Platte River

This is a great place. It was cool under the trees. You can ride across a small waterfall. There are some steep climbs and descents my 11 year old had to walk his bike up and down. There are a series of trails not on the topo map on the west side of the park. We spent 3hrs riding and didn't hit even half of the trails on the west side. Next time we are hitting the east side trails and I'll update my review.

New section of trail being built, plus parking lot and restrooms, will be complete 2018 which will allow riding at any time of day as horseback riding conflict will no longer exist.

Had a hard time finding the trail and then finding where we were on the trail. We rode the east side early in the morning so we had a deadline of 9:00 to get out that added to the frustration. There were some fun technical spots and dips but many unmarked intersections and tight turns in the wrong places. Overall it was good to get a ride in but could have been much better if we weren't lost all the time.

The area was beautiful but the trails werent marked and i kept ending up on dead ends. There were alot of familys walking on the trails. I did find steep climbs but they went nowhere. I used mtb for map . I wasnt able to ride the east loop due the time i was there, it was for horses only. So maybe thats where the good trails ive reas and heard about are.

Very nice trail, lots of short whoops and climbs. It was recently weed-eated and very well maintained. No rock, all hard packed dirt. I absolutely love it!

Platte River State Park is one of the best places for mountain biking in the Area. There's the ability to climb steep hills, ride flowy downhill sections, some easy uphill climbing, drop in sections, but nothing really to technical. Take it slow the first time riding it to get to know the trail. Theres some tough uphill climbing to challenge your endurance. It's great once you get to know the layout of the trail. I would suggest coming out here and spending a day to get to know the trails and then come back and ride it again and again and again and again. It's a great place and a great time to ride!!

So...does that mean it's fun?

Platte River State Park has arguably the most potential of any Nebraska trails. You have the ability of stringing together 10 miles of trail from the west part of the park to the east park where the main singletrack trail runs. The amount of climbing found here is great for a state with little to no elevation (700 foot for 5.5-6 miles of the main loop). There is also a technical rock garden and some fun, flowy sections that you'll be rewarded with once you make the aforementioned climbs. The restrictions that apply are during 9-4 from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend they run horses on the doubletrack sections of the main loop. This has been bumped up in the past due to nice weather, so it's always best to check at the park office to be sure if you are visiting. Most Wednesday evenings there is a group of riders that meet at the Wild Turkey Parking area, with cold brews being a staple for the post ride festivities.

most technical trail by far in the area, I had a difficult time trying to find the start of the trails, but thanks to a hiker that lives in the area i found it. Tough doubletrack climb to get to the trail, but its definitely worth it!

We had a little trouble getting started becuase we missed the turn that takes you to the east side. Lucky for us a local was willing to give us a tour. I must say these are some pretty unique trails, signage could be a little better. Not a whole lot of climbing but there are a couple of grunt sections out there as well as some nice fun downhill sections. There are also some fun technical sections as well lots of roots I noticed. There are a couple of rocky sections that require a little skill to ride. Great trail if you are in the area. Bring skeeter spry. Not overly scenic but there is a tower you can climb that gives you a great view of the river.

Ritual Wednesday night rides with riders that care about the sport. Nebraska has some hidden trails.

Really good riding if you ride past Owens Crossing bridge to the right side of the park!

Great trail, one of my favorites for Omaha. As some of the other reviewers have mentioned, there are both easy, moderate, and difficult (by Omaha Standards) sections of the trail. The east side trails are definitely the most fun but are alot of climbing. However, the downhill at the end (either via bombing down the horse trails or the gulley) is totally worth the climb. Probably the best trail in the Omaha/CB metro area IMO.

Great intermediate to expert trails. The outer loop is easy to intermediate, with the central trail being more of an expert level, lots of G outs, and fast tight sections. Overall a great ride. There is a wide easy trail connecting some of the parking areas, and towards the west end there is single track paralleling the river, sweet single-track but has sections steep enough to make a mountain goat blink. Nice ride if you get tired of the east side trails.
Bike access restricted to after 4 pm from Memorial Day to Labor Day.* Review edited 3/26/2012

Went today, 7/13/2012 and had a BLAST. I rode the east side of the park which is the side with the SWEET SINGLETRACK. New photos are up by the way. This place was amazing! Rocks, roots, big climbs and descents with many drops. All out fun, difficult to advanced. You will get moving in the trail, and some areas you can't use brakes because they won't work for you anyway. You will get some speed down here, more speed than at Jewell Park. Definitely technical, recommend dropping the seat and going out of saddle.

If you take the west side of the park, its more double track, but still worth it! I am not sure that I would call this very difficult overall. It seems to have a mix of easy to a little crazy. I would say that it is very fun. For the steep declines, you need to be tactful with your brakes and body english. A few places, I had to just go with it. If you are a beginner, you will have areas where you might have to stop. Just get a breather and keep going, it's worth it.

Overall, I would definitely recommend to anyone and I would go again. Fun and a pretty area altogether. That's why I'm giving it a 5.

I hope this helps. Stay safe and take care. -GT* Review edited 7/13/2012

I ride this trail quite a bit. It is the best in eastern Nebraska. Starts with an uphill climb, but the remainder is a great balance of climbs & descents. The "roller coaster" section in the middle is awesome. The main section is closed 9am-4pm daily for horses during the main season. Take a left once you enter the park and start there to extend the ride by 1+ mile. * Review edited 10/5/2011

I can easily say that this is the most challenging trail in the area. Very physical and technical. I really enjoyed this ride. I did have to stop and push my bike up a few of the more extreme hills. The downhill sections are well thought out. Some are long, sweeping descents. Others are very steep, and over in the blink of an eye. Technical challenges include several log crossings. There are alot of roots to deal with, but it was not excessive. I felt like this was the choppiest trail I have ever ridden - alot of breaking bumps. To my surprise, their were numerous rock sections. These accounted for the most extreme conditions on the trail. The flat and downhill rocky sections where pretty challenging, but the rocky climbs border on impossible. I mostly encountered hard-pack clay, but their were areas of sand, loose rock, and pebbles on the horse trail sections. While mostly singletrack, the park utilizes a few wider dirt roads to provide quick access into the remote back sections of the property. Overall this is a fantastic trail for riders with experience - definitely not for beginners, though. Alot of fun to be had at Platte River SP.* Review edited 5/4/2011

This trail is loads of fun, swooping, sweet singletrack. Plenty of steep short hills and fast, challenging, tight trails. Best and most technical trail I ever ridden, which doesn't say a lot. Onyl rode here and Cottonmill Park/ Lynn's Prairie in Kearney, NE. Keep ridin'!!!!

Pretty nice section of trail. This is a rarity in Nebraska. Some of the trail has been knocked out due to road building but once you find it again it is all good.

I made this trail submision and forgot to gush about the ride. This is a great ride for the flat lands. There is lots of climbing and fun (short) descents. You will also find an uphill rocky switchback, and a couple of bridges made of larger twigs. The local trail group,T.H.O.R. , did a great job on this one!