Reply to Cowboy v. Katy

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.