Export to Trail Guide
Create Guidebook 
Download GPX 
Print Friendly Map
The West Papio Trail offers nearly 23 miles of paved trail in the western Omaha metro region. The pathway begins just west of S. 36th Street in Bellevue, where it connects with the Keystone Trail, and follows Papillion Creek, which is referred to affectionately by locals as Papio Creek (hence the trail's name). The trail traverses open fields, office parks, residential neighborhoods, and several city parks. Crossing under Giles Road, the trail continues along a former railroad corridor - a segment constructed in 2018 to help connect communities in Omaha, Bellevue, and La Vista. The trail is interrupted at Q Street, but sidewalks provide access to where the trail picks up again on Millard Avenue, continuing along the side of the creek.
After skirting the campus of Skutt Catholic High School, the trail tunnels under busy 156th Street and W. Center Road. Just south of the school, travel west on a connector trail to reach popular Zorinsky Lake Park. Continuing northward, the trail joins Pacific Street to cross active Union Pacific tracks, but quickly separates from the road again and travels through Pacific Meadows Park. After tunneling under W. Dodge Road and Blondo Street, the trail begins an uphill climb over several blocks.
The West Papio Trail currently halts in an open field adjacent to a residential development south of State Route 64/W. Maple Road; just a bit before the end, travelers will have the delightful experience of traversing the Bluestem Prairie Preserve, which offers 147 acres of native grasslands and wildflowers. A disconnected section of the trail continues to the north off of Maple Street, heading through Quail Run Park and up to Fort Street, where just to the north the city's gorgeous Flanagan Lake Park is located. The park offers numerous recreational activities, including the five-mile Flanagan Lake Trail that loops around the scenic man-made reservoir.
Parking for the southern end of the West Papio Trail can be found in a neighborhood park at the intersection of Cobblestone Road and Wilma Road, at Lawrence Peterson Park off E. 1st Street, or at Papillion City Park off N. Jackson Street.
Parking for the northern end of the trail can be found in Pacific Meadows Park at the intersection of S. 159th Avenue and Pacific Street. Alternatively, park in the small neighborhood lot located at the intersection of N. 163rd Street and Ohio Street.
Additional parking is available at trailheads located along the trail, located at the intersection of Q Street and Harry Andersen Avenue, and another located on Harry Andersen Avenue just north of Giles Road. The northern section of trail also has a trailhead with parking located at N 168th Street and Ames Avenue.
I love riding the West Papio, both north and south from Zorinsky Lake, where i usually connect. The north end is more scenic with trees. It's a shame the West Papio does not connect yet to Flannagan Lake. I see they are working on the Cleveland Blvd road, so that should be a solution once done.
Smooth and beautiful ride. I took it to Harrison Street before heading back due to weather conditions. I enjoyed the quiet, scenic views with very little traffic noise, a few airplanes and mostly calm peaceful riding amidst the soy beans and the corn fields.
The section of the West Papio Trail between Dodge and Blondo Streets that was undermined by the creek about 18 months ago reopened in early March 2017.
There is another section of the West Papio...West Papio South Section
The second trace of the West Papio begins at 84th Street, ¾ of a mile north of Highway 370 (¼ mile south of Cornhusker Road). This segment of the trail offers wide open vistas of green fields, forest, parks, Eagle Hills Golf Course, the Berry Farm and several office parks.
The trail terminates near the confluence of the Papillion and Big Papillion Creeks and connects to the Keystone Trail, allowing the avid rider, runner or rollerblader an additional 12 miles to Haworth Park.
The view along both sides of the creek varies with the southwestern side favoring dense woods and agricultural plots and the northeastern containing the golf course, the Berry Farm, and homes. The channel of the Papillion Creek widens at this point and is itself a scenic companion until it merges with the Little Papio Creek.
TRAILBLAZING:
Future links will connect W. Papio trail to the 144th Street segment. Links to Keystone and Halleck Park Trail to Walnut Creek Recreational Area.
http://www.omahatrails.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=177&Itemid=187
_0_nb.jpg)
Founded in 1869, the Nebraska School for the Deaf (NSD) in Omaha was an integral part of the Deaf community. Like many Deaf schools in the 19th and...
In 1993, El Museo Latino became the first Latino art and history museum in the Midwest. The museum and cultural center are located inside the...
The Great Plains Black History Museum is located in the Jewell Building, at the heart of Omaha’s historic Black district. Since the 1920s, the Jewell...
The Great American Rail-Trail promises an all-new American experience. Through 12 states and the District of Columbia, the trail will directly serve nearly 50 million people within 50 miles of the route. Across the nation—and the world—only the limits of imagination will limit its use.
Learn More
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails conservancy
(a non-profit) and we need your support!
