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Cowboy Trail - East Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 21 Google reviews · Running trail in Norfolk, Nebraska · Hours vary
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Mixed
- Distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Not reported
Confirmed from Cowboy Trail - East Trailhead's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
What runners say about Cowboy Trail - East Trailhead
“Very good scenic ride up to the metal bridge that crosses the Elkhorn River.”
I biked the complete trail from Valentine to Norfolk 7/5-8/2023. Best sections, in my opinion, are: Valentine to Wood Lake, Bassett to Stuart, Battle Creek to Norfolk. Trail is notorious for sandburr (goat heads) that flatten bike tires...
My first walk on the Cowboy Trail!! Great trail to walk....hope to come back and walk farther!! 🚶♀️ 👌🙂
Very nice concrete trail at the beginning. The trail turns to crushed stone trail at around mile 3 or 4. Very good scenic ride up to the metal bridge that crosses the Elkhorn River. After that! It gets boring really fast!
Trail conditions & character
“The trailhead in Valentine is unloved, bathrooms locked.”
“The areas paved with the pink gravel can have loose spots that are like biking through wet snow while the areas with white stone seem to be well packed without loose spots.”
“The areas paved with the pink gravel can have loose spots that are like biking through wet snow while the areas with white stone seem to be well packed without loose spots.”
Plan your run at Cowboy Trail - East Trailhead
The practical stuff
- AccessHours vary — hours are not posted for this trail, so check before an early or late run
- SurfaceMixed — more than one surface along the route, so check the segment you plan to run
- DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadrestrooms — reported by runners
- Websiteoutdoornebraska.gov
- Phone(402) 471-0641
Running trails near Norfolk
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
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