Routes across Nebraska?
 

Wondering if anyone has some routes they have ridden across central or southern Nebraska? We have ridden the northern part already.
Thanks!

Eastern Express Connector Walden, CO to Indianapolis, IN
https://www.adventurecycling.org/rou...ess-connector/

Tom -

Be aware that many areas of central and western Nebraska have had huge fires already this spring.
The all-time record heat and drought this winter have impacted most of the West.

https://nsco.unl.edu/news/wildfires-...-acres-burned/

I've ridden nearly every county in Nebraska.

Hwy 92 through the Sandhills is the most scenic east-west in Nebraska albeit with limited services.
There is often an inverse relationship between scenery and services.
From Broken Bow to Arthur is simply gorgeous.
Because most of the Sandhills were never plowed, you see the Great Plains as they once were.
There are sweet, paved county roads east and west of Broken Bow.
(There is a huge feedlot operation near Broken Bow that stinks to high heaven.)

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e5155fb6c0.jpg
Stevenson Lake Sunrise


Hwy 2 is another good option thru the Sandhills. Scenic, not quite as remote.
A major railway runs close to the highway much of the way, however.
Hwy 91 from Burwell to Dunning is an excellent eastern connector.
This route is almost as good as Hwy 92 scenery-wise.
Hwy 2 also had more convenient connections to the west -
depending on where you are going.

Eastern Nebraska has a bit more traffic and superlative routes are harder to come by.
There are only 2 crossing points of the Missouri between Omaha and Sioux City -
Blair - just north of Omaha; and Decatur - halfway between Blair and Sioux City.
Decatur has a lovely, small campground right on the river.
But - - - the Decatur bridge is steel mesh and a challenge to cross.

<<<>>>

The Eastern Express route runs only thru the southwest corner of Nebraska and offers little.
US 30 which parallels I-80 and often is right next to the Union Pacific railroad has little scenic interest.
It's flat, often with significant traffic, with lots of huge trains rumbling by.

Many years ago we took US 30 from the Colorado border to Iowa boarder. (Much of the route followed the old Pony Express route and the Oregon Trail.)
The whole way had a wide shoulder.
The western half had low traffic. The eastern half was busier but very doable, except in a couple of cities.
There was a town every 15 miles with basic services.
Check the prevailing wind for the time you plan to ride. Winds in Nebraska can really be a moral breaker.

I've ridden US 30 / Lincoln Highway three times, last time was in 2023. There is good and bad with that route. Except for far eastern edge, it follows the Platte River and the corridor where Interstate 80 goes and the main rail lines. So it has plenty of towns, moderate amounts of traffic and is flat. It is also the busiest and not as scenic or with small places to see. Each of those times I rode it I had different reasons for preferring this as the "easy" route. Most recently, in August 2023 there was a "heat dome" with extreme temperatures (https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth...ral-us-151751/) so I was making short days in the mornings and spending the afternoons inside.

What has amused me about that route was multiple signs of people "getting through Nebraska on way to somewhere else", e.g. Pony Express, Lincoln Highway, Railroad lines, Mormon Trail and I even saw a postcard of Interstate 80 on an early trip.

Main Rail Lines!!!
Yes we entertained ourselves by watching the trains go by. It seemed, there was a 30 min. interval between each train. As I recall the trains were all West bound in the AM and all East bound in the PM.

PS -
Which direction do you plan to travel?
Also, where are you heading before and after?
Time of year? Late spring is gorgeous.
Summer is quite hot, but a bit cooler than Kansas or S.D.
The unplowed Sandhills act as a natural air conditioner.
(But a heat wave is a heat wave.)

My wife and I rode Highway US 20 through Nebraska as part of our ride across the U.S. Highway 20 is the longest contiguous road across the U.S., going from Newport, Oregon to Boston, MA. It looks like you may have covered that area already. It was a great place to ride! I'll be interested in what other routes folks recommend. We would like to go back and spend more time there.

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So a tentative idea is to start at West Yellowstone and follow the TA and work our way to Cheyenne. Then east towards Iowa.
we rode the Northern part maybe 5 years ago.
Start time from West Yellowstone would be mid-August.

A bit of Decatur, Nebraska bridge scoop,

I lived in Burt County from 2008-2013 and witnessed the Corp of Engineers controlled 2009 flood - the very thing the Corp promised never would happen again when flood control was built on the northern Missouri river unfolded before the community eyes. The river that had been redirected multiple times over the previous 100 years found the old channel and settled right into it while dumping tons of sand on top of farmland. The bridge was not in great condition prior to the 2009 and it only got worse. The Rt 30 bridge at Blair is a much better choice but it carries large amounts of truck traffic trying to avoid Omaha. If forced to choose, I'd walk across the Decatur bridge and I'm scared of heights.

2019 also marked a year of epic flooding. I personally know Randy in this article. Farmers have a real love/hate relationship with the mighty muddy Missouri.

If you are looking for food in Decatur, the last time I was at The Green Lantern food was quite good... that was 10+ years ago so I cannot speak to the present experience.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...9da3d7e87f.png


The current map FYI.

I regularly drove Rt 30 to Grand Island and remember the wide shoulder but still would be uncomfortable with the large truck traffic passing me. Road travel on any of the main routes will include multiple large trucks hauling critters in various stages of the life cycle so be prepared for memorable aromas and potential exposure to/personal contact with aromatic materials...

Starting from Cheyenne, you will probably be on highway 30. As far as Nebraska goes, I have ridden HWY 30 from west to east. Out west, not much shoulder, but little traffic usually. Shoulder starts shortly into the state. Very good shape for the most part. More scenic out west. Services are great on 30, but if you are moteling it, you will need to ride towards I-80 in most towns. Going through towns like Sidney (neat downtown area), Ogallala (Front Steet) Paxton (Ollies Big Game bar), North Platte (Buffalo Bill museum). Pretty scenic through Brady and then its the Platte River Valley for a good stretch. Kearney has a bunch of good museums, the Archway. I live and farm a few miles north of Kearney. Depending upon where you want to exit Nebraska, you can stay on 30 and be around the Omaha area. Use some bike routes to get on the Wabash Trace trail if you like a limestone surface. That can take you to the Missouri/Iowa state line if you want. Or get on highway 34 at Grand Island and head towards Lincoln and Nebraska City. Good bike trails in and around Lincoln (I have ridden most of them) If you are exiting Nebraska in the far southeast, you could meander south earlier in the state and enjoy, IMO, a more scenic ride. Many ways to do it. Middle of Nebraska, as a few posters have mentioned, has some neat little highways. I have ridden several in the years of riding the Bike Ride Across Nebraska (BRAN) and other state rides. In 2019, I raced across the U.S. on the Trans Am Bike Race and used Nebraska routes from Scottsbluff to Omaha. Here is a link to the journal. https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/..._id=22776&v=YK

Here's a suggested route across central Nebraska -
with the Sandhills as a focus.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/54608622

The route is all paved - the county roads may be a heavier grade asphalt.
Also, Nebraska is famous for having old concrete under its asphalt state highways.
The concrete sections from the 1950s are uneven so you get butt bumps.
I'm sure you know these.

Nearly all of the route is low to very low traffic. Even insanely low in the Sandhills.
You might have three or four cars pass by in an hour.
But if you had a problem, the first car would stop to help.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...2806bde20a.jpg

No cars, no telephone poles, no fences

Services are evenly spaced with overnights every 50 to 65 miles.
Possible stops:
Cheyenne - All services
Pine Bluffs - Most services, by I-80
Sidney - Most services, by I-80
Ogallala - Most services, by I-80
Arthur - Excellent small motel and "downtown" restaurant
Stapleton - Multiple Airbnbs, grocery/deli
Broken Bow - Most services
Burwell - Most services
Albion - Most services
Madison - Most services
Decatur - Riverside campground, restaurants

If I remember correctly, y'all prefer to stay in motels, right?
There are nice campgrounds in or near all of these communities.
There are also communities in between that have some services.
Nearly all will let you camp in the town park if you find yourself in a bind -
Weather, heat, just plain tired.

PS - There's a great back route from Cheyenne to Pine Bluffs.
Avoids miles and miles of service road right next to I-80,
but it does entail 5 miles of unpaved county roads

<<<>>>

A reminder -
Although Yellowstone got close to normal snow this winter,
the rest of Wyoming had record heat and lack of moisture.
We are expecting a terrible fire year this year.
And August is peak fire season.
There may be national forest closures, even highway closures.
And smoke can be pretty bad.
Not trying to be a Debbie Downer, but that's just what it is.

I appreciate all the replies! Rt.30 sounds intriguing. Our idea is to enter Iowa then head in a NE direction to a small ferry crossing of the Mississippi. We used this o ce before and liked the area. Then head through Wisconsin toward Milwaukee and take the ferry across Lake Michigan.

That's a neat route. Taking in some cool stretches, like the river road between Arnold and Calloway and "Democrat Hill" between Calloway and Broken Bow. The little town of Arthur with the church made out of straw bales and the smallest courthouse in the U.S is a little gem. I think I've covered all of that route at one time or another. Time this ride just right, and it ends close to the starting point of this years RABBRAI!!

Thanks gif4445 from Kearney. It's unfortunate that so many cyclists miss the Sandhills.
The empty, winding roads of the Sandhills are a far cry from the Platte Valley.
But, hey.

If you want to ride southern Nebraska I would recommend US136. 30 years ago I and some friends rode and camped our way back to Boulder from RAGBRAI via US136,NE89 and US34.

2024 I rode US136 again from Keokuk IA to Boulder on my motorbike. Good road all the way through with shoulders anywhere from 1’ to 3’ and most of it little to no traffic. Not as flat as route 30. I would call it gently rolling hills. Some of the towns still have free overnight camping, I camped in Franklin.

Others mentioned US 20, I rode that and NE 12 (Outlaw Trail) on my return trip and both are fine roads with many historical POI’s . Some of the towns on 12 are farther apart (20mi) There is also a railtrail across part of Nebraska, I don’t recall the name.

The Cowboy Trail, pardner. Named after the former C&NW Cowboy Line that became redundant after it was taken over by UP. From what I have read, the riding conditions vary.