In the mid-1870’s, the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad completed a new rail link between Chicago and Minneapolis-St. Paul.  The track ran in a fairly straight line for 400 miles, and it took 400 minutes to complete the journey, earning this route the nickname of the “Old 400”.

The last train to use the “Old 400” ran in 1964.  After that, the Chicago & Northwestern pulled the track and sold 33 miles of right-of-way between the villages of Sparta and Elroy to the Wisconsin Conservation Department, the precursor to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.  This state agency resurfaced the bed with limestone screenings, and improved the 34 bridges between the two towns with wooden planks and guard rails.  As a result of these improvements, the Elroy-Sparta Trail was born, the first rail-trail conversion in the United States.

The rails to trails movement has since taken hold in varying degrees within most of the nation’s 50 states.  Most rail-trails are designed to be used by bicyclists, but many are also made for hikers, horseback riders, snowmobilers, and ATV riders.  I have even seen some used by Amish horse-drawn buggies. 

Since the opening of the Elroy-Sparta Trail, Wisconsin has continued to take a lead in the rails-to-trails movement.  The state now boasts over 600 miles of rail trails.  Bicycle enthusiasts from across the country converge on the state each summer to enjoy mile after mile of traffic-free biking, quaint villages, pastoral countryside, and friendly people.  I have personally logged close to 1000 miles on Wisconsin’s rail trails, and hope to add significantly to that number this summer.

With this post, I invite you to join me on a little tour of some of Wisconsin’s beautiful rail trails.  I hope you enjoy the ride!

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Here is a map of Wisconsin showing the state’s rail-trails in red.  The ones highlighted in blue are the trails I have ridden on.  As you can see from this map, I have a lot more bike riding to do!

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The Cheese Country Trail runs for about 50 miles through the dairy country of Southwestern Wisconsin.  It begins in the German-Swiss town of Monroe, which is perhaps best known for its impressive Romanesque courthouse (which, for some reason, I do not have a photo of), and for its delicious Berghof Beer.  Its Western terminus is the old lead mining town of Mineral Point.

The Cheese Country Trail is a multi-use trail, meaning it is open to ATV's and horses, as well as to bikes.  As a result, the trail can be a little rougher than those that are limited to bike riders, so fat tires are a must.  

Most rail-trails are rather straight, with only a gradual change in elevation.  However, they aren't always as straight and flat as this section of the Cheese Country Trail!

The Cheese Country Trail ends about 100 yards from where I am standing in this photo.  I am about to enter the Brewery Creek brewpub, fortuitously located at the end of a 50 mile bike ride.  This is a wonderful establishment, housed in a mid-19th century limestone warehouse.  The upper floors contain a very nice Bed and Breakfast inn.  Some of the rooms include a whirlpool, perfect to relax tired muscles after a long ride.

Mineral Point was settled in the 1830's following the defeat of the Sac and Fox tribes during the Blackhawk War.  At that time, Southwest Wisconsin and adjacent areas of Northwest Illinois were rich in lead deposits.  Algonquin Indian tribes mined the lead for years prior to the arrival of Europeans. They traded the lead with other tribes to make tools, and later with European explorers who used the lead for both tools and bullets.

Once the Indians were removed from the area, miners from Cornwall in England settled in Mineral Point.  They built log cabins, and later limestone row houses reminiscent of their Cornish dwellings.  Many of these buildings from the 1830's and 1840's are preserved in Mineral Point as part of the Pendarvis Historical Site.  The picture above is from Pendarvis, as is the one below.

In the 1850's, many of the original Cornish settlers left Mineral Point for more productive mining opportunities, especially when word came of the discovery of gold in California.  Many of their buildings fell into a state of disrepair.  A couple of local residents began purchasing the old buildings in the 1930's and 1940's for the purpose of restoration.  Before long, a sizable number of artists moved to Mineral Point, attracted by the restored historical properties that were available for a very reasonable price.  Today, a small artist colony continues to work in Mineral Point, and Pendarvis has become a popular attraction for those wanting a glimpse of life as it was lived in the mid-19th century.

This folk art piece was made by Tom Kelly, an artist based in Mineral Point.   We have two of his pieces displayed in our home, purchased the last time my wife and I visited the town.  

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The Wild Goose Trail runs along the western edge of the Horicon Marsh in Eastern Wisconsin.   The marsh is at the southern end of a large rift that includes Lake Michigan's Green Bay, and Lake Winnebago, the largest lake wholly within the state of Wisconsin.  Horicon Marsh is the largest cattail marsh in the United States, and is a very important habitat for wildlife, especially birds.

The Wild Goose Trail runs for 34 miles.  Here, my wife and I pose for a picture at mile marker 20.

A family of wild geese run away from approaching bikers on the aptly named Wild Goose Trail.

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The Military Ridge Trail runs for 40 miles from just outside of Madison Wisconsin, to Dodgeville (headquarters for Lands End clothing). It connects to several state parks, and as the name implies, it runs along a high ridge that includes the highest point in Southern Wisconsin.  Consequently, there are many beautiful views of Wisconsin's bucolic farmland.

A few miles north of the trail's western terminus is the town of Spring Green, Wisconsin.  Spring Green is most famous for being the home of Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin, seen below.  

Taliesin was completed in 1911.  It sits on 600 acres owned by the Taliesin Preservation Commission.  There are five other Wright-designed structures on the property, the earliest dating back to 1897, and the latest to 1953.  In addition to the Wright designs, the village of Spring Green boasts several structures designed by members of the Taliesin Foundation, which was started by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1932.

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The Elroy-Sparta Trail, as mentioned previously, was the first of Wisconsin's rail-trails.  During the past 30 years, new segments connecting to the original trail have been added.  There are now 102 miles of trail.  Each new segment is given its own name, although they really comprise a single, long route.

Most of the Wisconsin rail-trails include individual or group campsites scattered along the way, usually on the edge of the villages the trails pass through.  This campsite is on the Old 400 Trail, the eastern-most portion of the 102 mile long Elroy-Sparta network of trails.

Elroy Commons is a popular gathering spot for cyclists.  There is a gift shop, bikes for rent, and facilities for cyclists to wash up after a long day of riding.

Among the highlights of the Elroy-Sparta Trail are its three tunnels, ranging in length from a third of a mile to three quarters of a mile.  Southwestern Wisconsin was bypassed by the most recent ice age glaciers.  As a result, this area is much hillier than many parts of the Midwest.  Tunnels were required to minimize the elevation change along the train routes.  The maximum grade on this trail is just under 3%.

 Sparta Wisconsin is often referred to as the Bicycling Capital of America.

A wet towell hanging over a cyclist's gear is not an uncommon sight along the trail.  Fortunately, some of the camgrounds along the trail include shower facilities.

The western-most leg of the Elroy-Sparta trail network is the Great River Trail, which runs for 24 miles along the Mississippi River.  Much of this section is a protected wildlife refuge.  The trail passes over immense wetlands, necessitating old railroad trestles like this one, which is just shy of 300 feet long.

This section of the Mississippi River is also characterized by bluffs that rise about 350 feet above the river valley.  Pictured here is the view looking across the river into Minnesota.

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The final trail to be highlighted on this post is the Sugar River Trail, running 23 miles from Broadhead to New Glarus, Wisconsin.  Like the nearby Cheese Country Trail, the Sugar River Trail passes through dairy farming country that was largely settled by German speaking immigrants from Switzerland.

The Sugar River Trail contains one of the few remaining covered bridges in Wisconsin.

 The Sugar River Trail's western terminus is New Glarus, settled in the mid nineteenth century by settlers from Glarus, Switzerland.  Throughout town one sees buildings like the one pictured above, built in a style similar to an Alpine chalet.   When I took my sister to New Glarus on a bike ride, one of her first comments was, "I didn't know there were any places in America like this."  Other than New Glarus, maybe there aren't.

Near the end of the trail in New Glarus sits Puempel's Olde Tavern, in business in the same location since 1893.  Here, thirsty and hungry cyclists will find outstanding local beer from the New Glarus Brewing Company, or Berghof beer brewed 18 miles down the road in Monroe. Either choice will leave you coveting more.  You can also treat yourself to traditional Swiss Wurst plates, or platters of locally produced cheese.  New Glarus boasts a variety of superb dining choices for such a small town, primarily serving dishes in the Swiss or German tradition.

While enjoying yourself in Puempel's, you must check out the nearly lifesize murals on the walls.

There are four old murals in Puempel's, three on the back wall, and one on the front.  They were painted over a period of six months in 1912 by a folk artist from Austria named Albert Struebin, who was traveling across the United States.  In exchange for room and board upstairs, he painted scenes of his Alpine homeland, and historical events from that region's past.  Pictured above are the three murals on the back wall.  Below is detail from one of the historical murals.

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These are just a few of the rail-trails of Wisconsin.  A ride on any of them provides a peaceful respite from the stresses of the everyday world, and a simple way to enjoy the scenery, history, and people of small town America.   I have found our nation's rail-trails provide an incredibly rewarding experience every time I've peddled them.  They are one of America's lesser known recreational treasures.