Nebraska trails · Smiley Canyon Loop Trail
Smiley Canyon Loop Trail
A 10.6-mile network in Nebraska, with 624 ft of climbing. Managed by the state.
Elevation profile
The climbing leans toward the first third: 50% of the ascent falls between mile 0.0 and mile 3.5. It gives back about 847 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Getting there
Smiley Canyon Loop Trail access — parking nearby. About 39 min drive (30 mi) from Chadron. 42.66692, -103.51540 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:37 a.m., the sun rises at 7:05 a.m. and sets at 6:13 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 6:42 p.m. (MDT) — 11 h 08 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 10.6-mile route takes roughly 4 h 14 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 11:19 a.m. — 6 h 54 min before sunset.
Loop options
- A.T.&T. Trail + Smiley Canyon Loop Trail — 7.2 mi loop, 809 ft gain
- Smiley Canyon Loop Trail + Carter P. Johnson Trail — 10.1 mi loop, 947 ft gain
Nearby trails
- Cheyenne Butte Trail — 0.6 mi
- Crazy Horse Trail — 1.2 mi
- Mexican Canyon Trail — 1.3 mi
- West White River Trail — 2.2 mi