26 Nebraskaland • April 2025
in the country. That helps make this trail possible," he said.
"Now our big job is to figure out how to fill in the remaining
1,600 miles, including the segment of the Cowboy Trail that
still needs to be finished."
Two nonprofit organizations in the Panhandle, Cowboy
Trails West of Sheridan County and the Northwest Nebraska
Trails Association based in Chadron, are working with Game
and Parks and other stakeholders to develop the western
end, which takes users from the edge of the Sandhills
through another one of Nebraska's most scenic places, the
Pine Ridge.
Cowboy Trails West was born after cyclist Kris Ferguson
of Gordon was injured from being struck by a vehicle while
pedaling on the highway's shoulder. The cyclist gathered
with other persistent Sheridan County residents to advocate
for completion of the trail, eventually partnering with Game
and Parks to complete the portion between Gordon and
Rushville in 2015.
Contractors for Game and Parks decked bridges through
the Pine Ridge between Rushville and the terminus east
of Chadron in 2024. That section is projected to receive
surfacing in 2026. The trails association in Chadron is
working to develop a trail alongside the still active rail line
for the last 5 miles leading to its downtown area.
Once the section between Rushville and Chadron is
complete, a 91-mile gap between Valentine and Gordon will
remain. It is the trail's most sparsely populated section, but
proponents believe its Sandhills scenery has potential to
attract interest from afar.
"I'm sure we could get money to develop the entire
trail now," Duryea said, "but doing so without having
maintenance dollars would be setting us up for sure failure.
The big key is getting maintenance dollars. We don't even
have enough money to maintain what we have. We need to
get a little more money to spur development and maintain
Volunteers pile railroad ties and other debris that was
collected during a clean-up effort on the corridor east
of Chadron in 2016.
JUSTIN HAAG, NEBRASKALAND
New decking and rails adorn a bridge on
the Cowboy Trail in the Pine Ridge east
of Chadron. It is one of 26 bridges on the
abandoned rail line between Rushville and
Chadron that received decking and rails in
summer 2024. The section of trail is expected
to be complete and open as soon as summer
2026.
JUSTIN HAAG, NEBRASKALAND
