Find the top rated bike trails in La Crosse, whether you're looking for an easy short bike trail or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a bike trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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...
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...
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 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 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 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 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,...
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...
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...
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 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,...
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...
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 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 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,...
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 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...
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....
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 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...
My friends and I had planned to do the entire trail, but since it is closed from Norwalk to Elroy- we rode round trip from Sparta to Norwalk and back. The total is 26 miles. Trail was well packed, but a little soft from the end of tunnel 3 to Norwalk. Nice Mexican restaurant in Norwalk right on trail-good place to have lunch before heading back to Sparta. Tunnel 3 is amazing. Walk the bikes and have a good head lamp. We camped at the Leon Valley campground in a cabin. Early in the season and no one was there. Had a wonderful time.
some closed portions from horrible flooding but fairly well marked SB's otherwise decent condition
May 2019. The trail from Elroy to Norwalk is closed for now
only open between Norwalk and Sparta due to the floods last year
This is by far the nicest trail in Minnesota and maybe the best ever in the Midwest. It is all paved, sometimes flat, sometimes hilly. The town of Lanesboro and other towns that the trail passes through are a real delight. The towns are very welcoming to bikers. If you wish to stay in Lanesboro make sure you make reservations well ahead of time. The trail is so popular and well-liked that you will probably never find a place to stay at the last minute.
Stayed in Lanesboro to ride the trail as it was somewhat located in the middle of the trail.Many options in accommodations and restaurants but do plan ahead as weekends are quite busy.Road west to Foutaine which is a steady climb with a quick return and the next day road east which provides stops in several trail town.Surface is very well maintained and our cyclocross bikes worked quite well.A pie stop in Whalen is a must and scenery along the river does not disappoint.Even got a nice look at a bald eagle seeking a fish lunch while sitting on a sand bar in the river.Nicely equipped bike rental shop in Lanesboro with very pleasant owner.
As of Friday, September 28, the Sparta to Norwalk portion of the Elroy/Sparta Trail, including the excellent tunnel #3, has reopened.
This trail was closed in September by the Wisconsin DNR, due to mudslides and other trail conditions caused by heavy rains.
This trail was closed in September by the Wisconsin DNR, due to mudslides and other trail conditions caused by heavy rains
In September 2018 a friend and I biked the trail from Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge to Onalaska and back. Unfortunately it rained heavily all morning, so our ride south was nearly all in 1-2 inches of water. Coming back later in the day, the puddles were mostly gone thanks to sandy soil. Other than skirting the town of Trempealeau, the view is nearly all Mississippi backwaters, restful and boring. We hoped to see migratory birds but were too early. BE CAREFUL on the bridges: the wooden patches sometimes are at an angle and have nails sticking up. Also, there are no bathrooms or businesses north of the town of Trempealeau.
In September 2018 a friend and I biked the trail from Sparta to La Crosse and back. The Sparta trailhead has good bathrooms and a helpful lady in the Chamber of Commerce office in the former depot. Although the 400 and Elroy-Sparta State Trails are closed due to mudslides, this trail was open and OK.
We liked the mix of farmland and small towns (recommend West Salem for lunch), nearly level trail, decent trail surface of crushed limestone, and train activity parallel to the trail
We didn't like the constant traffic noise from Interstate 90, mostly at a distance but crosses over several times.
The La Crosse trailhead has bathrooms and parking but is several miles from restaurants.
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