Reply to Walking the Trail

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!