This was an epically gorgeous ride. We started at the trailhead in Council Bluffs. I followed my map to Lewis Central Middle School and then it’s just right south of that and it got us there just fine. We did a day bike and went 22 miles to Malvern. We had stellar Bloody Marys and great food at Classic Cafe. I heard the place across the street had good ice cream too. Then we headed back and stopped in Mineola at Toby Jack’s Steakhouse for a beer. Great little place that is super use to bikers stopping in. Ended up back at the CB trailhead. If 44 miles is too much I think a bike to Silver City and back would be easier and you still get a pretty gorgeous ride.

You’ll love this trail. It goes along side with the Missouri river. Plenty to see and the people are nice.

Be prepared for some steep hills- I was not and ended up walking my bike quite a bit. The trees were in full autumn color and beautiful! The trail was clean and I felt safe alone. Just keep in mind it will be a workout.

You'll love the timbers, river, and bluffs along the way. Stop in Peru for a coffee then Brownville for a late breakfast or lunch. It's my favorite thing to do.

My husband and I enjoyed riding half of the Steamboat Trace Trail. We started by Nebraska city and rode to Peru. The first half had lots of shade which was nice since it was surprisingly hot and humid for an early September morning. We had to pedal against some wind when we got to the more open area through the fields, but it wasn't bad, and we were grateful for the wind on the way back since the temp. rose into the 80's. This ride will be most remembered for the large number of grasshoppers and woolly caterpillars found on the trail. We enjoyed seeing lots of monarchs too. Besides bugs, we did come across 2 angus cows and a calf that found their way over or under the fence and onto the trail. I suspected that this could be a possibility since I saw a cow pie on the trail on the way to Peru. I grew up on a farm so I wasn't too concerned and knew they would move out of the way, but thought I would give future bicyclists a heads up. The trail was in good shape for the most part. Every now and then we would encounter a section with rocks instead of crushed limestone so we had to watch where we were going. The only other thing to look out for is a few areas where they put metal poles so vehicles won't drive on the trail include a base for a pole, but no pole is in place.

This summer I’ve ridden (1) Flint Hills which I didn’t like at all due to large chunks of tire popping flint rock and poor overall condition, (2) Katy Trail twice which I liked a lot, then (3) Wabash Trace from Council Bluffs to Malvern and back. This was my favorite for trail condition, canopy, and the towns of Mineola, Silver City, and Malvern. I’ll repeat this ride several times this summer getting ready for RAGBRAI.

Enjoyed the three different views. River, farm and wooded parts of the trail. If only the sun had been out! Only two minor washouts necessitated our dismounting from our tandem. Ten years ago we would have ridden over them, but with age comes wisdom. Do not miss this trail if you are in the area!! We rode it out and back and enjoyed it very much. Pa. Tandem Team (72 & 69 yrs. old)

Trail from CB to Malvern is great right now. Detour is no big deal - maybe two minutes of dismount and walking. However the trail from Malvern to Imogene when we went was soft - those 13 miles felt like alot longer. However, there was pie in Malvern and that made it better!

two thumbs up...