Find the top rated trails in Sun Prairie, 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.
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If you can’t make it to Switzerland, then you can do the next best thing: take the Sugar River State Trail to “America’s Little Switzerland,” New Glarus, Wisconsin. Settled in 1845 by a small group...
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...
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...
Janesville's Spring Brook Trail provides an important non-motorized route to many of the city's popular recreational amenities. The pathway begins just off the eastern terminus of the Rock River...
Note: In 2015, portions of the Lake Country Trail will be temporarily closed as part of the Quad County Electric Reliability Project; please see the American Transmission Company’s website for updates...
Meadowbrook Trail parallels Meadowbrook Road offering a useful and convenient off-road route through northwest Waukesha. It begins at a connection to Lake Country Recreation Trail, a 15-mile east-west...
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...
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 Dorr Road Bike Path begins at South Beloit Municipal Park and parallels the roadway for its entire length. The views are primarily residential. After about three-quarters of a mile (from 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...
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 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...
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...
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 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...
Stretching from Afton to Janesville, the northern section of the Peace Trail offers a paved, tree-shaded route paralleling the Rock River and an active rail line. At its northern end, the trail merges...
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 Kiwanis Bike Trail, named for the Kiwanis Club that spearheaded the effort to build the trail, parallels the western bank of the Rock River through the southern Wisconsin community of Janesville....
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 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...
If you can’t make it to Switzerland, then you can do the next best thing: take the Sugar River State Trail to “America’s Little Switzerland,” New Glarus, Wisconsin. Settled in 1845 by a small group...
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...
Note: In 2015, portions of the Lake Country Trail will be temporarily closed as part of the Quad County Electric Reliability Project; please see the American Transmission Company’s website for updates...
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 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...
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 Dorr Road Bike Path begins at South Beloit Municipal Park and parallels the roadway for its entire length. The views are primarily residential. After about three-quarters of a mile (from the...
Janesville's Spring Brook Trail provides an important non-motorized route to many of the city's popular recreational amenities. The pathway begins just off the eastern terminus of the Rock River...
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...
If you’re looking for an invigorating motorized-trail experience, the Cheese Country Recreation Trail (aka the Tri-County Trail) won’t disappoint. If you’re on foot, hoof, or self-propelled two...
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...
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...
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 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...
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The Fox River Trail runs diagonally along its namesake waterway through Waukesha in southeastern Wisconsin (just outside of Milwaukee). A trailhead at the E.B. Shurts Environmental Education Center in...
Broad blue skies strung with white cloud wisps; gem-green fields harboring cattails and butterflies; canopied glens giving way to cavernous quarries. It's all part of the ride on the Bugline...
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 Rock River Parkway Trail in Janesville runs between Rockport Park and S. Jackson Street bridge on the north side of the river. Here, at the trail's eastern terminus, you can easily link to Spring...
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 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 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...
Broad blue skies strung with white cloud wisps; gem-green fields harboring cattails and butterflies; canopied glens giving way to cavernous quarries. It's all part of the ride on the Bugline...
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 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...
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 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...
Meadowbrook Trail parallels Meadowbrook Road offering a useful and convenient off-road route through northwest Waukesha. It begins at a connection to Lake Country Recreation Trail, a 15-mile east-west...
The Rock River Parkway Trail in Janesville runs between Rockport Park and S. Jackson Street bridge on the north side of the river. Here, at the trail's eastern terminus, you can easily link to Spring...
If you’re looking for an invigorating motorized-trail experience, the Cheese Country Recreation Trail (aka the Tri-County Trail) won’t disappoint. If you’re on foot, hoof, or self-propelled two...
This path runs along the north side of Highway 11 and south of the city of Janesville. The eastern end starts about 3/4 of a mile west of I-39 and runs all the way to S County Road D, crossing over...
The Fox River Trail runs diagonally along its namesake waterway through Waukesha in southeastern Wisconsin (just outside of Milwaukee). A trailhead at the E.B. Shurts Environmental Education Center in...
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...
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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 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 Kiwanis Bike Trail, named for the Kiwanis Club that spearheaded the effort to build the trail, parallels the western bank of the Rock River through the southern Wisconsin community of Janesville....
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...
If you can’t make it to Switzerland, then you can do the next best thing: take the Sugar River State Trail to “America’s Little Switzerland,” New Glarus, Wisconsin. Settled in 1845 by a small group...
Stretching from Afton to Janesville, the northern section of the Peace Trail offers a paved, tree-shaded route paralleling the Rock River and an active rail line. At its northern end, the trail merges...
I rode this trail more than 25 years ago, and its even better now. It's a well-kept, smooth blacktop trail that runs through woods, small towns and scenic woodlands. But it's biggest flaw is the lack of directional signs. With many crossroads running diagonally, rather than east-west, north-south, it's easy to get confused. Just a few signs saying something like "4 miles to Sussex" would make all the difference. The short spur trail to Menomonee Park just outside of Lannon is well worth the trip. There they have a large map of the Bugline trail. It's the only one I saw on the trail giving any directions. There's even a free air station for bikes in the park. Just add some directional signs, and this would be a first class bike trail.
I've biked the whole trail in various sections. For the most part the gravel is well maintained, there are a few small sections where there is larger or sandier gravel to cover some storm washouts. You'll have to watch out for the occasional chipmunk hole and bridge transitions, but otherwise it's a smooth ride.
Riding later in the day will allow you to see a wide variety of wildlife, especially around the marshes near London and Sullivan. On all 4 days I rode on the trail, I encountered at least one deer on the trail along with turkeys, woodchucks, minks, all colors of birds and more. The wildlife thins out after Dousman (when the trail is paved) but the view gets better as the trail is quite a bit higher than the surrounding area. Wales to Waukesha is downhill and fast, but not too much of a hassle pedaling the other way. Your mileage may vary.
There are also some great river and lake views as you go across Rock Lake outside of Lake Mills and over the Crawfish and Rock Rivers between there and Jefferson.
The only other issue for people who don't like hills is the road detour around Jefferson. It's a bit of a climb on either side to get over Hwy 26, and the road that takes you to the next section of the trail is hilly also.
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.
Started this summer at the Custer Lane parking lot (4 cars max). Walked to the Meno Falls starting point, then walked back and then south down the trail and back to the car. Played leapfrog like this all the way to Merton and the newest extension to the end.
Man, I feel so much more physically fit, look better & clothes fit much better too. And it's only costing me gas money and time. What a bargain.
I could have biked, but wanted to take pics and enjoy myself instead of racing through the trail. No fun in that. Thanks Bugline for the memories.
jf2641.
We parked at Big Hill Top park inBeloit where I was under the understanding it was going to be a continuous trail of Asphalt and go straight 6.4 miles up towards Janesville. It started out cool with Asphalt going downhill on a winding paved road. At the bottom it ends with no signs of where to go. So we wander around. 1 one leads to a field. The other leads to off road (which was pretty as it was along the river) it leads out to a road that you're supposed to go up to the left a little ways and cross into what looks like a path that hasn't been used in years. We didn't take it because it didn't look rideable. We eventually found another path onto peace trail and decided to give it a go anyways. Ouch! Led through an unused path that hasn't been mowed in months. Led to another road. No signs. No idea where to go. We used the roads to get back to path that was paved and went back to vehicle. Can't say I'll start in Beloit ever again.
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.
We had a great time on this trail. Everyone we met said hi and were very courteous. We ride around Madison quite often and get run off by racers all the time and no one ever says Hi. The trail is paved and very well maintained.
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.
Firstly, the Bugline trail is not any "buggier" than any other SE Wisconsin trail. The name is a misnomer. I've logged hundreds of miles on this beautiful trail and it is indeed one of my favorites. There is a wide variety of topography some rural a little urban (small town urban) and lots of woodland. It is a rail-trail so the grade is essentially flat with one or two short hills. The trail begins in Menomonee Falls and heads west almost to North Lake with the new extension. The trail is in fabulous shape and is entirely smooth asphalt. There are some road crossings to be careful of but I find drivers very courteous by stopping especially in Sussex. There are numerous parks along the entire 16 miles and a variety of restaurants less than a block off trail. I find no matter what time I ride, the trail is never crowded. Plenty of wildlife to be seen as well. The largest white tail deer I've ever seen in the wild crossed my path one afternoon. Parking on the west end is on a rural street and the trail head is a bit obscure. The trail intersects Fireman's Park in Merton, and there are plenty of other areas in Sussex and Menomonee Falls to park. Very enjoyable in any season although it does not get plowed in winter.
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