Cowboy Trail Forum

I realize this is a very subjective question but I'm driving from west to east starting in Chadron. Could anyone suggest several choice spots to stop and camp along the trail then ride an out and back in each direction. It's my first time through here and if like to recon some nice areas. Thanks for anyone who responds

I walked from Valentine to Ainsworth and I think the most beautiful part of the trail is the first 15 miles east of Valentine. I recommend you find a place to leave your bike in Valentine. Not sure how many miles you want to ride. At 15 miles you are at a new cell phone tower and a windmill where you can get water. You could turn around there and go back to Valentine. If you want you can go another 10 miles to Wood Lake. There is a very nice city park with water and a well kept lawn ideal for camping. It is another 10 miles to Johnston. There is no place to eat in Wood Lake. There is a nice bar and cafe in Johnston. Most of the trail follows Hwy 20 and the view is on par with the highway. The highway has 8 foot shoulders and little traffic. All the bikers prefer it. The 15 miles east of Valentine is mostly away from the highway. It is out in the sandhills and is a great experience. If you are going to ride any of the trail that is the part you definitely want to ride.

Thanks Paul. I'll be in the Valentine area tomorrow 9/13. I'm planning on driving/riding/camping most of the way to Neligh. I have a small motorhome and plan to stop and ride/camp along the way. Out and backs, whatever. I am taking about a week to do it so I should see a lot of it. Thanks for getting back to me

Traveling south of Valentine you will cross the Niobrara River. About half way up the on the south there is a parking lot on the east side of the rode. You can park there and get on the trail and walk north to the Railroad Bridge. It's a great view. Then hike back to your vehicle.

Just reading your post. This is what I would like to try and do the trail from Norfolk to Valentine. How did the park and ride both directions from your vehicle go? We're you able to find spots go park?

Hello! I am interested in biking this trail round trip. I'm wondering how often there is potable water and how many liters people are carrying with them at a time? I'm also curious if you have to camp at designated campsite or if you can set up your tent along the trail. Finally is it safe to bike the road from Valentine to Gordon? I have relatives I would like to visit while I'm in the area. Thank you for your help!

I am planning a trip to ride the trail from O'Neill to Valentine later this year. I see there are shuttle services available, but does anyone know if they drive that far and will they carry bikes? Or what do you find the best way to find a ride back to the starting point, besides ridding another 100 miles :)

Contact North Fork Outfitting in Norfolk. They shuttle people and bikes, I think from anywhere on the trail.
https://www.nforkoutfitting.com/

Hello, does anyway know what stretches are gravel and which ones are paved?

We just rode from Valentine to Norfolk. All stretches are gravel except when going through some of the towns. It is paved in Norfolk.

I did some recon today (27 June 2017) in Valentine, and this campground is now closed. :(
Super sad because it's location was PERFECT (half mile?) from the parking lot to leave cars and start the trail! And is right on the river near the awesome bridge!

Sad to hear this but thank you for passing it along; I have removed it from the listings.

Be prepared for flat tires. I picked up a thorn from weeds growing in the trail. The gravel is a bit deep in areas and not as packed as I would like. Deep holes and washouts near bridges need maintenance. Overall this ride is worth the trip and has several neat features including towns and bridges. Most of the trail is in direct sunlight with very little shade. I enjoyed the ride and was surprised by how little this trail is used. We stayed in Valentine. The Corner Pub was the place to be on a Friday night. Small town with no bike shop but most services. Bring extra tubes. A for scenery and bridges. Trail condition B-. Make the trip it's worth the drive. Very friendly people.

$5 per night. Plenty of shade trees. Not on the trail, but it's an easy 1mi north of downtown. (The trail crosses Main Street, which is the leg of Hwy83 running North from Hwy20 and is the historical downtown area that still thrives. Main Street will narrow to 2 narrow lanes and then forms a Y. Go right when it Y's, and the park is in your right).
Free showers, toilets, & water. Grilling stations and picnic tables.
Well kept grassy areas with a creek running through it. Picturesque.
1mi from Public library that has free wifi. Library is on east side of Main Street.

I'm curious what season is best for calm weather for biking the trail. Both strong winds and storms are things I'd like to avoid as much as possible.

The calmest weather would be early September, that is the low season for thunderstorms and you have a better chance of getting some calmer days. You can also have long stretches of calm dry weather starting in early July but expect the days to be in the mid 90's and the wind always blows 10 to 12 MPH even on the calm days

October is usually also storm free and lower winds so from Early september to Mid/ Late October

We were wondering the possible timeline for completing more of the trail from Valentine west? We may plan a bicycle trip for fall 2018.

Also, how much of the 195 mile current trail is on roads and how much on old railroad bed ( off road, not just on bicycle lane on side of road?)

As far as I know, any further expansion past Valentine is in limbo, and I would not expect any work to be done before your 2018 trip.

The entire trail is actual trail, not roads. But you will often hear of people using shoulders on the adjacent highway for portions of the trail. The main reasons for this are:

- Sections of the trail where the gravel is not well-packed enough, or too weedy.

- Places where a bridge is out. I came across two of these when I rode the trail 3 years ago.

- Some people just prefer solid pavement to packed gravel. Obviously skinny-tire road bikes are not good for the trail.

Hello there, is there long term parking a the start of the trailhead in Norfolk?

Yes, you can leave your car at Ta-Ha-Zouka park, which is where the trail begins. You're supposed to let someone from the park staff know if you'll be parked for four or more days (though I figure it can't hurt to notify them even for shorter overnight periods).

Happy trails!

To Cindy, I have ridden both trails and I prefer the Katy trail due to the fact that the trail by the most part is well maintained. There are numerous stops for food, water, repairs as well as medical help. You are able to get shuttle support and there is also the Amtrak train to shuttle bikers and their bikes in some locations. You can see services under the towns and services tab in both trail maps. Happy Biking pedler4

Has anyone thru hiked the entire trail Norfolk to Chadron?

I've noticed that most are traveling from Norfolk to Valentine. I'm planning to ride the trail in 2019, wouldn't it be best to ride West to East, Valentine to Norfolk? I live in the Midwest and know how the wind can blow. I know the grade is slight, but that way its all downhill also. Thoughts?

I would like to hear comments on that also! I hope to do the trail yet this summer and was planning a valentine to Norfolk route. Pros and cons appreciated

We are going Norfolk to Ainsworth and back later this year and will let you know.

Elevation is 1000 feet Norfolk to Ainsworth or 6.69 feet per mile. UP to Ainsworth and down to Norfolk. Still relatively flat land.

Something to think about. Most people want ot ride in the morning to 'beat the heat'. That being said, riding East to West (Norfolk to Valentine) puts the sun at your back for the ride. Going West to East, puts the sun in your eyes. As far as the wind goes, it doesn't matter, you'll have wind hit you at all sides in any direction you choose.

One other consideration is going against the flow. I've done a lot of hiking trails and you see less people going with the flow. If you go oposite way you meet everyone very very briefly.

You also meet to know those on the same schedule, stopping at the same places etc. A good chance to swap stories over a beer or 2

I haven't ridden the trail but lived in Nebraska and Kansas for many years. Typically, in summer months you will experience a southerly wind - sometimes south westerly when a storm is coming. Looking at the map, I think it will probably even out.

I do lots of trail riding, GAP, KATY, C&O Towpath and local trails here in Louisville and my hometown of Pittsburgh. I also do lots of long distance kayaking on creeks, rivers and the Great Lakes. The rule of thumb, if you are going out and back it to go uphill, upstream or into the wind on the way out. When we did the KATY one way, we traveled west to east, because it was our first time and we wanted tailwinds and downhill. Same for a Pittsburgh to Washington ride. However we are doing a DC to PIT ride this year, because we want to see the other side of the trees.

Wondering about the trail from Chadron to Valentine. Is it bikeable?

I've ridden the GAP 3x and the GAP and C&O from DC to Pittsburgh to give an idea of my experience.

Thanks!

I rode Norfolk to Valentine this year and we ended up riding mostly hwy20 instead of the cowboy trail. The trail west of Valentine is not finished, but hwy20 had great shoulders and traffic is not very heavy in that part of the state. Beautiful Sandhills scenery.

So you were on the shoulder of the road most of the trip? WTH? Why are they saying its complete?

I'm disabled walking and biking are out. My daughter is going with me can we use small scooters. Also weather early oct

Hi, my wife and I cycled the Cowboytrail in August 2016. Here is the link to the videoclip with a few impressions (I shortened the long version including German narration to this short version with soundtrack only) http://tinyurl.com/cowboytrail

Awesome. Thanks for sharing this clip. Looks like you had a good trip. I hope to ride the trail next summer.

Thanks for sharing!! Hope you enjoyed the trail.

Nice! Thanks for posting. My wife and I are thinking of doing part of this trail. Is the trail surface suitable for a road bike? I have ridden on crushed limestone and had no problems.

It is much coarser than the crushed limestone of the Katy trail , I would suggest atleast a 1.5 inch cross over if not a mountain bike. We went woth fat tires my only regret was our weight

Great video, thanks for sharing!

This was an amazing video --as a local I recognize many of these locations and even caught a peak of our motel on the left corner of your American Flag Hay Bale stop. :) FYI: Each year for our annual celebration "Hay Days" (Aug 17-20,2017) there is a different hay sculpture erected in that very same spot! A little birdie told me this year there would be a "HayMaze"!

If we were to do the entire trail from Norfolk to Valentine, what are our options for getting back to our car in Norfolk? Any other suggestions for those wishing to do the entire train but only one way?

Similar question: If starting in Valentine, how to return from Norfolk.

Talk to Panda Transportation, based in Valentine (click Valentine on the map above, scroll down and click the Panda link). They're the only shuttle that I'm aware of along the trail. They will take you to/from pretty much any point in the state of Nebraska.

You might also be able to find a traditional taxi company based in one of the major towns like Norfolk, assuming they have a vehicle that can accommodate your gear.

Transportation can be a significant part of your expenses, but that's not surprising when you think about it. To carry you from one end of the trail to the other, the driver is spending pretty much a whole day driving round trip, plus putting hundreds of miles on their vehicle. Just another necessary cost to build into your trip budget.

Good luck and happy trails!

At the Sandhills Guest House Motel in Atkinson we have made numerous efforts to help accommodate those riding the trail. Just last fall we had a father & son riding and the father fell ill partway through their trip. We checked with locals through social media and found them an inexpensive (free) delivery back to their vehicle in Norfolk the very same day. Highway 20 (parallel to the trail for the most part) is well traveled by locals --most of whom can be trusted and are willing to help someone out. We are very happy to help make these connections when needed.

Cowboy Trail Nebraska: Norfolk to Battle Creek
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4B0qYcwyoM

Cowboy Trail Nebraska: Battle Creek to Meadow Grove
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2SsHySfw_w

This is MY Neligh - Cowboy Trail
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3oRQRduGVo

Cowboy Trail: Neligh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZHbwZyx5X8

Cowboy Trail Nebraska
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pHH2S7aR4k

Cowboy Trail, October 2008
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dg8-aJ5XAuo

Cowboy Trail: Norfolk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wo0JhjUhkbI

Cowboy Trail Nebraska: Valentine area
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQMBGtMPwLk

Cowboy Trail
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuQAPDJQT7Q

My boyfriend and I did the Katy trail two years ago and loved it! We are looking at doing the Cowboy trail and wondered how it compared - shaded paths, surface type, accommodations along the way. I see a lot about riding along a highway? Do you detour to the highway for a reason?

My son and I rode Norfolk to Atkinson three years ago. Things may have changed since then, but probably not much.

- You'll see a lot more people on the Katy than Cowboy. We saw hardly anyone else on Cowboy, except for a few locals riding around their towns' part of the trail. This is probably due to several factors, including how much each state promotes the trail, how well-known each trail is in the cycling community, and each trail's proximity to large population centers.

- There's less maintenance on the Cowboy - some sections were "weedy".

- Both trails are about the same in flatness.

- Both have small towns at similar distances along the trail, with enough food, lodging, and camping services.

- Both trails let you see an amazing slice of small town Americana, with wonderful people.

- Both trails use the same type of small crushed gravel.

Regarding the highway, there were I think two places where a bridge was out on the trail, so we hard to detour over to the highway which was parallel to the trail, maybe 1/4 mile away. Each detour was brief, maybe a mile or two if I remember correctly.

I'd certainly recommend the Cowboy trail. It's definitely different than the Katy, quieter, but shares a lot of the characteristics that make the Katy such a great experience.

Thinking of backpacking Norfolk to Neligh and back with friends early August. Anyone done this? What is the weather like around then? I see comments regarding the wind. Water sources for filtering?

Go to Cowboy Trail Home on the menu above and then find weather or click this: http://www.bikecowboytrail.com/cowboy-trail-weather.aspx
it is weather and you can see projected weather reports.

Does anyone have any experiences that they might share about running any sections of the Cowboy Trail?

I would love to see more 'Running' related events in all the different areas along the 'Cowboy Trail'. Whether if it's a runners hike, fun run or race. That would be great. Thanks for your time.

I would love to talk to someone that has ridden on The Cowboy Trail. Will horses really cross the bridges?

Planning to do the trail from Norfolk to Valentine. I'm looking for places to eat along the way. Specifically what are the options like between Ainsworth and Valentine. Google showed a diner in Wood Lake that was permanently closed. That seems like a long stretch with out many options.

There is a fantastic diner right off the trail as you come into to stuart. Right on Highway 20 on right as you come into town. Always busy with locals
cast iron bar and grill, plan a stop here, nothing quite this good in Bassett which is 20 miles West

Pack some food! You're in the heart of the sandhills west of Ainsworth, in my opinion, because it's wide open spaces. Bar in Johnstown and then I don't recall anything until Valentine.

Best prime rib you'll ever eat is at the L-BAR-B restaurant in Clearwater - it's a must stop

We will be driving through Valentine in a rental car. Anywhere nearby that rents bikes?

There are no places to get bike tire patches or pumps in Neligh, Oakdale, Tilden or Meadow Grove. Maybe a gas station would have been able to fix a tire- thankfully we didn't have to find out as we didn't get any flats. People we talked to in Meadow Grove as we dropped off the car had had 4 flat tires between Norfolk and Meadow Grove.

The section from Neligh to Oakdale is slightly downhill so it is easy going. Oakdale to Tilden is flat and has a pretty thick layer of new gravel which makes for mucky traveling. We opted to ride on 275 for much of that section. Tilden to Meadow Grove was flat with not to much extra gravel and the trail goes farther away from 275 right near Meadow Grove so there isn't as much car noise.

It took us about 3 hours to do the whole 18 miles

I thought we were the only ones on the trail good to hear you made it

7 miles west of atkinson, hit a patch of goat heads ( un seen ) and cause three flats. Did not expect goat heads this time of year. We think we got them when we peddled around a gate that was too narrow for our bikes but not sure ,

Here is the full blog post on our short leg

https://travelreporter.wordpress.com/2017/05/30/the-cowboy-trail-and-sand-hills-nebraska/

I was thinking of late September or early October to beat the heat.

I rode the trail the last week of September and it was wonderful. If it's hot jump in the spring fed long pine creek at the state recreation area...good stuff.

We are thinking of doing an out and back trip from Norfolk. When weather hits and it rains how is the trail? Hate to be stuck somewhere unable to get back. Thanks.

The trail does alright, I would say it depends more on your bike/tire selection. I've ridden on it in the rain and it's not bad at all on a MTB. If it gets too messy you can always bail and ride on HWY 275/20.

Hi:

We are coming in from Ogallala, NE, pulling a small pop up tent trailer. We'd like to stop in Valentine and unload our bikes for a short ride up the Cowboy Trail. Where can we safely park our car and camper?

Barb & Paul Molina

Also, would like to see a response to May question referring to ruts on Valentine trail from 4 wheeler usage.

You could park in Valentine's city park (North side of town) and go to the trail head from there but be prepared for a tough climb coming out of the park to get to the trail head. I believe there is some adequate parking at the trail head as well next to the little liquor store, if you're just going for a short ride.

How is the trail by Valentine? Last I heard it was full of runs from four wheelers.

I meant ruts.

I was there in late April and it was fine!