Other stories in "Bicycling"

• Bikes, birds and bogs
  Wisconsin's Great River Trail is a happy mix of wildlife and civilization.
• Spokes, sneakers and shops
  She likes to shop and he likes to sweat? No problem.
• Bicycling Minnesota
  Across the map, new trails are connecting the dots.
• Languid in Lanesboro
  In summer, head for lovely Lanesboro and go with the flow.
• Bicycling the Bunyan
  A long trail cuts through the heart of Minnesota lakes country.
• Bicycling in bluff country
  In southeast Minnesota, the Root River Trail brought swarms of tourists.
• A trail for Old Abe
  On Wisconsin's Chippewa River, a bald eagle paves way for bicyclists.
• Mankato meander
  To see the best of this low-key river town, hop on a bike.
• Rolling through the Iron Range
  The long Mesabi Trail reveals many surprises.
• Spin City
  On a bicycle, visitors can explore every inch of Chicago's lakefront.
• Red Cedar ride 'n' glide
  Along a popular Wisconsin trail, a hardy tourist can take in the sights by water and by land.
• Sightseeing on $20 a day
  See the best of the Midwest from seat of a bicycle.
• Bicycling eastern Wisconsin
  On a burgeoning network of trails, a bicyclist can cover a lot of ground.
• Walk 'n' roll
  Thanks to a bike trail, backtracking on the Superior Hiking Trail is a thing of the past.
• A slice of cheese country
  On Wisconsin's Badger Trail, bicyclists bite off as much as they can chew.
• Grand Rounds
  In Minneapolis, bicyclists soak up the scenery along a breathtaking national byway.
• Hitting the trails in Trempealeau
  There's lots to do in this Mississippi River hamlet.
• Bicycling to Lake Wobegon
  In central Minnesota, cyclists enter a storied land.
• Bicycling the Central Lakes
  In western Minnesota, a 55-mile trail is a window onto the natural world.

Wisconsin's bike trails: a guide

The state that pioneered rail trails isn't resting on its laurels.

When people think of bicycling in Wisconsin, the famous Elroy-Sparta State Trail often is first to pop into their minds. But the state has added many, many trails since the Elroy-Sparta debuted in 1967, and it's time to try them.

All of the trails listed below use finely crushed limestone, except as noted. They're suitable for touring bikes, though a wider tire is better. Chip-sealed trails are like asphalt but softer, and can be nearly as smooth because they don't become pitted.

On state trails, passes are $4 daily, $20 annual; passes also are good in winter on ski trails. Rates on county and city trails vary; many are free, including the Interurban and Oak Leaf.

For the handy Wisconsin Biking Guide, call 1-800-432-8747. For more information on state trails, check the Wisconsin DNR web site.

Ahnapee: 31 miles from Casco, east of Green Bay, to Algoma and Sturgeon Bay. Sturgeon Bay, 800-527-3529, www.sturgeonbay.org.

Badger Trail: 32 miles from the Madison exurb of Fitchburg south to Monticello, where it crosses the Sugar River State Trail, and continuing to Monroe and the Illinois state line. There, it connects with the Jane Addams Trail and continues another 13 miles to Freeport, Ill., www.janeaddamstrail.com. The trail features a 1,200-foot railroad tunnel south of Belleville (bring a light).  888-222-9111, www.badger-trail.com. For more, see A slice of cheese country.

BATS-Crystal Lake: 11 miles from Boulder Junction, near Minocqua, through state forest and along lakes; asphalt. 1-800-466-8759, www.boulderjct.org

Bearskin-Hiawatha: 24 miles between the resort town of Minocqua and Tomahawk, through forest and past lakes, 1-800-446-6784, www.minocqua.org.

Bugline: 16 miles, paved, between the village of Merton on the Ice Age National Scenic Trail and Menomonee Falls, near Milwaukee. 262-251-2430, www.menomonee-falls.org.

Capital City: 18 miles through Madison and its suburbs, connecting to the Military Ridge in Fitchburg; asphalt. 1-800-373-6376, www.visitmadison.com.

Chippewa River: 30 miles west of Eau Claire along the Chippewa River to Durand; the first 10½ miles are asphalt, the 13 miles to its junction with the Red Cedar are chip-sealed and the 6½ miles to Durand are asphalt. Eventually, the trail will extend from Eau Claire to the Old Abe in Chippewa Falls. For a map, call 715-232-1242, or 888-523-3866, www.chippewavalley.net.

Eisenbahn: 25 miles from the eastern town of West Bend north to Campbellsport and Eden, near Fond du Lac. Five miles in West Bend are paved. 920-929-3135, 262-335-4445.

Elroy-Sparta: 32 rolling miles between Elroy and Sparta, through three long, damp tunnels. The middle section, around Wilton, is heavily Amish. There's bike rental and shuttles available out of Kendall; call 608-463-7109, www.elroy-sparta-trail.com. With the Great River, La Crosse River and 400 trails, it's part of a 101-mile trail system, www.bike4trails.com.

400: 22 miles between Elroy and Reedsburg along the Baraboo River; a 4-mile spur goes into Hillsboro. 800-844-3507, www.400statetrail.org.

Fox River: 20 miles south from Green Bay past the village of Greenleaf; the first 6 miles, along the Fox River, are asphalt. Green Bay, 1-800-867-3342, www.packercountry.com.

Friendship Trail: 10 miles from Menasha to Oshkosh and the trailhead of the Wiouwash State Trail; it includes the popular ¾-mile Trestle Trail across Little Lake Butte des Morts. Eventually, it will be extended east to Manitowoc and the Mariners Trail; a 5-mile section between Forest Junction and Brillion is complete.  Fox Cities tourism, 1-800-236-6673, www.foxcities.org

Gandy Dancer: 48 miles between St. Croix Falls and Danbury and through seven little towns in between. 1-800-222-7655, www.polkcountytourism.com

Glacial Drumlin: 52 miles through farmland from Cottage Grove, just east of Madison, to Waukesha, just west of Milwaukee. Aztalan State Park is a very interesting stop. The 12 miles west of Waukesha are asphalt. 920-648-8774, www.glacialdrumlin.com

Glacial River: 9 miles from Fort Atkinson, in southeast Wisconsin, to the Rock County border; mostly asphalt. 1-888-733-3678, www.fortchamber.com

Great River: 24 scenic miles between a wildlife refuge north of Trempealeau to Onalaska through Mississippi wetlands, connecting to the La Crosse State Trail. 800-873-1901, www.discoveronalaska.com. For more, see Hitting the trails in Trempealeau.

Green Circle: 30½ miles connecting parks around Stevens Point. It connects to the Tomorrow River Trail in Plover. 800-236-4636, www.stevenspointarea.com.

Hank Aaron: Seven miles along the Menomonee River in Milwaukee from Miller Park to the Maier Festival Park on Lake Michigan, connecting to the Oak Leaf Trail on both ends, www.hankaaronstatetrail.org.

La Crosse: 21½ miles between Onalaska and Sparta, paralleling Interstate 90, connecting to the Great River and Elroy-Sparta trails. 888-540-8434, www.lacrosseriverstatetrail.org.

Interurban: 30 miles in Ozaukee County, just north of Milwaukee; trailheads just across the southern border in Brown Deer and just across the northern border in Cedar Grove extend it by 3 miles; asphalt. It's populated but pretty from Mequon through the popular tourist towns of Cedarburg and Port Washington and quiet but a little dull to Belgium. Check www.interurbantrail.us; 1-800-403-9898, www.ozaukeetourism.com. For more, see Bicycling eastern Wisconsin.

Mariners/Rawley Point: 5½ miles from Manitowoc along Lake Michigan to Two Rivers, asphalt. In Two Rivers, city streets (Washington Street across the west branch of the Twin River, 17th Street across the east branch) connect the Mariners Trail to the Rawley Point trail, 6 miles to Rawley Point Lighthouse and Point Beach State Forest. 800-627-4896, www.manitowoc.org.

Military Ridge: 41 miles between Fitchburg, west of Madison, and Dodgeville in southwest Wisconsin, passing Little Norway and Cave of the Mounds near Mount Horeb, www.militaryridge-trail.org. In Dodgeville, the six-mile Shake Rag Trail along Wisconsin 23 connects the trail to Mineral Point. 608-437-7393; Dodgeville, 1-608-935-9200, www.dodgeville.com

Mountain Bay: 80½ miles between Schofield, near Wausau, and Green Bay, through three counties. www.mountain-baytrail.org; 1-888-948-4748, www.wausaucvb.com

Oak Leaf: This Milwaukee version of Minneapolis' Grand Rounds includes 48 miles of paved off-road paths, 31 miles of parkway drives and 27 miles of connecting streets. The longest sections go north from downtown along the lake and the Milwaukee River and south along the lake from South Shore Park. North of town, city streets connect it to the 30-mile Ozaukee County Interurban Trail in Brown Deer. Check the "Milwaukee By Bike" web site; 1-800-554-1448, www.milwaukee.org

Old Abe: 19.5 miles along the Chippewa River between Chippewa Falls and Cornell, with a one-mile city trail leading into Brunet Island State Park; asphalt. The southern trailhead is north of Chippewa Falls at the junction of county roads O and S, 2 miles west of Lake Wissota State Park. Check www.co.chippewa.wi.us; 1-866-723-0340, www.chippewachamber.org. For more, see A trail for Old Abe.

Old Plank Road: 17 miles, paved, from Sheboygan to Greenbush, paralleling Wisconsin 23. Mopeds also are allowed. The four-mile Urban Rec Trail in Sheboygan connects the Old Plank Road to the city's lakefront. 800-689-0290,  www.visitsheboygan.com.

Omaha: 13 miles from Camp Douglas, just off Interstate 94, to Elroy, through a short tunnel; chip-sealed. 1-888-606-2453, www.elroywi.com

Osaugie: 5 miles along the harbor in Superior, asphalt. At the edge of town, bicyclists can continue 4½ miles along Moccasin Mike Road to the lighthouse at the end of Wisconsin Point, lined with beaches. 1-800-942-5313, www.visitsuperior.com

Pecatonica: 10 miles from Belmont to Calamine, following the Bonner Branch of the Pecatonica River south of Mineral Point. 608-328-9430.

Pine River: 15 miles along the Pine River in scenic coulee country, between Richland Center and Lone Rock, 1-800-422-1318, www.richlandchamber.com. Lone Rock is 8 miles west of Spring Green, home of House on the Rock and Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin, 1-800-588-2042, www.springgreen.com

Red Cedar: 14½ miles between Menomonie and the Chippewa River, along the Red Cedar River, linking with the Chippewa River Trail. 1-715-232-1242; 1-888-523-3866, www.chippewavalley.net. For more, see Red Cedar ride 'n' glide.

Sugar River: 23 miles along the Sugar River between picturesque New Glarus and Brodhead, linking with the Badger State Trail in Monticello. There's bike rental at the trail center in New Glarus, 608-527-2334; 800-527-6838, www.swisstown.com.

Three Eagle Trail: 8 miles from Three Lakes to Sundstein Road, four miles south of Eagle River; bicyclists can continue north on the lightly traveled, paved road to Eagle River. Terrain is wooded, and the trail passes lakes and bogs on two boardwalks and a steel bridge, www.3eagletrail.com.

Tomorrow River: 18 miles from the east end of Plover to Scandinavia, with a one-mile break in Amherst. For a map, call 715-346-1433. In Stevens Point, the 30½-mile Green Circle Trail, much of it along the Wisconsin and Plover rivers, comes within two blocks of the Tomorrow River State Trail, www.co.portage.wi.us.

White River: 12 miles between Elkhorn and the western edge of Burlington, near Lake Geneva in southeast Wisconsin. For a map, call 262-741-3114.

Wild Goose: 34 miles south of Fond du Lac, skirting the western edge of Horicon Marsh, nearly to the city of Juneau. www.co.dodge.wi.us; Horicon, 920-485-3200, www.horiconchamber.com

Wiouwash: 22 miles from downtown Oshkosh to Hortonville and 16 miles from Tigerton to Birnamwood. Winnebago County parks, 920-424-0042.

Last updated on August 20, 2008