Originally Posted by Pop N Wood

I was born and raised in Omaha. Have lived the past 30 years in other places. But last spring spent a couple of months on Covid lockdown with my mom and got in quite a bit of riding. I was happily surprised by the number of bike trails Omaha has added since I grew up.

Downtown Omaha is easy riding. Flat and fairly wide streets, plenty of less heavily trafficked streets off the main thoroughfares. you can easily bar hop by bicycle in the area around the stadium. The old market is a nice draw if you have never been there. There is a pedestrian bridge crossing the river from downtown giving you access to the trails on the Iowa side. Cruise out and around Lake Manawa traffic free. Hit a casino for an inexpensive all you can eat buffet.

The Omaha riverfront trail heads north from the airport on the Nebraska side. I rode it a couple of times, pretty trail that hugs the river and winds through some wetland areas. Stay near the airport on the southern section, the area farther west and just north of downtown is high crime.

If you want to crank traffic free head more mid town to the Big Papio and Keystone trails. Nice wide MUPs following creekbeds with no cross streets. Lots of western meadowlarks to be seen (and dodged). There is almost zero shade so bring plenty of water. Heat and humidity rule, but wind can be a real bear, especially mid afternoon, so watch the weather forecasts and plan accordingly. There is a reason Iowa has so many windmills, one of the top spots in the world for wind energy

This is a good reference, as is turning on the bike trail feature of Google Maps.

The Cyclist?s Guide to Omaha | The Best Bike Shops, Trails and Rental Options

Enjoy your trip