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Bicycle Trails

Bike passes are required for all Bicyclists age 18 and over at a cost of $2.00 daily or $6.00 annually. Rentals and repair shops are available at the various communities along the trails. Parking , camping, drinking water, rest room facilities and picnic facilities are located at either end of the trail in Elroy and Sparta, and are complemented by amenities in Norwalk, Wilton and Kendall. Motels, bed & Breakfast inns and campgrounds are also located close to the trails.

In winter, the bike trails become part of a county network that links snowmobile trails in several surrounding counties. The tunnels on the Elroy-Sparta Bike Trail are bypassed via county highways and other trails. There is no charge for snowmobiling on the bike trails.

The Elroy-Sparta National Bike Trail is the grand-daddy of all bicycle trails. Added to the National Bike Trail route in 1972, this 32-mile trail was the first rails-to-trails conversion in the United States.

The trail's tale begins more than a century ago, when in the first months of 1873, the Chicago-Northwestern Railroad completed its lines from Madison to Elroy and from Sparta to Winona, Minnesota. When the portion of the line between Elroy and Sparta was constructed, 34 trestles and 3 tunnels were constructed to maintain suitable grade.

The decline of railroads as a major mode of transportation caused the railroad to discontinue passenger service in the 1950s, and in 1964, the last train rolled down the track. One year later, the track was removed and the line was acquired by the Department of Natural Resources, who purchased the rail right-of-way and developed the state's first linear recreation trail. Trail management continues to be the responsibility of the DNR today.

The Elroy-Sparta trail is located in the unglaciated area of Wisconsin and exemplifies the natural beauty of the state. Nearly 30 miles of this 32-mile trail are located in Monroe County, allowing the user to enjoy spectacular foliage, pass over 33 trestles and encounter three massive rock tunnels. While tunnels 1 and 2 are 1,680 feet in length, tunnel 3 is 3,810 feet in length- nearly a mile long! Because the trail is easy to ride (no grade over 3 percent) bicyclists of all ages enjoy the trail. The trail is also covered with limestone screening for a smooth riding surface. The Elroy-Sparta Bike Trail links the 400 and the La Crosse River State Bike Trail.

The La Crosse River State Bike Trail was developed from the abandoned Chicago-Northwestern Railroad line between Sparta and Medary near La Crosse. The 21.5-mile trail parallels the beautiful La Crosse River. Prairie remnants, farmlands, trout streams and hardwood forests are found along the trail, which is also covered with limestone screening for a smooth ride.