AHLd6c6j6WiYnOMJn9Q

Saw this nice video about the Cowboy Trail on Youtube and thought it would help give folks on here looking to ride the trail a better idea of what the trail is like. Worth a watch if you are planning a trip.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMA64kE_wiA

I’d like to do 2 weeks on the trail starting in Norfolk in August. What is the usual weather/temps the first 2 weeks of August?

Hello! Thanks for the question - I would plan on it being hot and sunny, 85-95 degrees for the highs with high humidity. Most parts of the trail are pretty exposed to the sun. Be sure to carry plenty of water.

Which direction is trail down hill?

West to east (Valentine to Norfolk). That's also downwind based on the prevailing wind direction, but you can have headwinds either way.