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Best time of year and mtn versus gravel

Albert B from Albuquerque on 07/05/26 9:28:39 PM

quick questions is end of september a good time to ride Trail.

Is Mtn bike best or gravel with 45mm

We will be sagging small teardrop trailer , is it easy to park it or camp along the way

thanks for feedback .

Chris from Helena,MT on 07/06/26 8:26:40 AM

Late September should be fine. 45mm tires would be a challenge due to soft, sandy sections of the trail. I’d recommend the Mtn bike. Almost every town along the trail has a campground where you can park your trailer. Some have showers. Have fun!

Kurt Kinbacher from CHADRON, NE on 07/06/26 11:05:36 AM

Hello:

Yes, September is generally a pretty pleasant month for most of Nebraska. The trailer should be no problem. It seems most of the campgrounds along the way are better suited to camper life as opposed to tent life. Although tenting is not a problem, either.

As of mid-June, the western part of the trail -- really from Valentine to Neligh is in very good shape. So, the 45s without carry gear should be good. There are some very soft spots once you get around Tilden, however.

Additionally, the stretch from just East of Chadron to Gordon should be all surfaced by September. Since you have the sag -- a day further our west would not be a problem.

Albert B from Albuquerque on 07/06/26 6:39:50 PM

Thank you for the comments and advice.

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Share ride from Northfork to Valentine

Dave Hattis from Fort Collins, CO on 07/01/26 8:40:37 PM

I’m planning on parking in Valentine and riding east to Northfork. I anticipate arriving in Northfork around July 16 or 17th. I hope to cache my bike and gear in a safe location in Northfork ( recommendations welcome) catch a ride to Valentine, drive back to Northfork, retrieve my bike then head to Onawa, Iowa for the start of RAGBRAi.

The catch is the ride back to retrieve my vehicle. Any recommendations suggestions?

Chris from Helena,MT on 07/02/26 9:15:15 AM

Have you checked with North Fork Outfitters? They offer shuttle services to Valentine and could be a good option for leaving your bike.

Bullwinkle7 from Loveland,CO on 07/02/26 2:38:45 PM

There is a campground at the trailhead in Valentine, the camp host might be able to help you out about a safe place to leave your bike.

Dave Hattis from Fort Collins,CO on 07/03/26 5:33:21 PM

Thanks for the advice.

If anyone is coming out early for RAGBRAI and they are riding east to west on the cowboy trail, we could potentially coordinate vehicle retrieval.

Any thoughts on July riding conditions is appreciated. I anticipate hot and windy. I’m thinking early morning and evening riding if I can find shade for a long afternoon rest.

Will flathead’s be present?

Kurt Kinbacher from CHADRON, NE on 07/03/26 9:37:38 PM

There is a bike shop in downtown Norfolk (pronounced Northfork). They might be willing to store your bike. No harm in asking.

Chris Smith from Helena MT on 07/04/26 8:29:51 AM

Dave, riding early and late is a smart choice. Given the way towns are spaced along the trail about every ten miles, you shouldn’t have any problem finding places to hang out in the shade or indoors during the heat of the day. Most city parks have shelters and several have swimming pools so pack a suit if you want. If “flatheads” are the same thing as goatheads, we didn’t encounter any and only saw one plant that looked like it might be the species that produces them. Good luck!

Kurt Kinbacher from CHADRON, NE on 07/04/26 12:13:07 PM

Dave:
Yes, there are rattlers along the trail, but you hardly ever see one. All the towns along the way have good, shady spaces. On the trail itself, not much in the way of shade until you get to Neligh. Be sure to stop in at the Newport Poolhall. Happy riding.

Dave Hattis from Fort Collins,CO on 07/04/26 6:10:40 PM

Thanks for the advice.

I meant “goat” heads not flatheads, though screws on the trail are equally bad! I’m riding on 35 mm tires designed for both developed trail (crushed limestone, etc) and road. These are tubeless. Hopefully this set-up will be sufficient to avoid flats.

Is it permissible to camp anywhere along the trail?

Chris Smith from Helena MT on 07/04/26 11:10:23 PM

Dave, you cannot camp anywhere along the trail but almost every small town along the trail has a park or campground that’s easily accessible. Some are free, some cost $7 to $10. Some have showers. All are well worth it. If you read through other threads in this forum you’ll learn a lot. There are also several informative videos on YouTube you should check out.

You may find it challenging to ride 35 mm tires. There are several stretches of soft sandy ground so stay alert! My partner rode 700x50s. I was on 29x2.0s, which is the narrowest I’d ever consider for this trail.

Sandy from Loveland, CO on 07/05/26 10:38:39 AM

Dave, Riding on road tires on the Cowboy Trail is an interesting experience! Be ready at all times to hit soft sand pockets, they will test your skills to stay upright!

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RV camping

Betty from St. Charles, MO on 06/28/26 9:17:00 AM

Has anyone camped at the Sunset Motel & RV Park in Hay Springs? If so, how far off the trail is it? Can you ride to the trail from the campground? Thanks for any info!

Kurt Kinbacher from Chadron NE on 06/29/26 5:20:26 AM

Hi Betty, Cowboy Trail west is only surfaced from Rushville to Gordon at the moment. The finished part is Valentine to Norfolk. Highway 20 out west has ample shoulder all the way across the state.

Kurt

Tony Hindman from Hay Springs, NE on 06/29/26 6:42:54 AM

Hi Betty,
The park and campground in Hay Springs is just a block from the trail. Bear in mind that the trail is not surfaced through Hay Springs yet, but if you're adventurous, it is passable.
Welcome to Hay Springs!
T.

Kurt Kinbacher from Chadron NE on 06/30/26 5:56:42 AM

Hi again Betty,

I just heard surfacing between Rushville and just outside of Chadron should begin mid-July. So if you are planning early autumn,. . .

But the corridor is passable, as Tony noted, now, but maybe a fat bike orange fully suspended mtn bike would be good choices.

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Subway in Ainsworth

Liz from Vienna,VA on 06/21/26 3:53:38 PM

This Subway is co-located at a gas station so it keeps longer hours than other local options, in case you find yourself at a loss for a place to eat. They also sell ice cream.

Paula DeWald from Fort Wayne Indiana on 06/21/26 4:57:58 PM

So nice to get a few words from you and great suggestions. I’ve been waiting for you to post anything about your trip. My husband and I want to do the Cowboy Trail the first week of September. The last week of August looks to HOT. No one seems to say anything about snakes on the trail. We usually ride trips that have snakes in the early Spring so I don’t see any. ie: We rode the Natchez Trace in the middle of March 2020. I realize they are more afraid of me but I’d rather not run into them. That being said I’m wondering if we should ride the Cowboy Trail during a colder month. Thanks for any help you can provide. Paula

Liz from Vienna,VA on 06/21/26 8:30:39 PM

Hi Paula, I did not see any snakes. That said, I didn't wander off the trail on foot into the prairie grasses or marshes! This is the only time I've been in Nebraska so I can't speculate what time of year would be best to avoid snakes.

On both that topic and weather in general I would defer to the Nebraskans here. It was very windy in mid-June and not too hot. One day got pretty warm in the afternoon, but mornings were fine. I would be more concerned about the wind but that might be a year round thing.

Chris from Helena on 06/21/26 9:32:56 PM

Liz and Paula, the new friends I made in Nebraska said the wind blows 9 days out of 7 there. ;>) I believe them. We had wind every day, almost always in our faces. Still a great ride.

Kurt Kinbacher from Chadron NE on 06/22/26 4:34:28 AM

There are snakes in Nebraska, I just finished riding and saw maybe 5 snakes running themselves on the trail in the morning. That was for the whole length of the trail. The campsites are quite developed, so not much to worry about in camp. We have rattle snakes out here, but they are very shy and always announce themselves. I did not swe a rattler ( or hear one) this trip. Kurt

Paula DeWald from Fort Wayne Indiana on 06/22/26 9:37:49 AM

Thanks Liz and Kurt. I was concerned about the snakes because people think they see more of them when it’s really hot and it will be much hotter out there in August and September this year (so far anyway).
I really like the idea of the out and back rides too from the cities and towns. It always amazes us what we see when we ride a complete trail both ways like the Michelson Trail in SD for example. Appreciate you both! Paula

Bullwinkle7 from Loveland, CO on 06/22/26 10:44:53 AM

Paula, we rode the Cowboy trail in May 2024 and saw no snakes. Also it was early enough that goat heads were not a problem. We had two vehicles so we generally road to the east. We would park our RV at the western location for the night and ride east back to our truck. We had only one day where the wind was from the east. It was a pleasant ride, stay alert for hitting pockets of soft sand, not too bad if tires are 2”+, but unnerving when tires are thinner. I had the bike wi thinner tires??.

Paula DeWald from Fort Wayne Indian on 06/22/26 4:32:27 PM

Thanks to Loveland CO. We are semi retired so we can come out anytime. When I was young boys put snakes down my back on the way to school as we had to walk through a wooded area. I’d just rather not see them. On the Katy Trail I saw a 12 inch lime green one that was ok. Last February I saw a 24 incher in the State Park in Gulf Shores while biking with my husband and brother. My brother said….why are you screaming? LOL
We’re coming to Omaha for a wedding August 29th so it makes sense to do the COWBOY TRAIL after that. If it’s not too hot I’ll be brave and we will do it. I don’t mind wind and I love the cold, I’m from Canada originally. When we did the Natchez Trace we had 14 mile an hour winds every day.
We’ll be riding our 4 inch (tire) Titanium Fat Tire bikes so it will be great. The best part of the ride is meeting the great folks along the way and other bikers.
Thanks again, Paula ?????

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