Explore the best rated trails in La Crosse, WI. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Elroy-Sparta State Trail and Vietnam Veterans Trail (WI). With more than 16 trails covering 198 miles you’re bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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La Crosse's Marsh Trail Network is a collection of paved and unpaved trails occupying the 1000 acre wetland where the La Crosse River meets the Mississippi River. The marsh, which lies minutes from...
The Pammel Creek Trail is a paved path in La Crosse. The trail mostly follows the alignment of the Pammel Creek channel. The trail travels through residential areas in the south part of La Crosse,...
The Grand Crossing Trail is a north-south trail located in La Crosse's marshlands. The hard-surface trail begins on River Valley Drive and extends south to Myrick Park Drive. The trail offers an...
This trail and bike-ped bridge are named for a La Crosse resident and trail lover, whose independent efforts to create a walking path in the 1950s would pave the way for this trail. The hard surface...
The Jim Asfoor Trail is a paved hike-and-bike trail within La Crosse's marshlands. The trail is part of the Marsh Trail Network, cluster of paved and unpaved trails occupying the thousand-acre wetland...
The La Crosse River valley provides level terrain through a rugged area of western Wisconsin for the La Crosse River State Trail. This screened-limestone rail-with-trail passes through farmland,...
Traveling the 400 State Trail is a numbers game. The trail’s name refers to the old Chicago and North Western Railway’s “No. 400” passenger train that zoomed through here between Chicago and St....
La Crosse's marshlands sit on a thousand acres in the heart of the city. The wetlands occur where the La Crosse and Mississippi rivers meet. The Marsh Trail Network is a cluster of paved and unpaved...
The Trout Run Trail provides an experience unique to any other in Iowa, with a hilly landscape that reminds trail users of the meteorite that struck the area long ago. The trail actually loops all the...
Utter darkness is as much a part of the scenery along the Elroy-Sparta State Trail as the views of the rolling hills and farmland. That’s because visitors pass through three hand-dug railroad tunnels...
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The Swift Creek Trail combines a trail segment running the length of Isle la Plume and a walking trail that was the initiative of staff of the Gundersen Health System in La Crosse. The trail begins in...
Along much of its route, the Root River State Trail follows the winding course of its namesake river for 42 miles through the Minnesota towns of Fountain, Lanesboro, Whalan, Peterson, Rushford, and...
The Harmony–Preston Valley State Trail runs 18 miles on a north-south line between the town of Harmony and the Root River State Trail, which it meets between Lanesboro and Fountain. The paved trail is...
The 12.5-mile Omaha Trail passes through a wonderland of towering buttes, mesas, and pinnacles that seem more at home in an arid desert than in fertile farmland. The steep sandstone formations, some...
The 4.3-mile Hillsboro State Trail will make you feel instantly at home. Easy and flat, this gravel trail will take you on a short excursion from Hillsboro to Union Center. But this trail is more of a...
The Harmony–Preston Valley State Trail runs 18 miles on a north-south line between the town of Harmony and the Root River State Trail, which it meets between Lanesboro and Fountain. The paved trail is...
The Grand Crossing Trail is a north-south trail located in La Crosse's marshlands. The hard-surface trail begins on River Valley Drive and extends south to Myrick Park Drive. The trail offers an...
The 4.3-mile Hillsboro State Trail will make you feel instantly at home. Easy and flat, this gravel trail will take you on a short excursion from Hillsboro to Union Center. But this trail is more of a...
This trail and bike-ped bridge are named for a La Crosse resident and trail lover, whose independent efforts to create a walking path in the 1950s would pave the way for this trail. The hard surface...
The Pammel Creek Trail is a paved path in La Crosse. The trail mostly follows the alignment of the Pammel Creek channel. The trail travels through residential areas in the south part of La Crosse,...
The Swift Creek Trail combines a trail segment running the length of Isle la Plume and a walking trail that was the initiative of staff of the Gundersen Health System in La Crosse. The trail begins in...
Traveling the 400 State Trail is a numbers game. The trail’s name refers to the old Chicago and North Western Railway’s “No. 400” passenger train that zoomed through here between Chicago and St....
The Great River State Trail is named for the Mississippi River, but Ol’ Man River stays mostly out of sight if you follow this 24-mile trail through river marshes, wildlife preserves, hardwood...
Utter darkness is as much a part of the scenery along the Elroy-Sparta State Trail as the views of the rolling hills and farmland. That’s because visitors pass through three hand-dug railroad tunnels...
The La Crosse River valley provides level terrain through a rugged area of western Wisconsin for the La Crosse River State Trail. This screened-limestone rail-with-trail passes through farmland,...
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Iowa's Yellow River State Forest contains a sprawling network of hiking, equestrian and bicycle trails. The Paint Creek Trail, which occupies a segment of an abandoned railroad corridor, is the only...
The Jim Asfoor Trail is a paved hike-and-bike trail within La Crosse's marshlands. The trail is part of the Marsh Trail Network, cluster of paved and unpaved trails occupying the thousand-acre wetland...
The Trout Run Trail provides an experience unique to any other in Iowa, with a hilly landscape that reminds trail users of the meteorite that struck the area long ago. The trail actually loops all the...
La Crosse's marshlands sit on a thousand acres in the heart of the city. The wetlands occur where the La Crosse and Mississippi rivers meet. The Marsh Trail Network is a cluster of paved and unpaved...
The 12.5-mile Omaha Trail passes through a wonderland of towering buttes, mesas, and pinnacles that seem more at home in an arid desert than in fertile farmland. The steep sandstone formations, some...
Along much of its route, the Root River State Trail follows the winding course of its namesake river for 42 miles through the Minnesota towns of Fountain, Lanesboro, Whalan, Peterson, Rushford, and...
La Crosse's Marsh Trail Network is a collection of paved and unpaved trails occupying the 1000 acre wetland where the La Crosse River meets the Mississippi River. The marsh, which lies minutes from...
The Great River State Trail is named for the Mississippi River, but Ol’ Man River stays mostly out of sight if you follow this 24-mile trail through river marshes, wildlife preserves, hardwood...
Iowa's Yellow River State Forest contains a sprawling network of hiking, equestrian and bicycle trails. The Paint Creek Trail, which occupies a segment of an abandoned railroad corridor, is the only...
Along much of its route, the Root River State Trail follows the winding course of its namesake river for 42 miles through the Minnesota towns of Fountain, Lanesboro, Whalan, Peterson, Rushford, and...
The 12.5-mile Omaha Trail passes through a wonderland of towering buttes, mesas, and pinnacles that seem more at home in an arid desert than in fertile farmland. The steep sandstone formations, some...
The La Crosse River valley provides level terrain through a rugged area of western Wisconsin for the La Crosse River State Trail. This screened-limestone rail-with-trail passes through farmland,...
Traveling the 400 State Trail is a numbers game. The trail’s name refers to the old Chicago and North Western Railway’s “No. 400” passenger train that zoomed through here between Chicago and St....
This trail and bike-ped bridge are named for a La Crosse resident and trail lover, whose independent efforts to create a walking path in the 1950s would pave the way for this trail. The hard surface...
The Swift Creek Trail combines a trail segment running the length of Isle la Plume and a walking trail that was the initiative of staff of the Gundersen Health System in La Crosse. The trail begins in...
Utter darkness is as much a part of the scenery along the Elroy-Sparta State Trail as the views of the rolling hills and farmland. That’s because visitors pass through three hand-dug railroad tunnels...
The Trout Run Trail provides an experience unique to any other in Iowa, with a hilly landscape that reminds trail users of the meteorite that struck the area long ago. The trail actually loops all the...
The 4.3-mile Hillsboro State Trail will make you feel instantly at home. Easy and flat, this gravel trail will take you on a short excursion from Hillsboro to Union Center. But this trail is more of a...
The Grand Crossing Trail is a north-south trail located in La Crosse's marshlands. The hard-surface trail begins on River Valley Drive and extends south to Myrick Park Drive. The trail offers an...
The Harmony–Preston Valley State Trail runs 18 miles on a north-south line between the town of Harmony and the Root River State Trail, which it meets between Lanesboro and Fountain. The paved trail is...
La Crosse's Marsh Trail Network is a collection of paved and unpaved trails occupying the 1000 acre wetland where the La Crosse River meets the Mississippi River. The marsh, which lies minutes from...
The Pammel Creek Trail is a paved path in La Crosse. The trail mostly follows the alignment of the Pammel Creek channel. The trail travels through residential areas in the south part of La Crosse,...
The Jim Asfoor Trail is a paved hike-and-bike trail within La Crosse's marshlands. The trail is part of the Marsh Trail Network, cluster of paved and unpaved trails occupying the thousand-acre wetland...
La Crosse's marshlands sit on a thousand acres in the heart of the city. The wetlands occur where the La Crosse and Mississippi rivers meet. The Marsh Trail Network is a cluster of paved and unpaved...
No major road noise, dappled shady trail, reasonable crushed gravel surface, well maintained small bridges, really cool tunnel experience.
I rode this 'trail' in the late 1960's, when it was basically a concept trail, and connected with the Sparta-Elroy trail. It actually started at Riverside Park then, on a dirt-gravel trail along the La Crosse River. I see from the trail map, it now starts several miles further, avoiding some highway crossings. At that time, it followed roads, more or less, until it got to the start of the Sparta-Elroy trail. And it was free. I doubt the scenery has changed that much. I have to put in a rating, but what rode then is much different than it is now.
We rode this trail late October and sadly missed most of the color, but the trail did not disappoint. My favorite part is from Peterson to Preston. There was very little traffic, few cross streets, mostly flat, and lots of beautiful views. The section going down to Preston was a little rougher than the Root River trail, but probably our favorite section for views. If you want a delicious meal, eat at Old Village Hall in Lanesboro. It was a little expensive, but some of the best food I've ever had!
This trail has so many amazing views along the way it’s a must do! We started at the hilly end and it was pretty intense for about 4 miles or so. After that it was a lot more level and enjoyable. The trout hatchery was a cool place along the way with trout of all sizes , some of them quite huge. There was also a gorgeous waterfall behind the hatchery! The trail meanders over bridges, along streams, and past scenic overlooks. Watch for the Decorah Eagles Nest which has signage on the trail.
We spent a wonderful day on the trail enjoying the beautiful Fall colors. Starting in Sparta we biked the doable 3% upward grade to the .75 mile tunnel 9 miles away. After walking a few hundred feet of the tunnel (bring a flashlight) we flew back downhill to the Depot. We met many friendly people along the way enjoying this last warm Fall day. We will be back to explore another section of this great trail.
We haven't done many trails yet, but by far this is the prettiest one so far!! The roads along the trail had little to no traffic, making the ride quiet and peaceful. The tunnel was an awesome addition to the ride also.
This is a beautiful trail and Decorah is a lovely Iowa town. My husband and I enjoyed the challenge of the hills. After reading these reviews we also decided to do the hills first. We totally forgot about the challenge of the hills by the time we got to downtown for pizza and ice cream! However, we will never forget the beautiful Iowa scenery! A great day of riding!
I have not ridden for years due to health concerns and double knee replacements. After losing almost 130 lbs. I have just begin to ride again. We did a portion of this trail and it was great!!
The pavement is in great condition, bridges are smooth. Check ahead for business hours if you are visiting on a weekday and want lunch on the trail. We stayed at the Stone Mill Inn in Lanesboro and they have a bike shed available, I recommend them.
9/14/20 with road bikes. Trail has serious issues: very rough bridge approaches (~ 10 bridges), cracks/holes in pavement, washout which created about 18" wide of rideable trail for about 50'. The curves make it difficult to see issues early.
We had a great ride on this trail today. We rode from La Crosse to Sparta and back. 42 miles. There is a tree down about 5 2/3 miles from La Crosse. There is a way around it but it is also pretty buggy there. We thoroughly enjoyed this ride. Trail is in very good shape and very scenic. Since the Elroy Sparta trail is in bad repair, I would highly recommend this trail.
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