Find the top rated trails in Portage, whether you're looking an easy walking path or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
The 53-mile Glacial Drumlin State Trail between Cottage Grove and Waukesha provides a glimpse into the past when glaciers bore down on southeastern Wisconsin in the last Ice Age. Those gigantic sheets...
Blackhawk Path offers a convenient way to traverse Shorewood Hills, a western suburb of Madison nestled along Lake Mendota. Increasing its value as a commuting corridor are plans to extend the trail...
The Glacial River Trail provides bikers, pedestrians, and in-line skaters with a 55.8-mile off-road/on-road rural route winding through farmland, prairie, wetlands, and woodlands as it passes through...
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 Cannonball Path runs on a railbanked Union Pacific corridor from near downtown Madison to Fitchburg, a southern suburb. A majority of the paved trail is complete between Madison's...
The Wild Goose State Trail is a premier rail-trail, spanning approximately 35 miles in Dodge and Fond du Lac counties. If you are looking for a peaceful and beautiful place to visit, this trail has it...
The Northwestern Trail begins near the public library in downtown Ripon, a charming small town in eastern Wisconsin. History buffs may want to head a few blocks south from this endpoint to explore the...
The Pheasant Branch Creek Corridor Trail follows a lush wooded creek through Middleton, a northwestern suburb of Wisconsin’s state capital. Its east end is anchored by the beautiful Pheasant Branch...
The Pheasant Branch Conservancy Trail forms a loop within the scenic Pheasant Branch Conservancy, a natural area containing a marsh, meadows, forest and hills. The area is home to a vast array of...
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...
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The Wolf Run Trail supports a wide variety of users on its two miles of crushed gravel, situated on the outskirts of Mazomanie in northwestern Dane County. Heading southeast from the charming...
The US Highway 12 Path offers a convenient, non-motorized alternative to traveling on the highway. The paved pathway begins in Middleton and heads northwest paralleling the roadway, separated from...
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...
All it takes is a short ride on Madison’s 5.6-mile South west Commuter Path to understand the critical role it plays in getting people around town. Not only does it pass within a mile of the State...
The Yahara River Bike Path, on the northeastern side of Madison, is anchored by Tenney Park on one end and the 17-mile Capital City Trail on the other. From one recreational amenity to the other, the...
The Wingra Creek Path—also known as the Wingra Bike Path—runs along the winding waterway in Madison. The trail provides a critical link from the neighborhoods south of downtown Madison to the Capital...
The Starkweather Creek Path traces the waterway north from the Capital City State Trail through Madison’s eastern neighborhoods of Starkweather, Worthington Park, Eken Park and Carpenter-Ridgeway. The...
In south-central Wisconsin, the Upper Yahara River Trail connects the communities of DeForest and Windsor along a beautiful wooded waterway. Buffered by neighborhoods, the trail offers residents an...
Rail-trail fans know that Wisconsin’s Elroy-Sparta State Trail is famous for its three tunnels. The Badger State Trail, which heads south from Madison to the Illinois state line (where it connects...
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 Capital City State Trail contributes to the impression that you’re never far from a bike path in the Madison area. The paved trail meanders for 17 miles from the suburb of Fitchburg in the...
The Glacial River Trail provides bikers, pedestrians, and in-line skaters with a 55.8-mile off-road/on-road rural route winding through farmland, prairie, wetlands, and woodlands as it passes through...
The 53-mile Glacial Drumlin State Trail between Cottage Grove and Waukesha provides a glimpse into the past when glaciers bore down on southeastern Wisconsin in the last Ice Age. Those gigantic sheets...
The Northwestern Trail begins near the public library in downtown Ripon, a charming small town in eastern Wisconsin. History buffs may want to head a few blocks south from this endpoint to explore the...
All it takes is a short ride on Madison’s 5.6-mile South west Commuter Path to understand the critical role it plays in getting people around town. Not only does it pass within a mile of the State...
Rail-trail fans know that Wisconsin’s Elroy-Sparta State Trail is famous for its three tunnels. The Badger State Trail, which heads south from Madison to the Illinois state line (where it connects...
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 Yahara River Bike Path, on the northeastern side of Madison, is anchored by Tenney Park on one end and the 17-mile Capital City Trail on the other. From one recreational amenity to the other, the...
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....
Madison’s Campus Drive Pedestrian and Bicycle Path is a short trail linking the city’s west side with the University of Wisconsin’s agricultural facilities. Both the heart of the university and the...
The Pheasant Branch Creek Corridor Trail follows a lush wooded creek through Middleton, a northwestern suburb of Wisconsin’s state capital. Its east end is anchored by the beautiful Pheasant Branch...
The Mascoutin Valley State Trail is divided into two segments along a former corridor of the Chicago and North Western Railway. The eastern section runs 10 miles between Fond du Lac and Rosendale. The...
The Wingra Creek Path—also known as the Wingra Bike Path—runs along the winding waterway in Madison. The trail provides a critical link from the neighborhoods south of downtown Madison to the Capital...
In south-central Wisconsin, the Upper Yahara River Trail connects the communities of DeForest and Windsor along a beautiful wooded waterway. Buffered by neighborhoods, the trail offers residents an...
The Wild Goose State Trail is a premier rail-trail, spanning approximately 35 miles in Dodge and Fond du Lac counties. If you are looking for a peaceful and beautiful place to visit, this trail has it...
The Pheasant Branch Conservancy Trail forms a loop within the scenic Pheasant Branch Conservancy, a natural area containing a marsh, meadows, forest and hills. The area is home to a vast array of...
The Wolf Run Trail supports a wide variety of users on its two miles of crushed gravel, situated on the outskirts of Mazomanie in northwestern Dane County. Heading southeast from the charming...
The Starkweather Creek Path traces the waterway north from the Capital City State Trail through Madison’s eastern neighborhoods of Starkweather, Worthington Park, Eken Park and Carpenter-Ridgeway. The...
The US Highway 12 Path offers a convenient, non-motorized alternative to traveling on the highway. The paved pathway begins in Middleton and heads northwest paralleling the roadway, separated from...
The Bannerman Trail is open but largely unimproved between the communities of Redgranite and Neshkoro on a former Chicago and North Western Railway corridor. The dirt, grass and sand surface might...
The Pheasant Branch Creek Corridor Trail follows a lush wooded creek through Middleton, a northwestern suburb of Wisconsin’s state capital. Its east end is anchored by the beautiful Pheasant Branch...
The Military Ridge State Trail finds the high ground as it rolls across 40 miles of idyllic farmland from the outskirts of Madison to the historic mining town of Dodgeville. It follows an American...
The Wolf Run Trail supports a wide variety of users on its two miles of crushed gravel, situated on the outskirts of Mazomanie in northwestern Dane County. Heading southeast from the charming...
Madison’s Campus Drive Pedestrian and Bicycle Path is a short trail linking the city’s west side with the University of Wisconsin’s agricultural facilities. Both the heart of the university and the...
Rail-trail fans know that Wisconsin’s Elroy-Sparta State Trail is famous for its three tunnels. The Badger State Trail, which heads south from Madison to the Illinois state line (where it connects...
The Mascoutin Valley State Trail is divided into two segments along a former corridor of the Chicago and North Western Railway. The eastern section runs 10 miles between Fond du Lac and Rosendale. The...
The Capital City State Trail contributes to the impression that you’re never far from a bike path in the Madison area. The paved trail meanders for 17 miles from the suburb of Fitchburg in the...
In south-central Wisconsin, the Upper Yahara River Trail connects the communities of DeForest and Windsor along a beautiful wooded waterway. Buffered by neighborhoods, the trail offers residents an...
All it takes is a short ride on Madison’s 5.6-mile South west Commuter Path to understand the critical role it plays in getting people around town. Not only does it pass within a mile of the State...
The Northwestern Trail begins near the public library in downtown Ripon, a charming small town in eastern Wisconsin. History buffs may want to head a few blocks south from this endpoint to explore the...
The Cannonball Path runs on a railbanked Union Pacific corridor from near downtown Madison to Fitchburg, a southern suburb. A majority of the paved trail is complete between Madison's...
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...
Blackhawk Path offers a convenient way to traverse Shorewood Hills, a western suburb of Madison nestled along Lake Mendota. Increasing its value as a commuting corridor are plans to extend the trail...
The Wingra Creek Path—also known as the Wingra Bike Path—runs along the winding waterway in Madison. The trail provides a critical link from the neighborhoods south of downtown Madison to the Capital...
The Pine River Trail winds on an abandoned railroad corridor between Richland Center and Lone Rock in scenic Richland County. Trail users are treated to stunning views of river bluffs, marshland and...
The Yahara River Bike Path, on the northeastern side of Madison, is anchored by Tenney Park on one end and the 17-mile Capital City Trail on the other. From one recreational amenity to the other, the...
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 Pheasant Branch Conservancy Trail forms a loop within the scenic Pheasant Branch Conservancy, a natural area containing a marsh, meadows, forest and hills. The area is home to a vast array of...
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 Bannerman Trail is open but largely unimproved between the communities of Redgranite and Neshkoro on a former Chicago and North Western Railway corridor. The dirt, grass and sand surface might...
The combination of open fields, swamps, and creeks makes this path a calm and pleasant ride.
We had a great time riding this trail and going through the tunnels. I was amused by the signs at each tunnel stating: "Clothing and articles worn in other caves and mines are prohibited in the Elroy-Sparta State Trail tunnels." I do understand the concern, but I think the sign could have been worded better (i.e. "clothing and articles that have been worn"). It sounded to me like "people wear clothes in other caves and tunnels, but not here!
The tunnels were family friendly when we were there. ;-)
My wife and I hit the trail on 7/09/17. Starting with the trailhead, very nice ammenities. Full bathrooms w/showers! The trail is well maintained crushed gravel. ( do watch out for the occasional chipmunk hole!) Start out with a nice canopy cover, opening a bit as you pass Rock Lake. Two miles out, the canopy gives way to wide open marsh. Mid-day ride is quite hot! The 1/4 mile bridge is no longer an option on this trail. ( Bummer: I was hoping to surprise my wife with that part of the ride) Because of the bridge closure, you ride in the open marsh a bit longer than before. But, soon you get back to a nice canopy of trees. ( Do put on bug dope! You stop in the canopy for a break and the mosquitos will eat ya alive!) All the bridges you encounter have a rubber strip in the middle and run length of bridge.(I believe for tire puncture safety) My wife and I hit our allotted time/distance ( at the moment 8miles out and 8 miles back) so we came up just shy of reaching Deerfield. Overall, a very pleasant ride! My Garmin said only 95ft of elevation. So, easy on the legs as well. We do plan on dropping in on different spots of the Glacial. We'll keep ya posted :)
Just rode this trail from Monroe to just past the tunnel and back. The trail was considerably overgrow on the sides and in the center in many areas. Spent the majority of the ride with 2 tires in the weeds. The tunnel is the best part of the ride. There are a few good pastoral views although mostly blocked by the dense undergrowth. Also, watch out for screws sticking out on the bridges where snowmobile travel has done some damage.
We stayed at the Tunnel Trail Campground over July 4th and rode a few shorter sections at a time over several days. The trail was smooth and I don't remember any sandy or rutted out spots. The tunnels tended to be at the high points on the trail, so the return trip was a nice downhill ride. Overall everyone in our group enjoyed the trail.
I rode from the IL state line north to the Stewart Tunnel and back. There were enough ruts, gopher holes and sandy spots that it was hard to enjoy the scenery. As soon as I'd get comfortable I'd hit one of those things. There were also a couple of trees down south of Monroe. North of Monroe was better in terms of sand and ruts, but most of the bridges had broken planks that had to be avoided. The Stewart Tunnel had a lot of graffiti, something I didn't see in any of the tunnels on the Elroy-Sparta Trail. Overall I was left wondering why anyone would pay the trail fee to ride this trail. It will probably be a long time before I return.
I rode a round trip from Monticello to Monroe and back last weekend, and was surprised that the trail was so overgrown. It was just two tire tracks among the weeds, not the hard-packed gravel trail I can experienced before. Also, there was no obvious place to get a trail pass in Monticello, and there was no trail ranger in sight. (Budget cutbacks? ). It was still a great ride in a picturesque part of the state, and Monroe's town square is an excellent place for a mid-ride lunch.
I rode the Southwest Commuter trail from John Nolen Dr. to the "bike roundabout" where that trail, the Cannonball, the Badger, the Capital City, and Military Ridge spur come together. I didn't want to ride back the same way so I took this back. The scenery is very nice as much of the trail borders the UW Arboretum on the south side and it rolls through some wide prairies and marsh areas. It's also very fast going from Fitchburg back to Madison. There is a bit of an incline to get up to the bridge over Hwy 12/18, but the downhill is worth it. The trail ends at Fish Hatchery Road, but if you turn left in about a mile you'll hit the Wingra Creek trail and can head to Olin Park from there (which is also a pleasant surprise).
If you want decent speed, choose to route from reedsburg to Elroy. Otherwise you spend your time with pedalling all the time. There are no steeps on the trail but slightly goes up. It is kind of non-scenic version of Elroy-Sparta trail. Plus not recommended in rainy weather. Not Asphalt
This was my 5th trail on my bike trip between Mankato to Wisconsin Dells. If you use this trail from Elroy to Sparta, it is good. But if you start from Sparta to Elroy, It would be hard for you. Because the surface is little bit slightly up and you have to pedal during 80% of the trail. Hence the reason, you can`t enoy the nature. You always struggle with your pedal and breath. Plus not recommended at rainy weather. It is already gravel surface and you dont want to ride on soft clay. It gives you extra trouble. Still worth to see just the sake for tunnels. Btw Tunnel 3 surface needs to be fixed. It has been eroded by water leaking from ceiling.
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