Why Don’t More People Talk About Wisconsin?

Rumor has it there are thousands of miles of bike trails in Wisconsin. They say that if you cycled nonstop around-the-clock for 30 days, you still wouldn’t complete them all.

I was a bit skeptical. So I did a quick search and Google told me there are more than 2,000 miles of rail trail. And for those willing to take on ungroomed snowmobile trails, there’s another 25,000 more. (There might be laws against cycling those though.)

Regardless, there are a metric ton of car-free trails to bike in Wisconsin. 

As Cortney and I made our way across the state, we were able to ride most of it on these traffic-free, multi-use trails. It was awesome. From Milwaukee to Madison to La Crosse, here are a few of the routes we cycled across America’s Dairyland. 

The Hank Aaron State Trail
This 14-mile paved trail that takes you from the shores of Lake Michigan and connects the diverse neighborhoods of the greater Milwaukee area. Cortney and I marveled at how easy it was to get out of the city and into the prairie and wooded surroundings. It’s world class.

The Glacial Drumlin State Trail
Despite the weird name, this trail is fantastic. And for good reason. This electric-green tree tunnel conveniently runs 52 miles between Wisconsin’s two largest urban areas. Cortney and I rode through farmlands, glacial topography, and small towns we’d never heard of like Cottage Grove, Lake Mills, and Waukesha. It was beyond peaceful.

Madison’s Bikeways and Bike Lanes 
Riding in a bigger city can be intimidating. If you’re lucky enough to visit and ride in Madison, that shouldn’t be an issue. This place has state-of-the-art bike paths everywhere you go. In some cases, the bikeways were wider than the street. Cortney and I felt super safe and it was easy to get around. It’s not for everybody, but if you can handle the winter cold and darkness, I imagine you could ride year-round.

The Great Sauk State Trail
This trail might be short, but it’s pretty sweet. We enjoyed 10 miles of riding with beautiful views of the Wisconsin River and passed through a couple of historic towns. If the weather is good—and you need electrolytes—you should sit out on the patio overlooking the water at Vintage Brewing. Hydration is important at all times, but especially when you’re on tour.

The 400 State Trail  
At one point, there was a Chicago-Northwestern passenger train that ran on this grade. The train traveled 400 miles between Chicago and Minneapolis/St. Paul in 400 minutes. Pretty cool, right? It takes you through wetlands, wildlife, sandstone bluffs, rolling croplands, and pastures. We loved it.

The Elroy-Sparta State Trail 
This popular 32.5-mile rail trail runs between Elroy and Sparta. And it’s something special. It opened in 1967 and is considered the first rail trail in the U.S. and was added to the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy hall of Fame. Like the other trails, it takes you through rural scenery, but this one has three tunnels. The tunnels are a testament to engineering and each is different. The third is the longest and the wettest. Apparently, when they blasted the shaft, they accidentally tapped into a spring. So now the walls of the tunnel “weep.” It feels like it’s raining inside the mountain.

La Crosse River State Trail  
In order to go from Sparta to La Crosse, we took this 22-mile trail. It uses the abandoned Chicago and Northwestern Railroad bed. The hard-packed limestone gives you a smooth surface for riding.  And we got to check the largest six-pack in the world once we arrived in La Crosse.

Great River State Trail 
We then rode through prairies and backwaters of the upper Mississippi River valley. It offered more electric-green tree tunnels and wildflowers, linking us from the city of La Crosse to Trempealeau’s Perrot State Park. The camping here—and the camp host—is fantastic. (Thanks for the firewood, Steve!) And if you’re ever in that area, make a stop at the the Historic Trempealeau Hotel for live music and great burgers.

Originally, Cortney and I weren’t going to make it up this way. But we’re glad we did. We rode through stunning scenery of the Driftless, crossed beautiful rivers and bridges, camped in peaceful woodlands, and made amazing new Warm Showers friends. (Heartfelt thank yous to JoLynn & John in La Crosse.)

Being from the West, you hear about the Katy, but you don’t hear much about cycling in Wisconsin. Thankfully, we ran into a couple of tourers in Tennessee and in Missouri that raved about the trails up here. There are a lot of cool places to visit and cycle in this country. Wisconsin’s have proved immensely peaceful and beautiful. We’re already looking forward to a return visit.

-Erik