Portage, WI Cross Country Skiing Trails and Maps

502 Reviews

Looking for the best Cross Country Skiing trails around Portage?

Find the top rated cross country skiing trails in Portage, whether you're looking for an easy short cross country skiing trail or a long cross country skiing trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a cross country skiing trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.

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Activities
Length
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Type
19 Results
Activities
Length
Surfaces
Type

400 State Trail

21.9 mi
State: WI
Crushed Stone

Elroy-Sparta State Trail

33.8 mi
State: WI
Crushed Stone

Glacial Drumlin State Trail (Route of the Badger)

53.2 mi
State: WI
Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Gravel

Glacial River Trail

55.8 mi
State: WI
Asphalt, Crushed Stone

Mascoutin Valley State Trail

21 mi
State: WI
Crushed Stone, Grass, Gravel

Southwest Commuter Path

5.6 mi
State: WI
Asphalt

Wolf Run Trail (WI)

2 mi
State: WI
Crushed Stone

Badger State Trail

39.8 mi
State: WI
Asphalt, Crushed Stone

Hillsboro State Trail

4.3 mi
State: WI
Crushed Stone, Gravel

Military Ridge State Trail

40 mi
State: WI
Asphalt, Crushed Stone

North Mendota Trail

4.14 mi
State: WI
Asphalt, Boardwalk

Omaha Trail

12 mi
State: WI
Asphalt, Gravel

Starkweather Creek Path

3.1 mi
State: WI
Asphalt

Wild Goose State Trail

34.5 mi
State: WI
Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass

Bannerman Trail

7 mi
State: WI
Dirt, Grass, Sand

Northwestern Trail

2.8 mi
State: WI
Dirt, Grass, Gravel

CamRock Trail

2.4 mi
State: WI
Crushed Stone

Ice Age Junction Trail

3.8 mi
State: WI
Asphalt, Crushed Stone

Wingra Creek Path

1.9 mi
State: WI
Asphalt
Trail Image Trail Name States Length Surface Rating
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....
WI 21.9 mi Crushed Stone
Note: The three tunnels on the trail close from Nov. 1 to April 30 each year. Three hand-dug tunnels along the Elroy-Sparta State Trail make utter darkness as much a part of the scenery as rolling...
WI 33.8 mi Crushed Stone
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...
WI 53.2 mi Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Gravel
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...
WI 55.8 mi Asphalt, Crushed Stone
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...
WI 21 mi Crushed Stone, Grass, Gravel
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...
WI 5.6 mi Asphalt
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...
WI 2 mi Crushed Stone
Closure Notice: The Stewart Tunnel has been closed since 2019 and remains closed for the foreseeable future. A detour using Tunnel Road allows trail users to go around the tunnel. Visit the trail page...
WI 39.8 mi Asphalt, Crushed Stone
The 4.3-mile Hillsboro State Trail will make you feel instantly at home. Starting out easy with a crushed stone surface before turning to slightly more difficult loose gravel, this trail will take you...
WI 4.3 mi Crushed Stone, Gravel
NOTE: A State Trail Pass ($25 annually/$5 daily) is required for bicyclists and in-line skaters ages 16 and older. Snowmobilers must display either a Wisconsin registration or a snowmobile State Trail...
WI 40 mi Asphalt, Crushed Stone
The North Mendota trail is a 12-ft wide asphalt trail that connects Waunakee and Governor Nelson State Park, on the shores of Lake Mendota. Starting at the northern trailhead in the village of...
WI 4.14 mi Asphalt, Boardwalk
The 12-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...
WI 12 mi Asphalt, Gravel
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...
WI 3.1 mi Asphalt
Closure Notice: The Wild Goose State Trail is currently closed between Prospect Rd. and Teal Rd. Please check with Wisconsin DNR for more current information. The Wild Goose State Trail is a...
WI 34.5 mi Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass
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...
WI 7 mi Dirt, Grass, Sand
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...
WI 2.8 mi Dirt, Grass, Gravel
The CamRock Trail travels 2.4 miles through its namesake CamRock Park in Cambridge, Wisconsin. CamRock Park, managed by Dane County Parks, offers a number of ammenities to trail users including...
WI 2.4 mi Crushed Stone
The Ice Age Junction Trails not only travels 3.8 miles across Dane County, WI, but also takes trail users millions of years back in time. While most of Wisconsin spent the Ice Age covered by...
WI 3.8 mi Asphalt, Crushed Stone
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...
WI 1.9 mi Asphalt

Recent Trail Reviews

Lower Yahara River Trail

Exceptional unique trail

September, 2025 by bgbw5xpyh5

9/13/25 We began at the east end of the Lower Yahara Trail and then picked up the City Trail from there. Both trails were in exceptional condition. Traffic was busy, however the weather in mid-September in the low 80's certainly brought people out. A very friendly trail by anyone's standards. Well worth the 50 minute drive to get here. This is the second September we've rode this trail.

Capital City State Trail

Wonderful Fall ride

September, 2025 by bgbw5xpyh5

9/13/25 We began at the east end of the Lower Yahara Trail and then picked up the City Trail from there. Both trails were in exceptional condition. Traffic was busy, however the weather in mid-September in the low 80's certainly brought people out. A very friendly trail by anyone's standards. Well worth the 50 minute drive to get here. This is the second September we've rode this trail.

Elroy-Sparta State Trail

Second long trip for me and the first trip that was mostly rail trail one quarter of which was the Elroy Sparta. Beautiful trail and the safety of being away from most automobile traffic made the trip way less stressful

September, 2025 by warpony1929

Second long trip for me and the first trip that was mostly rail trail one quarter of which was the Elroy Sparta. Beautiful trail and the safety of being away from most automobile traffic made the trip way less stressful

Accordion

Capital City State Trail

nice trail rude riders

August, 2025 by jerbear5878

Really nice trail but walker be careful. So many rude riders not letting you know they are coming behind you. 3 simple words “on your left”. When riding I always give walkers and other riders plenty of warning when passing, plus always slowing down.

Elroy-Sparta State Trail

Nostalgia Trip

August, 2025 by malia.bergstrom

We rode Sparta to Norwalk, through tunnel 3. Two of our group had ridden the entire length in the early 70s, so it was a nostalgic day. They recalled seeing farmland and we saw a little of that, but trees have grown up and it’s mainly a nice, shaded, flat ride.

Great Sauk State Trail

super smooth

August, 2025 by julieganser

Rode this trail end-to-end yesterday. The asphalt is in like-new condition and the scenery is beautiful. While we greatly prefer shaded trails in the hot summer, the lengthy stretches of sun on this trail were tolerable due to temps in the high 70’s and a light breeze. Can’t wait to ride this again in the fall. I’m sure the autumn colors near the northern half will be spectacular.

400 State Trail

Trail is flat, mostly shaded, and well maintained. Bridge crossings often rough/bumpy due to repairs to damage from snowmobiles. (Thus 4 stars not 5)Legion Park in Wonewock is a great place to camp plus it is an interesting historic town.

August, 2025 by skiyaker

Trail is flat, mostly shaded, and well maintained. Bridge crossings often rough/bumpy due to repairs to damage from snowmobiles. (Thus 4 stars not 5)Legion Park in Wonewock is a great place to camp plus it is an interesting historic town.

Elroy-Sparta State Trail

3.5 at best

August, 2025 by bonafire86

A 5 star is really stretching this. I get the history of this being the 1st rail to trail and the cool tunnels, but the very narrow gravel path is not much to desire. The landscape doesn’t change much and the overgrown weeds and trees prevent much scenery. Occasional stream is a welcome sight on this boring path. America’s bicycle capital is needing a little update to encourage us to return. Glad we had headlamps for the almost two mile long tunnel raining on us. Riding, rather than walking was our choice to speed it up but if you’re not steady - then walk.

Elroy-Sparta State Trail

good tunnels

July, 2025 by dominick.nocchi

The tunnels on the trail are nice, cool bluffs and overall very nice trail

Wild Goose State Trail

weekday ride in 88 degree weather

July, 2025 by neumanlover

It’s a beautiful trail … well maintained! Quite a bit of shade for the most part we started In Fond du Lac off rolling meadows rd. Biked to the Horicon Marsh loop. I would recommend stopped at Katy’s Log Cabin in Oakfield for a good bloody and/or a great lunch !

Omaha Trail

Oh, Omaha

June, 2025 by muzzikdir1

We ride trails. We love trails. No pavement required. We embrace the crushed surface. We love to bike. The Omaha trail is surrounded by beautiful scenery. It begins and ends in friendly towns. It was strewn with debris the day after a storm, yet we were undeterred. You can bike around debris. Sadly, you can’t miss the ridges, ruts and roughness of a once paved trail. Omaha stole our energy and joy of riding. We rode on because we don’t quit. But it wasn’t enjoyable and was only memorable for the relief of finishing and knowing we won’t ride Omaha again. It’s unfortunate. The 400 is nearby. It is a far better choice, as is just about any other trail.

Wild Goose State Trail

Since the tornado in May 2025 there is two miles of trees down not far from Juneau. It is impassable. I rerouted from prospect onto Hwy 26 to Swan Rd.

June, 2025 by alloy_smile

Since the tornado in May 2025 there is two miles of trees down not far from Juneau. It is impassable. I rerouted from prospect onto Hwy 26 to Swan Rd.

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