The Cowboy Recreation and Nature Trail is notable for many reasons including being the Nation's longest rail-to-trail conversion and Nebraska's first State recreational trail. The historic Chicago and Northwestern Railroad right-of-way, now the Cowboy Recreation and Nature Trail, passes through spectacular Nebraska scenery as it travels from Norfolk west through the Elkhorn River Valley. Farmsteads, cropland, and timber-covered riverbanks dot the landscape. Currently 64 miles of this trail are open for public use. When finished this hiking, biking, and equestrian trail will stretch 321 miles across Nebraska, making it the longest rail-to-trail conversion in the Nation. The trail will pass over 221 bridges and through 29 communities.
