Find the top rated trails in Watertown, 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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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 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...
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 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 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 Lake Geneva Bike Path runs through the scenic resort city, offering connections to many of the community’s amenities. The trail has five unique, color-coded segments. The Blue Route is the...
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 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 1957, baseball legend Hank “The Hammer” Aaron led the Milwaukee Braves to the first of two consecutive World Series appearances and a championship over the usually dominant New York Yankees. In...
The Eisenbahn State Trail gives a nod to Wisconsin’s German heritage in its name—Eisenbahn is German for “railway.” The strict translation, “iron road,” refers to the iron rails originally used as...
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 Seven Waters Bike Trail is a scenic corridor stretching more than 17 miles northsouth between Burlington and Muskego Lake into Waukesha County. The trail was originally three trails, locally...
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 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 Brown Deer Recreational Trail runs through the Village of Brown Deer, a suburb of Milwaukee. The tree-line route parallels an active rail line through commercial and residential areas. Mid-way,...
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...
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 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....
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 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....
The Lake Geneva Bike Path runs through the scenic resort city, offering connections to many of the community’s amenities. The trail has five unique, color-coded segments. The Blue Route is 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 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...
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The Downtown Trail—also known as the River Trail and Riverwalk Trail—runs alongside the Fond du Lac River for nearly 2 miles in the heart of Fond du Lac. The vast majority of the trail is smooth...
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 Lake to Lake Bike Trail takes you through the beautiful terrain of the Kettle Moraine State Forest. It is a newer, well-maintained trail, with a wide, crushed limestone roadbed. It is used daily...
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 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...
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 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 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 Cushing Park Road Recreational Trail begins on the western outskirts of Delafield, a small community about 30 miles west of Milwaukee. From Delafield's Main Street, the trail heads south,...
The Eisenbahn State Trail gives a nod to Wisconsin’s German heritage in its name—Eisenbahn is German for “railway.” The strict translation, “iron road,” refers to the iron rails originally used as...
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 Muskego Recreation Trail follows a corridor originally used by the Milwaukee Electric Railway & Light, an interurban railroad in southeastern Wisconsin. The corridor was later acquired by...
The Harbor View Trail occupies a former rail bed—now shared with overhead electric transmission wires—on the southern edge of Lakeside Park in Fond du Lac. The trail parallels Harbor View Drive for...
The Milwaukee RiverWalk provides a pleasant way to get around Milwaukee from the Historic Third Ward, through downtown, and north to the Lower East Side. It also has easy connections to three other...
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...
Although short, the West Allis Cross Town Connector represents an important start to a future link between three trails in Milwaukee County. Currently, the trail begins at a junction with the New...
The Downtown Trail—also known as the River Trail and Riverwalk Trail—runs alongside the Fond du Lac River for nearly 2 miles in the heart of Fond du Lac. The vast majority of the trail is smooth...
The City of Franklin Hike and Bike Trail follows a corridor originally used by the Milwaukee Electric Railway & Light, an interurban railroad in southeastern Wisconsin. The corridor was later acquired...
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 Seven Waters Bike Trail is a scenic corridor stretching more than 17 miles northsouth between Burlington and Muskego Lake into Waukesha County. The trail was originally three trails, locally...
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 Prairie Trail offers a paved route of nearly 7 miles along the eastern boundary of Fond du Lac, a mid-sized city befitting its French name which means “foot of the lake” as it hugs the southern...
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 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...
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 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 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....
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 White River State Trail is composed of two separate segments: a 12-mile stretch that runs between Elkhorn and just west of Burlington in Walworth County, and a 7-mile section that connects 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 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 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 Lake Geneva Bike Path runs through the scenic resort city, offering connections to many of the community’s amenities. The trail has five unique, color-coded segments. The Blue Route is the...
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...
Kinnickinnic River Trail (called the KK River Trail by locals) runs just over 2 miles in southern Milwaukee, following the river through a densely populated and industrial corridor. The trail links...
Not alot of open bathrooms near The Landing stretch. Oh yes they are marked on the map but locked 95% of the time. Very nice trail otherwise. Get some permanent port a johns please!!!!
Nice trail. Paved. Green tunnels. Pleasant even on a hot July mid-day. Lots of busy road crossings. 99% cars stopped for crossing, but never sure about that other 1%. DH and I ride a tandem recumbent trike with a wide turn radium and many corners were not wide enough for us in one pass.
We rode the Ripon-Berlin route up and back. It was an unusually hot day, but the trail is 80 - 90% shaded. Very few open areas and a few minutes' ride gets you back in the shade. A round of thunderstorms had just finished when we set out but the trail was mostly dry and very well-maintained. Mosquitoes were abundant so wear spray if you plan to stop for a bit. Had a break and nice lunch at Shepard's in Berlin, and made use of Mike's Bike Shop in Berlin too. Be aware that there are signs prohibiting electric bikes on this trail...I contacted authorities who stated that ebikes are fine for anyone with a disability or who might be pulling a disabled person. I plan to address this further. I had my regular bike this time but often use my ebike to pull my disabled adult daughter.
Honey Creek Pkwy is a very pleasant windy smooth road. Although you do have to go across Wisconsin Ave and Bluemound road which can be quite busy streets.
We picked up the Oak Leaf branch opposite 72nd st that goes through Wauwatosa. Once we got on the trail there were a lot of people and kids walking in large groups. A few bikers too. Good thing the trail is wide as you go past Hart and Hoyt parks.
We made a left on Swan Blvd. Quite a busy street with fast traffic but luckily you're not on it very long. Right after you pass under the railroad bridge you make a right onto Underwood Pkwy. Very bumpy road but lightly traveled
Trail was closed where it passes under Hwy 100/Mayfair Road but detour was clearly marked. Detour had you cross Waterplank road then wind through the industrial park which was deserted on Saturday afternoon until routing you to cross Hwy 100 on Research Drive. Even though we pushed the button we never did get a walk light across Hwy 100.
We met up again with the Oak Leaf trail which was pleasant then took the Hank Aaron trail back east.
This is a nice training ride. It is very flat and not a lot of scenery the first 10 miles out of West Bend. Bring sunscreen because most of it is in the open.
I ride a trike with 2" balloon tires. the first 5 miles from Rusco dr. were great. At Barton it switched to traffic bond (stone) . The stone on top of a hard base was loose . This made for a bumpy and noisy ride. Have ridden hundreds of miles on stone trails and never seen this much loose stone. Still ride able though.
As others have noted, this trail really needs some upgrading. We road our gravel bikes 50 miles from Gov. Dodge State Park to Mt. Horeb and back and the first thing I would say is NO ROAD OR COMFORT BIKES. Substrate ranges from paved (in the park) to packed gravel to areas (like outside barneveld) where the trail has been reduced to a loose sand Arroyo that is walking only. Some areas that once were paved are weeded over. This is all sad because this trail goes thru some lovely countryside and has some of the nicest scenery of all the rail trails in the state. If you start at gov. Dodge, please be aware that the path to the Military Ridge though paved, is very steep and those not in good physical shape will have to walk a ways or join the trail somewhere else. Folks with hybrids should be able to manage the shifting terrain but be careful of soft spots and deep gravel. It is well worth the ride but this is a sadly neglected resource .
We decided to bike this trail because it was going to be in the 90s (Fahrenheit) today and we figured it would be mostly shaded. It was mostly shaded with a lot of greenery and a creek that wound back and forth along most of the trail. There were some clouds of bugs but they didn't bite. Many areas of the trail had been filled in with loose fill but the rest of the trail was firm and dry as the weather has been quite hot lately. There is a very clean porta potty near the bike rental place. I'd like to bike the other leg of the trail to Kansasville someday.
A friend and I rode sections of the Oak Leaf trail as part of a multi-day trip from Chicago to Cedarburg, WI. We rode 10 different trails and found some sections of the Oak Leaf trail to be as good as it gets! It is paved and well maintained and generally runs through quiet country and/or neighborhoods. We only had a couple of issues - one being that part of the trail was closed and the detour signs were not clear for people from out of state. We are very thankful for friendly "natives" who helped us find our way to where the trail was open. The second was a section near Oak Creek that had 4 small sections with significant flooding - about 18 inches of water. It is kind of fun riding through big puddles, but unfortunately, the water was deep enough to soak the bottom of our saddlebags. Nonetheless, we thoroughly enjoyed riding on this trail (the sections of the trail we did ride) and would recommend it highly! We found very few other riders/users - but I am guessing that rain, wind and cloudy days keep locals indoors--because the trail itself is wonderful!
This little trail provides a smooth connection between the Oak Leaf Trail and the Ozaukee Interurban trail. It is very nice with a good, smooth surface - riding through Browndeer neighborhoods. One can ride miles and miles in Wisconsin without riding on a road!
On a recent trip riding trails from Chicago to Cedarburg, WI, we found this trail to be one of the best of the 10 trails we rode during our 6 day trip. It does cross streets, and drivers generally don't stop (although we thought pedestrians had the right of way in Wisconsin - the average driver doesn't seem to know that!). But the trail is in such great condition and generally goes through quiet fields and neighborhoods. We thoroughly enjoyed it especially after some very sluggish days on wet crushed limestone. We kept thinking how lucky all the people who live near that trail are and in fact, of all the trails we rode, this one had the most other trail riders/walkers/runners!
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