Map of bike paths / walking paths in the Lincoln area

Recreational trails for walking, running and cycling in Lincoln, Nebraska

Lincoln is located in Lancaster County in Eastern Nebraska and is 40 miles southwest of Omaha. This city is the capital of Nebraska and is home to the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It is situated on the wide open prairie and is surrounded by farmland and the natural greenways along the rivers and creeks.

The city and the county have a number of extensive recreational trails for bike riding, walking, running, experiencing natural areas and commuting to work or to school. There are over 134 miles of trails in the Lincoln and Lancaster County area. There are many trails that travel through the urban areas and the residential neighborhoods. There are also trails that can take you several miles away from the city core and follow greenways or along abandoned railroad lines. The trail system is continuously expanding, adding a healthy outdoor recreation opportunity and improving the quality of life for this area of the state.

MoPac Trail West and MoPac Trail East

The MoPac Trail System is a 27-mile long paved and unpaved pathway that starts in the center of Lincoln and travels east through the residential areas and across open farmland to the City of Wabash. Much of the trail was constructed along an abandoned railroad bed.

MoPac Trail West is the 5-mile long paved section of the trail that goes through the urban areas. The west end of the MoPac Trail West is located at N 24th Street and W Street, a couple blocks east of the University of Nebraska - Lincoln campus. There are several other major trails that converge in this area such as the Rock Island Trail and the John Dietrich Trail and trails along Antelope Valley Parkway that lead to the Salt Creek Trail. From N 24th Street, the MoPac Trail West heads directly east for 2 miles then to the southeast. The route of the trail goes past Peter Pan Park and Bethany Park.

MoPac Trail East is the 22-mile mostly unpaved section of the trail that goes cross country though open farmland. Most of the route is away from highways, though you will be crossing a number of country roads. The west end of the MoPac Trail East is located at S 84th Street and Hazelwood Drive. The trail goes right past the YMCA Spirit Park then drops down south to loop back and forth across A Street. Much of the trail has trees on either side, making for a pleasant ride. The trail goes along the southern edge of the Crooked Creek Golf Club and through the community of Eagle. In Eagle, the trail goes by the city's park where there is parking, a restroom and play areas.

After going through the community of Eagle, the MoPac Trail East then travels another 8 miles to the community of Elmwood. The trail heads to the northeast and goes for another 3.7 miles to the tiny community of Wabash. The east end of the MoPac Trail East is at 322nd Street, just 1.4 miles south of Alvo Road.

Read more about the MoPac Trail West

Read more about the MoPac Trail East

Rock Island Trail

The Rock Island Trail is a 6.7-mile long paved trail that starts near the University of Nebraska - Lincoln campus and extends south to Densmore Park. It connects with, or is located near, several other trails, such as the Billy Wolff Trail, the Tierra Williamsburg Trail, the Helen Boosalis Trail, the MoPac Trail and the trails along Antelope Valley Parkway.

Homestead Trail

The Homestead Trail is a 30-mile long unpaved trail that extends from the south side of the Lincoln area to the City of Beatrice. The surface is crushed limestone and the trail was constructed along the route of an abandoned railroad bed. Its tree lined route takes your through wide open farmland away from the highways for much of the route.

Read more about the Homestead Trail

Billy Wolff Trail

The Billy Wolff Trail is an 11.25 mile long paved trail that starts at  the intersection of Capitol Parkway and S. 27th Street and travels southeast through the residential neighborhoods as far south as Pine Lake Road. The north end of the Billy Wolff Trail is at the junction with the Rick Island Trail, which heads north up to the UNL campus. The billy Wolff Trail goes through or right past several parks and other attractions, such as Neighbors Park, Lincoln Childrens Zoo, Antelope Park, Jim Ager Memorial Junior Golf Course, Eden Park, Roose Park, Pansing Park and Holmes Lake Park.

Read more about the Billy Wolff Trail

Salt Creek Levee Trail

The Salt Creek Levee Trail is a 4-mile long paved trail that starts at the Nebraska Innovation Campus on N. Antelope Valley Parkway then travels southwest along Salt Creek to end at a point just south of Highway 2.

At the north end of the Salt Creek Levee Trail you can hook up with several other major trail systems that lead out from the downtown area. From the south end you can connect to the Jamaica North Trail and the Bison Trail.

Eugene T Mahoney State Park Trail

Eugene T Mahoney State Park is located along the Platte River and Interstate 80, about 25 miles to the northeast of Lincoln. The park has a 2.5-mile long unpaved trail system, camping and picnic facilities.

Oak Creek Trail

The Oak Creek Trail is a 13-mile long unpaved pathway that spans between Brainard. Loma and Valparaiso to the northwest of Lincoln. The trail has a surface of compacted crushed limestone and follows the route of an abandoned railroad right-of-way across open farmland. The trail has few road crossings and is fairly remote.

The northwestern end of the Oak Creek Trail is located along W. Novak Street / 30 Road on the south side of Brainard. The southeast end of the trail is located along Oak Street to the south of W. 2nd Street in Valparaiso.

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Resources

Following are links to official off-site resources to find out more details about the recreational trails in the Lincoln area of Eastern Nebraska.