Cowboy Trail Forum

was just wondering what is the best time of year to ride the trail? I am thinking about riding in late March/early April...

Nebraska weather is tricky. I doesn't get warm enough until late May/early June. Gets too hot and humid starting in August.
Cheers!

Some friends and I are planning to ride from Long Pine to Valentine and back this weekend. Looking for suggestions on camping spots along this stretch, and any smaller trails or features we should check out. Thanks!!

Hello. I plan to leave Des Moines mid June self contained and ride the trail from Norfolk to Chadron. From what I've gathered the trail does continue on from Valentine but the surface changes. Can anyone provide details on what I'll encounter after Valentine? I'm riding a gravel bike with 650B x 47 tires which have worked well on Iowa gravel and B grade roads. Also bringing tubes and patches. Thanks in advance!

Tried that last year this time. There is no trail west of Valentine - most places, the cattle fencing comes right up to the US 20 ROW. Occasionally you will see an old trestle or stream crossing where the RR used to be. But with a few small exceptions, you cannot ride it, plan to ride US 20.

Thank you for the info Karl!

I just returned from the Cowboy Trail yesterday. I was riding self-contained with three friends. I was riding a gravel bike. 38s with tubes. First day we rode from Norfolk to O’Neill. Camped at the city park. Second day we continued on to Long Pine, where we stayed at the Bunkhouse. We did have to ride a few stretches on the wide highway shoulder, due to trail wash-outs. 138 miles and no flats yet. Well day three was another story. We reached Ainsworth, and stopped at a convenience store before moving on, as we were heading out of Ainsworth, the trail became very rough and sketchy. After two miles, I had two flats. We had finally discovered the legendary Cowboy Trail thorns. My riding partners decided to move to the highway shoulder. I chose to walk my bike back to Ainsworth and arrange a ride back to Norfolk. I did not come on this trip to ride the last 45 miles on the highway shoulder. The trail was monotonous enough. My riding partners went on, but sent me a message about two hours later that they too were turning back and cutting their trip short. If you are counting on any food or drink in the towns, be sure to research amenities carefully. Several of the towns on the trail had no businesses at all. All in all I went away quite disappointed by the experience. I will not be going back to the Cowboy Trail.

I rode Ainsworth- Valentine this morning. No flats. I would recommend to anyone to run "tubeless" tires (or use slime in your tubes.) Rode about half the route on Highway 20 which had a great wide shoulder. They must have gotten a great deal on gravel as the Cowboy Trail itself had too much loose gravel and made for slow going. You're right, not much for restaurants in the small towns along the way. Most of them are just short of ghost towns.

Sorry to hear that some people have not had a good ride. I'm sure the flooding of last year had some impact on the trail. My husband and I rode the trail into the August of 2017... While there were problems such as cattle tracks, 4 Wheeler tracks & 4 wheelers, gravel and some stickers, we made the trip no flats. We rode back-and-forth hopscotch from Valentine to Norfolk and back camping along the way. We did find a great little restaurant in Johnstown, The L Bow Saloon. We stayed in that city park and ate at the LOW twice. Great food and people. For us it was a great experience and we actually were only on the highway for the short part at Clearwater. We did get out on the highway and bypassed the Co-Op at Ainsworth per a local who said that was a really stickery section. My only other experience riding long distance on a rail to trail was the Katy trail. Definitely the Cowboy Trail is not like the Katy Trail but it was a great ride for us in 2017. Hopefully they can get it repaired and people will continue to use it. Would really be nice if it got finished to Chadron. but that is probably a long hard haul.

Thanks for the info, I considered going tubeless but currently not setup that way. I'll look at the slime option.

Odd thing about the thorns. I've done the trail from Norfolk to Valentine and back twice, both times in mid-Sept. In 2018 I did it solo and had no flats. Last year did it with my brother and we had more flats than I can count, maybe 10-15 between us, and we were both running tire liners. And it seems like it's from Ainsworth on. The trail wasn't nearly as well maintained from Long Pine to Valentine either year, but if you can get by that it's the best part of the trail, you're kind of out there in the middle of nowhere. I look at the Cowboy Trail as an adventure, not just a sterile bike ride on a paved bike path. Services are pretty scarce the day you ride from Long Pine to Valentine so be prepared to fend for yourself like the cowboys did if you have problems. Last year it rained something like 5 inches the night were in Long Pine, and another 6" the next night that we stayed in Valentine. We rode through water on the trail, water on the highway, and two places where the trail was washed out and it took both of us to work together to get the loaded bikes across the chasm to the other side. While riding through about 6" of water on the trail in one spot I dropped into a hole washed by the current and had my cell phone sucked out of my jersey pocket. All in all, we had a great adventure and stories to remember for years. We'll see what awaits us this year...…
The remark someone made about new rock being applied way too thick is troubling because it's almost impossible to ride, even on a mtn bike with wide tires. A little more oversight of trail maintenance would surely be nice. I don't know what they could do about the thorns. I don't imagine that they'll be out there spraying 60 miles of trail given the economic situation.
"That which does not kill us makes us stronger"-Nietzsche

Appears no but are there other options besides Valentine to Chadron (gravel roads?) besides riding Highway 20?

The trail is fully finished and taken care of from Gordon to Rushville witch is just 15 miles.

The trail is fully finished and taken care of from Gordon to Rushville witch is just 15 miles.

Yeah! That is great news. Wished I was up there so I could ride that little section of the trail. Hats off to all the people that worked on that job. I know from experience that is a hard job to get trails ready to go so appreciate everybody's hard work! Thank you!

Thank you!

I've done a trip riding the full Katy Trail in Missouri, I'm currently planning to ride the Cowboy Trail round trip Norfolk to Valentine and back in mid-July. Has anyone here ridden both and able to provide a comparison of what to expect? Thank You!!

I have ridden Booneville to Hermann on the Katy Trail and from Valentine to Norfolk and back on The Cowboy Trail. The similarity is: Both are rails-to-trails.

Katy Trail is hard pack..what I rode. Cowboy Trail is gravel, sometimes sand and can be rough going. We picked up stickers(but fortunately no flats), encountered some weedy parts and one very weedy patch just west of Bassett. We found the trail and rode through it. Some paving through some towns closer to Norfolk.

We stayed in city parks along the way. Some had facilities and others had an outhouse and a hydrant. At the time we rode The L Bow Saloon in Johnstown was open.. great food and friendly folks..We stayed in an RV park in Stuart and Ewing and ate at a local bar..

We rode entirely on The Trail except a short portion by the co-op at Ainsworth and a section east of Clearwater that had damage from the flood of 2010

The Katy Trail has shade. Not much shade on The Cowboy (except through some towns). We rode in August 2017 and it was hot! Shade is at a premium. We rested in the shade of a small tree one day and was grateful for that. Then back into the heat for more miles than I can remember with no shade or break from the heat.

All that said...we enjoyed the ride...challenges and all. From reviews I have read there was more damage to the Trail in 2019. Each person has their own perspective. I thought it was a ride to remember(positive memory) and I would go back and ride again. I would love to see The Cowboy completed to Chadron but that might be a long time coming. I think they have a great treasure there and it needs to be kept up and used.

Is there still a detour east of long Pine? Also, is there a restaurant in Wood Lake?

When we were through Wood Lake in 2017 there were no eating establishments there. We did camp in their city park, right next to the trail. Next little town down the way Johnstown had a really good little restaurant called L Bow Saloon. We only peddled through Bassett. Did not stop to eat but it seems like it was a had several businesses in that town.

Rode it this morning. Yes, there is a detour east of Long Pine (just 2 miles).
No food in Wood Lake

FYI...there is no restaurant in Newport.
There IS a “pool hall” with snacks to purchase, so more of a vending situation.

Is the bridge by Valentine accessible from the west side? I see the approach on the east is closed.

Thanks!

Correct. It can be accessed from Valentine. A trail segment between the HWY 20 parking lot and the Niobrara bridge is closed due to some flood damage.

I just did the whole trail with my brother last week. We rode from Valentine to Norfolk. There were no closures near Valentine. It is all back open. Some of the trail was soft due to new gravel being put down and rain. There was closures out east. In several places where the road paralleled the trail it was much easier for us to ride the highway shoulder. Whenever the trail branched off from the highway we would get back on the trail.

Appreciate the trail status report. I do Norfolk/Valentine/Norfolk each year and it's often hard to find a trail condition report. Of course, last year it rained 11" over two consecutive nights and no trail report could have prepared us for that adventure!

Thank you Brenton, most informative

I'm looking to plan a 4ish day / 60ish mile backpacking trip. Very flexible but would prefer to find sections that aren't all highway side. Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated. We should have two cars so I think a one way route is doable.

My brother-in-law and I will be biking the trail for 2-3 days this summer. We were hoping to hammock camp along the way. Do the camping areas along the route allow hammocks? I know that some campgrounds do not allow them.

The camping areas along the trail are city parks or city owned campgrounds. I doubt you'd have any issue. If you want to find out for sure, contact the towns you plan on camping at and ask them.

Is this a paved trail

?????? Through some towns it is paved. For the most part it is gravel and some sandy spots. It can be little hard going but it's well worth riding. We wrote it almost 4 years ago on Ranz recumbent. Loved it even even through the rough spots. O would do it again. In answer to your question. No, the trail is not paved. But again...it is a great ride!

Planning a 2 day bike ride with friend. (50+ women in decent shape). Trying to figure out about how many miles per day is realistic (taking in a few rest and sight seeing in the trail). Anyone with suggestions of best parts to ride.

This varies a lot from person to person - for some people it might be 20 miles a day, for others it could be 80 miles.

Luckily you are close to the trail, so you can go out there and take some test rides on weekends. Maybe try riding just 5 or 10 miles out and 5-10 back. If you still feel good, do another 5+5 or whatever feels attainable. Try again the next weekend, adding distance, to see what feels right.

Don't just go out and ride 50 miles without a little advance riding, or it will not go well. You might be in great cardiovascular shape with strong legs, but your butt will be screaming if you you haven't gotten some "saddle time" in advance.

So that's not a very straightforward answer, but it's (I think) good advice. Once you get out and do a few long rides, your body will tell you the ultimate answer of what distance works for you.

Good luck and happy trails!

Thanks. My family is from Neligh but I live in SW Iowa and have the Wabash Trace trail realy close. Did a 20 mile ride in about 4 hours-but was sore. Thanks for the tip

My friend and I, 50s and 60s, average about 20 miles a day, but we have done more. We are so recreational, and enjoy exploring every little town. We talk and talk and pedal and pedal and take pictures, and talk and talk and pedal and pedal.

My husband and I rode almost 3 years ago. We would park in a town and ride 20 miles east one day and west the next day. So we could say we rode from Valentine to Norfolk and back. We had an absolutely wonderful ride and time. Love the trail
Lumps, bumps and all. All good!

My friend and I, 50s and 60s, just finished our longest days of 35 and 40 miles. That was big for us, but we still had fun along the way. We think exploring the towns are a big part of the trail. Very tired at the end of those days!

My wife and I have always wanted to ride the Cowboy Trail from one side to the other and were thinking of possibly attempting in late April, 2020. Can anybody please tell us if the current trail has been repaired to travel on since the flooding last year? Also, for those who have traveled the Cowboy Trail, are hybrid bicycles ok to travel with on this trail? We've biked the Katy Trail but from reading through these posts there seems to be quite a difference. Thanks for all your help!

A friend and I just finished the section from Norfolk to O Neill on March 12 and 13. The trail was often quite soft and resistant. There are marked detours for washouts and missing bridges. There was one large washout that needed some creative passage. Be aware, have fun, take the highway that parallels the trail when necessary.

Hey folks, just fyi, we have solid tire 7 speed Specialized hybrid rental bikes, other bikepacking related gear for use on the trail, as well as a full service shuttle. Call 402-316-0157 for info or reservations!

Does anyone have "eyes on" trail conditions RIGHT now? Most interested in the section from Norfolk to O'Neill. Curious about early spring riding. Thank you

I have just talked to Games and Parks and he said from Oakdale to Neligh the bridge is washed out. Also, from Neligh to Clearwater should probably take the highway.

Both are very short detours, the trail is 50 yards from the highway, so fairly easy.

Has anyone used Panda in Valentine for shuttle. I didn't get an answer when I called.

Last summer six of us used North Fork Outfitting and were shuttled from Valentine to Norfolk. It worked out just fine.

Thanks for the info.

Hi George, give me a call at 402-316-0157 to hook up a date.

Hi All,

I am an architecture student at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. My thesis revolves around the Cowboy Trail. I would like to design campsites and bike shops along the trail along with other programmatic spaces. I was wondering if anyone had any information about the trail. I am looking for:
- Maps
- Drawings
- How towns along the trail use the cowboy trail

Any information would be awesome. Thanks!

Do you do bike rentals or recommend a place that does? Family with 7 or maybe 8 riders .... too many for us to transport...

What is the price from Valentine to Norfolk. Looking for late September.

So what's the trail like from Valentine to Chadron? Is it passable, it is fairly well kept? We've ridden all but that part and would like to come back finish it and then go on up to the Michelson for a couple of days of riding.

Thanks

The trail from Valentine to Chadron is called US Route 20. I rode that way last May on a cross country ride, and was hoping to ride stretches of the “unimproved” trail, but it really doesn’t exist, and is behind cattle fences most the way. You might see a couple of old rail trestles off the road, but nothing rideable. I might be forgetting some rideable stretch here or there, but I don’t remember seeing any.

We traveled Valentine to Norfolk and back in August of 2017. When we questioned in Valentine about the passability of the trail from Valentine to Norfolk the report was not encouraging, however that was not the case. The trail was passable better in some places than others, but definitely worth the trip.. My understanding is there is a short segment west of Valentine complete, but that for the most part, it is still rough and incomplete to Chadron. We have been hoping for that to open up. We would love to ride all The Cowboy Trail... Trail building takes time, money and people with the desire... Maybe with some
oordination, people wanting to ride could supply some labor...but takes coordinating and cooperation..

There is 15 miles of newly surfaced trail between Gordon and Rushville, NE. Other than that, it is just the railroad bed (ballast/dirt) between Valentine and Chadron. Technically the cowboy trail ends about 5 miles east of Chadron at Mile Marker 400.

While a handful of people have attempted the portion west of Valentine, it is not easy and is not maintained as an open trail. I would not encourage anyone to do it, but it is possible if you're prepared. A fat bike or plus sized tire is almost required I'd say.

If you are seriously interested, give me a call - 402-471-5443