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Best time of year and mtn versus gravel
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Albert B from Albuquerque on 7/5/2026 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 7/6/2026 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 7/6/2026 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 7/6/2026 6:39:50 PM:
Thank you for the comments and advice.
 
Chris from Helena,MT on 7/7/2026 10:13:20 PM:
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!
 
Gravel Biker from Rochester, MN on 8/27/2026 8:02:58 AM:
Aug 2026 Rode out and back with 44 mm tires(would have prefered 38) . Trail could be riden with normal road tires. I didn't see anywhere that would have been better with a Mountain bike.
 
Bullwinkle7 from Loveland, CO on 8/28/2026 11:18:18 AM:
Albert - we had one bike with 700x28C tires, not recommended, and two tith 650x47B which worked well. We did the trail by taking bikes in Class C RV to western destination, then rode a little bit less east back to our truck. It worked well! Most of the campgrounds were within a mile or less of the trail. Have fun!
 216.73.216.138
 
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