Published September 24, 2026 | Updated September 24, 2026

I recently dropped by the Girard Trail Connection, a half-mile path built along the abandoned Chicago and North Western Railroad tracks near the area where I grew up. While lacking in length, it is the first step in a trail that will connect the Keystone Trail and Cunningham Lake to the Omaha Riverfront Trail. That got me thinking about the origins of the city’s continually growing trail system.

As it turns out, Omaha was an early pioneer of a comprehensive trail system dating back to the 1960s. Despite it being largely removed just a few years later, it grew to become one of the most extensive trail networks in the region.

The city had largely ignored its park system for the previous two decades when it was among 10 cities invited by the federal government to submit a formal plan for a network of bicycle trails in 1966. Laid out by Park Planner L. Boyd Clauson, a professional landscape architect, the 100-mile trail system included a series of connected loops that stretched from Hummel Park to Fontenelle Forest from north to south and from the Missouri River to Boys Town east to west.

By the time funding was received from the federal government, the trail system had shrunk to 90 miles. It utilized existing facilities and followed existing streets and boulevards for 61 miles with the remaining 29 miles following railroad rights-of-way. 

Omaha, despite being the second smallest city to receive federal funds for the trail system, only trailed Phoenix when it came to the size of the network. With hopes that each of the new trail systems would reignite the imagination of urban planners across the country, Secretary of the Interior, Stewart Udall, said of the trail system: “Because of the pre-eminence of the automobile, we’ve largely driven the cyclist, the hiker and the horseback rider out of the picture. We’re trying to put them back in.”

The feasibility of Omaha’s trail system was tested by a dozen bicyclists including the director of the Parks and Recreation Department, Charles M. Christiansen. The project was delayed for two years as the city worked to secure leases with private property owners. Ultimately, the trail system was trimmed to just 65 miles including Fontenelle Boulevard in addition to eight city parks with Benson, Hanscom, and Elmwood, among them. After three years of planning, the trail system marked with 625 white and blue signs officially opened in May 1969. The city had more ambitious plans that included an extension up to 119 miles with additional federal funds.

By 1971, all but three miles of the comprehensive trail system were deemed too dangerous as they followed busy streets. That effectively killed the network as the signs were moved from the streets and placed within parks. Despite the setback, discussions of a new connected trail system designed for maximum safety continued through the 1970s.

Planning for the current trail system started in 1986. Just two years later, Larry Foster, Parks and Recreation administrator, said that “In Omaha, we have the best fabric for trails of any city in the Midwest.” The plan was developed by Foster and Steve Oltmans of the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District (NRD) and would help Omaha catch up with peer cities such as Des Moines according to Oltmans and Gerry Bowen, also of the NRD. The plan was further expanded in 1989 with the 38-mile Papio Trails Plan utilizing levees as well as Papillion Creek and its tributaries.

I took some time to drop by a number of the trails starting with the Keystone Trail, the first section in the trail system now called “Paths of Discovery.” It opened in 1990 and became the backbone of the trail system as its longest, and likely its busiest trail. Starting at Cunningham Lake, the 27-mile-long trail follows the Little Papillion Creek and continues along the Big Papillion Creek after they converge. The southern end of the trail continues towards the Missouri River and American Heroes Park via the Bellevue Loop Trail.

The 10-mile Big Papio Trail starts at Hefflinger Park and follows the Big Papillion Creek before connecting with the Keystone Trail. At 3 3/4 miles, the South Omaha Trail connects the Keystone Trail to the 1 3/4-mile Field Club Trail, another stop on my tour. Field Club ends at 38th and Leavenworth Streets across from UNMC. The West Papio Trail connects to the Keystone Trail in Bellevue and follows the Papillion Creek before meeting the West Papillion Creek. The 13-mile trail continues through Millard, La Vista, and Papillion.

I also took a stroll along the 3-mile Boulevard Trail which connects to the Keystone Trail and ends at Metcalfe Park. The 5-mile Sorensen Parkway Trail starts at Sorensen Parkway and Irvington Road and connects to the Keystone Trail while ending at Fontenelle Boulevard. The in-progress North Omaha Trail starts at Miller Park and continues 1 1/2 miles to the North Omaha Transit Center. My last stop was the 3-mile Beltline Trail, which will eventually connect to the North Omaha Transit Center and continues south and west to Hamilton Street and Military Avenue.

The 19-mile Omaha Riverfront Trail starts at Boyer Chute on the north and continues south along the Missouri River to downtown where it passes Lewis and Clark Landing which provides access to Council Bluffs trail system via the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge.

I was surprised to learn that the trail system now stretches more than 130 miles long and continues to evolve. While it originally focused on recreation, it is more recently viewed as a way to connect communities to jobs, schools, services, as well as other forms of transportation. To that end, the trail map shows multiple proposed and planned extensions including the Big Papio, Boulevard, Sorensen, North Omaha, Beltline, and Omaha Riverfront Trails. Released in 2025, the park departments 20-year Master Plan aims to help Omaha build a “future where walking, biking, skating, and micro-transit are safe, healthy, connected, and accessible for everyone.” In particular, it’s working to expand access “for all residents, addressing historic gaps in recreation and transportation.” 

The Great American Rail-Trail, the first continuous, cross-country trail in the country, includes multiple Omaha trails in its in-progress 3,700-mile route from Washington D.C. to Washington State. The trail crosses into Nebraska via the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge and continues on the Burt Street, Turner Boulevard, Field Club, South Omaha, Keystone, and West Papio Trails before continuing to Lincoln on the MoPac Trail. While the League of American Bicyclists ranks Nebraska as the 48th bicycle-friendly state, Omaha has received a Bronze Bicycle-Friendly Community award.

As the city continues to build new trails, extensions, and fill in gaps, the trail system improves and becomes even more integrated. Decades in the making, the system largely resembles and even expands upon the vision Clauson laid out in 1966 when he aimed to provide a trail in each corner of the city it circled.

To learn more about the trail system and the status of the trails, check out the Omaha Parks and Recreation Department’s website: https://parks.omaha.gov/trails/.

Omaha Exploration, 2026. All rights reserved. Excerpts and links are welcome with full credit given to Omaha Exploration and a link back to the original content.