Things To Do on an eBike in Douglas County, NE

Where to ride in Douglas County

The creek and river trails run along levees and valleys, and TrailLink reviewers mention steep approaches at some underpasses and a steep hill on Hickory Street. The Park Service lists the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge crossing as 1.1 miles round trip, which makes it a short add-on rather than a ride of its own.

Douglas County riding country: Omaha river bluffs and creek trails.

Lengths come from TrailLink, Great Runs, and the National Park Service, and they differ where each source ends a trail. We give the figure each one states, so treat the numbers as approximate.

1. Keystone Trail

This concrete trail follows the Papillion Creek corridor, mostly on levees, through west Omaha toward Bellevue. a TrailLink reviewer says every intersection has an underpass, so a rider can go a long way without stopping for traffic.

Distance: 17.1 miles on TrailLink, which lists Lake Cunningham to the Bellevue Loop Trail, and 25 miles on Great Runs, which includes the Bellevue connection; start: Lake Cunningham in Omaha, or a Bellevue parking lot near the south end, as TrailLink reviewers describe; surface: Concrete.

eBike access: The city's 2021 rule update allows all classes of eBikes on park trails, according to Mode Shift Omaha. Etiquette and planning: Some underpasses have steep approaches, and TrailLink reviewers mention uneven slabs, so brake before the dips. Managing source: TrailLink, Keystone Trail.

2. Omaha Riverfront Trail

The trail runs along the Missouri River in three sections. The middle one begins at Heartland of America Park near downtown, passes Lewis and Clark Landing, and TrailLink warns that it is easy to lose the route. The northern section is nearly 15 miles and ends at Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge.

Distance: 20.1 miles in three sections, in Douglas and Washington counties; start: Heartland of America Park on Douglas Street, with more parking at Lewis and Clark Landing; surface: Paved; part of the southern section is a levee road.

eBike access: The southern levee road has gates that are often closed to vehicles, and TrailLink says trail use is permitted unless posted otherwise. Etiquette and planning: Watch for gravel and sticks on the northern pavement, as TrailLink reviewers note. Managing source: TrailLink, Omaha Riverfront Trail.

3. Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge

The 3,000-foot cable-stayed footbridge spans the Missouri River between Omaha and Council Bluffs, Iowa. The Park Service page says it was completed in September 2008 and that the walk across takes about 15 minutes.

Distance: 3,000 feet, with a 1.1 mile round-trip walk; start: The Omaha riverfront, on the Nebraska bank of the Missouri River; surface: Bridge deck.

eBike access: The Park Service page lists a bicycle rack and a bicycle sharing station and does not state a riding rule, so walk your bike unless a sign says otherwise. Etiquette and planning: Share the deck with walkers, because it is a pedestrian bridge. Managing source: National Park Service, Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge.

4. Zorinsky Lake Trail

A paved loop circles a 255-acre lake on Omaha's western edge. A path along 168th Street lets you cross the middle for a shorter loop. TrailLink reviewers call the surface rough in places, with cracks and roots.

Distance: 7.4 miles around the lake; Great Runs says 4.5 miles if you cross the 168th Street bridge; start: Zorinsky Lake boat ramp, or the north side off South 168th Street; surface: Asphalt, described by reviewers as uneven in spots.

eBike access: The city's 2021 rule update allows all classes of eBikes on park trails, according to Mode Shift Omaha. Etiquette and planning: Walkers use it heavily, so keep your speed down. Managing source: TrailLink, Zorinsky Lake Trail.

5. Standing Bear Lake trails

Great Runs describes more than 5 miles of trail circling a reservoir about 10 miles northwest of Omaha. You loop clockwise or counterclockwise, and you briefly use streets west of North 144th Avenue before the path resumes at the end of Kansas Avenue.

Distance: Over 5 miles, with one trip around about 5 miles; start: Off North 132nd Street near Standing Bear Pointe; surface: Not stated by the source.

eBike access: Great Runs states no eBike rule, so use the city's trail rules and read posted signs. Etiquette and planning: Great Runs says the path is not well signed, so carry a map. Managing source: Great Runs, Standing Bear Lake.

Planning a Douglas County ride

For an easy first ride, take the Keystone Trail from a trailhead near Lake Cunningham and turn around when you like, since the underpasses keep it free of road crossings. Add the river on a second day with the Omaha Riverfront Trail from Heartland of America Park.

Pair the riverfront with the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge on foot, locking the bike at a rack near the bridge. The Park Service page lists a bike rack and a bike-share station, which makes it a walking stop.

If you want a lake outing, Zorinsky is paved and Standing Bear takes a map. Mode Shift Omaha reported that a section of the Zorinsky trail under the 168th Street bridge closed for emergency sewer work in July 2021, so look at the city's trail closure updates before you go.

Half-day and full-day eBike plans

What not to ride

Posted closures: Obey posted signs, including the gates on the southern Riverfront levee road.

Standing Bear without a map: The path is not well signed.

Hot afternoons: Afternoon heat and wind build on the open plains.

When to ride Douglas County

Spring and fall are the comfortable seasons on the plains around Douglas, and summer afternoons run hot and windy.

Shop hubs

We list shops in 2 towns across Douglas County. Each town page lists addresses, phone numbers, and claim links.

• eBike shops in Omaha (51)
• eBike shops in Elkhorn (1)

Rental and tour operators

Rental listings follow. Phone before booking to ask about electric bikes, helmets, and return times.

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.

Mode Shift Omaha reported in July 2021 that Omaha updated its park rules so trails are open 24 hours and all classes of eBikes and scooters are allowed. A search excerpt of the city's parks rules page, which was blocked to our fetch, says all eBikes and e-scooters are authorized trail users and recommends a 20 mile per hour maximum. Check the city page for the current wording.

Frequently asked questions

All shops in Douglas County

All 52 listings across 2 cities are laid out on the Douglas County eBike shops page.