Nebraska trails · Red Cloud Butte Trail

Red Cloud Butte Trail

A 3.7-mile network in Nebraska, with 363 ft of climbing. Reaches Red Cloud Buttes and other summit destinations. Managed by the state.

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Length

3.7 mi

Elevation gain

363 ft

Difficulty

Moderate

Max grade

39%

Steepest mile

+296 ft

Tread at ≥10% grade

1.3 mi

Shape

network

Managed by

State

Elevation profile

The climbing is spread fairly evenly along the route. It gives back about 676 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.

3-D terrain

USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5

Reaches

Red Cloud Buttes (summit)
Lovers Leap Butte (summit)

Daylight at the trailhead

On August 31, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 5:48 a.m., the sun rises at 6:17 a.m. and sets at 7:30 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 7:59 p.m. (MDT) — 13 h 13 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 3.7-mile route takes roughly 1 h 33 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 7:49 a.m. — 11 h 40 min before sunset.

Loop options

Trail 2 + Trail 3 + Red Cloud Butte Trail — 3.4 mi loop, 357 ft gain
Butte Trail Ride Connecting Trail + West Sheep Fence Trail + Red Cloud Butte Trail — 3.7 mi loop, 885 ft gain
Trail 1 + Red Cloud Butte Trail + Trail 4 — 4.4 mi loop, 602 ft gain