Things To Do on an eBike in Buffalo County
Buffalo County riding is Kearney riding: concrete trails along a canal and tailrace, with a long paved trail that reaches the city from the Platte River crossing.
This guide covers four sourced routes and flags where the city's two documents give different totals. Shops are on the eBike shops in Kearney page.
Where to ride in Buffalo County
Kearney sits in the flat Platte River valley, so the trails have few grades, and the Platte crossing and open fields bring the wind.
Buffalo County riding country: Kearney canal trails and Platte valley.
Lengths come from the City of Kearney's trail guide and Game and Parks. The city's own two documents disagree on the total, so we give each trail's listed length.
1. The Links trail
The Links runs from Cottonmill Park along the NPPD canal to Highway 30 on concrete. The city's trail guide lists it first among Kearney's community trails and counts steps along it.
Distance: 2.77 miles; start: Cottonmill Park, 2795 Cottonmill Avenue, Kearney; surface: 8-foot concrete.
eBike access: The trail guide says motorized vehicles are prohibited on trails, and it does not name eBikes. Etiquette and planning: Trails are open sunrise to sunset, according to the guide. Managing source: City of Kearney, Trails.
2. Tailrace Trail and Betty's Trail
The Tailrace Trail runs 1.11 miles from Highway 30 to 11th Street at Yanney Park and has some rolling terrain. Betty's Trail continues from 11th Street to the 2nd Avenue undercrossing, with a 1.08 mile spur around the lake at Yanney Park.
Distance: 1.11 miles for the Tailrace and 1.77 miles for Betty's Trail; start: Yanney Heritage Park, 2020 West 11th Street, Kearney; surface: Concrete.
eBike access: The trail guide says motorized vehicles are prohibited on trails, and it does not name eBikes. Etiquette and planning: The guide says to walk your bike under the 11th Street railroad underpass. Managing source: City of Kearney, Trails.
3. Eagle Loop
A 3.07 mile loop that starts from the West Lincolnway Park trailhead and links to the Tailrace Trail and The Links, ending back at 30th Avenue.
Distance: 3.07 miles; start: West Lincolnway Park trailhead, Kearney; surface: Concrete.
eBike access: The same city statement on motorized vehicles applies. Etiquette and planning: Check the city's guide map for the turns, since the loop uses several trails. Managing source: City of Kearney, Trails.
4. Fort Kearny hike-bike trail to Cottonmill Park
Game and Parks describes a paved trail that begins at the Fort Kearny recreation area, crosses both channels of the Platte River on a former railroad bridge, and continues to Cottonmill Park in Kearney. The recreation area's own page says 1.8 miles of the trail run to Bassway Strip Wildlife Management Area.
Distance: 13.2 miles to Cottonmill Park per Game and Parks; 13.1 per a local station; start: Fort Kearny State Recreation Area, 2199 30 Road, or Cottonmill Park, 2795 Cottonmill Avenue; surface: Paved.
eBike access: Game and Parks lists the trail as a hike-bike trail and states no eBike rule, and its parks rule on motorized devices does not name eBikes, so ask before you ride a motor. Etiquette and planning: Sandhill cranes gather at the river bridges in spring, so watch for birders at dusk and dawn. Managing source: Nebraska Game and Parks, Fort Kearny.
Planning a Buffalo County ride
Start at Cottonmill Park with The Links, which is the simplest trail to follow, and add the Tailrace Trail and Betty's Trail for a longer run toward Yanney Park.
For a long outing, ride the Fort Kearny trail toward Kearney and plan the return, since it is about 13 miles each way. Birders watch for sandhill cranes from the river bridges in spring.
The city's guide marks trails as open sunrise to sunset, so plan to be off the trails before dark.
Half-day and full-day eBike plans
Short loop: Ride The Links from Cottonmill Park.
Half day: Add the Tailrace Trail and Betty's Trail.
Long ride: Ride the Fort Kearny trail one way and back.
What not to ride
After sunset: The city guide lists trail hours as sunrise to sunset.
Under the 11th Street railroad: The guide says to walk your bike through the underpass.
Hot afternoons: Afternoon heat and wind build on the open plains.
When to ride Buffalo County
Plan a Buffalo ride for a calm morning, because wind is the constant on Nebraska's plains and builds through the day.
Shop hubs
2 towns in Buffalo County have listings in the directory. Pick a town to see contact details and claim links for its shops.
Rental and tour operators
The directory shows no rental counter here. Before you plan on renting, call the shops listed on the Buffalo County eBike shops.
Nebraska eBike rules snapshot
Nebraska defines three classes of electric bicycle in sections created by LB 138 of 2023. Under § 60-614.02, a Class I bike has two, three, or four wheels, a seat, fully operative pedals, and a motor of no more than 750 watts and one brake horsepower that helps only while you pedal and gives no power above 20 mph. Class II, in § 60-614.03, has the same limits, but its motor may help whether or not you are pedaling. Class III, in § 60-614.04, helps only while you pedal and gives no power above 28 mph. Section 60-618.03 says an electric bicycle means a Class I, Class II, or Class III bike.
Under § 60-611, a bicycle includes an electric bicycle, and § 60-638 defines a motor vehicle as a self-propelled land vehicle other than bicycles, mopeds, and a few other devices. A bike that fits the class definitions is therefore a bicycle under the Nebraska Rules of the Road. Under § 60-6,317, a rider moving slower than traffic keeps as near to the right-hand curb or edge as practicable, with listed exceptions, rides no more than single file on a highway except on paths set aside for bicycles, and has a pedestrian's rights and duties on a sidewalk or in a crosswalk, including yielding to people on foot. Under § 60-6,142, bicycles may use paved shoulders of the state highway system other than the Interstate.
Nebraska's statutes set no statewide path rule and no minimum age for electric bicycles. Under § 60-678, the state and any governmental subdivision may make regulations permitting, prohibiting, or controlling electric bicycles in its jurisdiction, and a person who rides where it is prohibited commits a Class III misdemeanor. Section 60-6,317 also lets a local authority regulate bicycles by ordinance, so each city, natural resources district, park, and agency decides where you can ride. The helmet statute, § 60-6,279, covers motorcycle and moped operators, and the electric bicycle sections we read set no helmet duty, so a helmet is advice here and not a state rule. Read our Nebraska eBike laws guide, then the sign at the trailhead.
The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has its own rule, 163 NAC chapter 5, section 003, which prohibits operating motorized transportation devices in state parks, including on roads, trails, and beaches, with listed exceptions. The rule does not name electric bicycles. The Commission's Cowboy Trail page says Class I, II, and III e-bikes are permitted on that trail, and its other trail pages say nothing about e-bikes, so call the park before you take a motor onto a state recreation area trail.
LB 138 was approved by the Governor on June 1, 2023. Because § 60-6,317 also lets a local authority provide for the registration and inspection of bicycles, ask a local shop whether any city rule applies where you plan to ride.
The City of Kearney's trail etiquette says motorized vehicles are prohibited on trails, and it does not define the term or name eBikes. We found no separate city eBike rule. Ask the Parks Department at 308-251-3139 whether a pedal-assist eBike counts.
Frequently asked questions
Where should I ride an eBike in Buffalo County?
The Fort Kearny hike-bike trail to Cottonmill Park is the longest paved route, at about 13 miles.
How long is the Fort Kearny trail?
Game and Parks lists 13.2 miles to Cottonmill Park, and a local station says 13.1.
Are eBikes allowed on Kearney trails?
The city guide says motorized vehicles are prohibited and does not name eBikes, so call the Parks Department.
How many miles of trails does Kearney have?
The city's trails page says more than 25 miles, and its PDF guide says 17 miles.
When are Kearney trails open?
The guide lists sunrise to sunset.
Who has to wear an eBike helmet in Nebraska?
The state does not require one for Class I, II, or III riders. Section 60-6,279 covers motorcycle and moped operators, and the electric bicycle definitions say nothing about helmets. See the Nebraska eBike laws guide.
All shops in Buffalo County
The Buffalo County eBike shops page lists all 4 listings in 2 cities.