Top Backpacking Trails in Nebraska

Nebraska has little backpacking, and this site covers only three trips. Two are in the Pine Ridge country of the state’s northwest corner, on the Nebraska National Forest: the Pine Ridge Trail, which the Forest Service puts at about 40 miles from Spotted Tail Trailhead near Chadron to West Ash Trailhead near Crawford, and the Trooper and Boots and Saddle trails in the Soldier Creek Wilderness, a loop of roughly 7 to 10.5 miles depending on route and source. The third is Indian Cave State Park in the southeast, where the Hardwood Trail and other park trails climb steep, eroded bluffs above the Missouri River to Adirondack shelters.

In the Pine Ridge, expect ponderosa pine, open prairie ridges, canyons, and creek bottoms, much of it reshaped by wildfire. Camping there is dispersed, with a 14-day limit, and water is the main problem: the Forest Service says there is no drinking water on the Pine Ridge Trail. Indian Cave is a state park with an entry permit and check-in, and no published rules for trail camping were found.

Spring and fall are the usual choices; one writer hit thunderstorms on both nights of a June trip, and Hiking Project suggests autumn at Indian Cave. Deer, elk, and turkey seasons run through fall, so wear blaze orange. The 2026 South Fork Fire burned around the Soldier Creek Wilderness, and Stage 1 fire restrictions were in place on the national forest in October 2026, so call the Pine Ridge Ranger District before going.