Devil's Lake State Park has been transformed into a winter wonderland, with 3-5 inches of…
Wisconsin’s 101-mile “Bike 4 Trails” route from Marshland to Reedsburg combines the Great River, the La Crosse River, the Elroy-Sparta & the 400 State Bike Trails. While a few riders will make this into a day trip, most folks stretch it out into a multi-day get-a-away. Which is what we plan to do.
Coming up over the next couple of weeks we’ll share our planning experiences from broken links and dead emails to helpful phone calls, missing bridges, lodging options, and more. Then on our social media channels, we’ll take you along for the ride! First, though, we have to talk about the closures on the Elroy-Sparta trail.
Closures on the Elroy-Sparta Trail
Today I want to take a moment to talk about the Elroy-Sparta trail. The Elroy-Sparta State Trail is considered the first rail-to-trail in the United States. The popular 32.5-mile trail runs between Sparta and Elroy and includes 3 cool railway tunnels as well as winding through classic Wisconsin farmlands, forests, and prairies. Sadly, sections of the tail have been closed since it received heavy flood damage in 2018!
Repairs Begin, Again.
Well, we’re happy to report that repairs have started back up and although there is no solid estimate about how long it will take, we’re moving! So why did it take so long? Well, after talking with officials, I’ve learned that the answer is pretty complex. Mostly, however, it has to do with bureaucracy. While some repairs could be done fairly quickly, other sections required the Wisconsin DNR to work with the federal government. In this case, they had to work with FEMA to get various approvals and funding. The whole thing got more complex due to the historical nature of the trail. The repairs to one washed-out trail section and 2 bridges, bogged down in the back and forth of the governmental processes that we all know so well. So you can’t point a finger at any one person here, it’s more just the general inefficiency of government. Regardless of the delays, we’re here now and work has again begun!
Bike 4 Trails?
Well, it can still be done. 3 of the 4 trails are in good shape. Where Elroy-Sparta is concerned, it does mean that riders have to do some road riding to get around the repair areas. For our trip, this will mean a detour for sure, but we’ll talk more about that in an upcoming post.
For nearly 2 decades the Skillet Creek blog has focused on 3 main goals; To inspire you to visit and explore the Devil’s Lake region, to help you get the most your visit by sharing tips, events, and other helpful information. Lastly to advocate for our environment & wildlife and talk about how we can keep our natural areas amazing now and into the future! That last goal can sometimes cause controversy, but it’s the only way we can accomplish the first two. – Derrick Mayoleth, Owner.
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The 400 and the Eproy-Sparta are great trails. I would really like to see a trail go in along the Lower Wisconsin River. That would be a boon for everyone.
Toss in some primitive BLM style camping, bazinga.