22 Nebraskaland • April 2025
oursing through cattle country, the name might
conjure up a dusty trail to drive longhorns across the
prairie. But the Cowboy Trail — formally the Cowboy
Recreation and Nature Trail — instead caters to the drive
of cyclists, runners, hikers and, yes, even some horseback
riders, as it crosses some of Nebraska's most scenic regions.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the trail, which
was born when trains stopped running on tracks operated by
the Chicago and North Western Railway. The historic route
known as "the Cowboy Line" was developed in the 1880s
and played a critical role in Euro-American settlement and
commerce in northern Nebraska.
When economic shifts forced the railroad company to
cease operations on the line in the 1980s, trail enthusiasts
capitalized on an opportunity. The Rails-to-Trails
Conservancy, a national organization based in Washington,
D.C., purchased the right-of-way between Norfolk and
Merriman for $6.2 million in 1994 and gifted it to the
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. The portion between
Merriman and a spot a few miles east of Chadron was added
in the early 2000s when operations ceased there. In all, there
are 317 miles.
At the time it was purchased, the trail was publicized
to be the longest rails-to-trails conversion in the country.
So far, 187 miles between Norfolk and Valentine have
been completed, along with 15 miles between Gordon and
Rushville. Work is underway to complete more.
Yes, development has been derailed along the way, but
progress continues, and like the Little Engine That Could,
proponents are building momentum with an I-think-I-can
attitude.
Big Features for a Big Trail
The Cowboy Trail is among the many rail-trails throughout
the nation that have capitalized on the gentle grade, 2
percent or less, and wide curves of old rail lines. Federal law
allows trail development of the lines through rail-banking, a
provision that preserves railway corridors should they ever
be needed for trains again, but allows recreational use in
the meantime. About 25,000 miles of rail-trails have been
C
The Cowboy Trail has two completed sections: Norfolk to Valentine, then Gordon to Rushville (solid line). Not yet
completed: Valentine to Gordon, and Rushville to Chadron (dotted line). Development between Rushville and
Chadron is underway.
Progress on the Cowboy Trail
MAP
ARTWORK
BY
TIM
REIGERT,
NEBRASKALAND
