Find the top rated birding trails in Marshfield, whether you're looking for an easy short birding trail or a long birding trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a birding trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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Well maintained trail that takes you through different scenery. For an extra stop you can hop off the trail onto Tomorrow River Rd and head into Amherst to visit Central Waters Brewery. Biggest downside is the unfinished trail in Amherst Junction that lead to some confusion, and once into Waupaca county we had to turn around due to trees being down over the trail (from the major storms earlier this summer).
I rode from Anston(west of Howard) to Shawano Lake .. 46 miles round trip. Comparing Brown county section to Shawano county... Brown county is a much easier section. The trail is pretty much all hard dirt with some areas of refreshed crushed gravel going through Pulaski. The recently downed trees from storms have been cut from the trail. The trail is mostly in trees so not too much hot sun and wind isn’t a riding factor. Shawano county is not really hard, but it is harder than Brown County. I’m no pro but I do ride about 3 times a week and this section was a workout. Glad I had a little wider tire as the surface type kept changing throughout from crushed cinder, grassy path, crushed stone and hard dirt. There were some soft muddy areas from recent rains. Some areas the trees were growing in over the trail and could use some trimming back. Shawano had a lot of deer or horse flies. Bring bug spray, I did not and they bite. Overall it was a good ride.
We started at Schmeeckie visitor center which has plenty of parking, clean restrooms, a information center where you can pick up a free map. They also sell trail related items. We headed west through a sculpture park, on less traveled roads, in the woods and open areas. You pass quite a few nice lakes, rivers, creeks, stands of trees. The trail is well maintained. We biked all 27 miles and loved it. We would highly recommend this trail
Cycled from Bowler to Hadley. In Shawano County there were several places the trail was washed out and several bridges has severely warped boards ,
In Marathon county the trail was in excellent condition . At the county line if you looked west the trail was clean and clear if you looked east weed covered. The forgiving part was on the return it became hot and muggy. The Shawano trail is heavily wooded so shady and we saw many deer on the trail.
I am a hiker and decided to do the circle trail within the larger loop. Took about 1 1/2 hours. While some parts of the trail were very picturesque too many parts were not especially on the east side of the river by the factories and houses. There are so many better trails in Wisconsin I will not waste my time again
Great view of the river during winter when the foliage is gone
Went for fall ride October 21, temperature 46 degrees - sunny
Started in Larson parked at a little park just off the trail. There was a Port-o-Potty(POP) there, but not sure it was for public use. The trail was in excellent condition with very few rough spots. There was a wet spot (just south of School rd) for about 100 yards...stay on the trail! We road side by side for > 98% of the time; very few people on the trail. The POP at Rt96 is, according to my wife, the nicest POP she's ever used. Its also just about half way between the towns. Went into town at Hortonville and ate at the little park on Black Otter Lake. Also checked out the old bank building(1916) and the Opera House (NOT the grand Ole type).
Had a great time, will do the Larson to Oshkosh leg some time, but the southernmost 3-4 miles are not as isolated and go into the town of Oshkosh near the lake. Even though the lake shore routing is nice (we checked it out), we like the out in the country feeling a little more.
The western half of the trail, in Portage County, is honestly the best state trail surface I've ever enjoyed. After you cross into Waupaca County (eastbound), the trail degenerates quickly, with the last 10 miles at the east end being some of the worst state trail surfaces I've ever experienced. Hoof marks, overgrowth, sand, and ruts in the eastern portion. Beautiful, rustic scenery throughout, and you're not slammed up against a busy highway, so it's easier to enjoy the beautiful nature around you.
The western end is in the outskirts of a major agri-business area, so pesticides are almost certainly a concern during parts of the year there. (Indeed a sign in Plover mentions that the trail may be closed during aerial spraying days.)
Take a mountain bike (or at least something with larger tires) if you're gonna do the Waupaca County portion. Any bike can handle the Portage County portion, which again, is excellent. I only encountered 6 other cyclists for the entire length of the trail on a beautiful, sunny summer Saturday (June 9, 2018).
I just completed a one-day, 97-mile bike ride on this trail, starting at the Howard, WI trail-head to Weston, WI, and through Wausau [to go home] for the added miles. The best conditions were in Brown County, with lots of shade and lots of trail users. Marathon County had good conditions too, but had much less shade over the trail [bring sunblock]. Shawano County conditions were...different. Prepare for a double-track fire road throughout almost all of Shawano County with the likelihood of muddy spots. If biking, a mountain bike is a must or bring a road bike with at least 38mm wide tires with tread [my personal recommendation]. Deer flies were very numerous throughout Shawano County. I have about two dozen deer fly bites across my hands and arms [bring bug spray]. Also, there were six areas on the trail with downed trees--two of which were very difficult to navigate around [I think all six areas were somewhere between mile marker 50-60--from Howard, WI]. Honestly, as tough a day as it was, it was a really fun and gorgeous trail to ride. I personally liked the variety in trail conditions. I highly recommend this trail for the prepared enthusiast.
We live an hour away from this trail and have driven past it many times, but never tried it. Finally decided to ride it two weeks ago. It is a great trail. Up and down hills, in the woods and wetlands, and through quiet neighborhoods, this trail has it all. It is about 30 miles around the whole trail. We added two extra trails that branch off of it (Hoover Road Trail and Heartland Trail) to make it around 44 miles. The trail is well marked and you won't have problems figuring out where to go. We ate downtown at The Wooden Chair and had an excellent lunch. They are only open from 7 to 2 so plan your ride accordingly. We plan on making this trail one of our yearly excursions because we enjoyed it so much.
I done this trail a few times love love it. There are getting to be lots of problems though. Mud , ruts, and holes from animals. Wood bridges need marking that they are slippery when wet, be careful. Still one of my favorite trails.
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