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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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.
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.
Rode out 6+ miles from the south end. Apparently they are going to build a bridge across the river sometime soon..Noticed a sign along the trail, that stated you need a permit to ride the trail?! Nice along the river, then out into open fields.
Super nice trail! I think I counted 2 cracks. Well marked. Feel free to ride your road bike. Parked on the north end. There are about five parking spots there. Only downside is that it’s quite open which can expose you to wind
I rode today from twining park to the town of Shultz. About 7 miles. The trail was in good shape. It was soft which made the ride a little more work. They just had a lot of rain though. I will come back and ride a different section soon. 3/25/25
Almost spring, mild 60 deg. F sunny day, good day for a bike ride. I started at Bill Fuchs Park, plenty of parking, and rode 12.5 miles to the end of the Great Sauk State Trail via the riverfront for the first third of the trail and then joined up with the Great Sauk trail for the last two thirds of the ride out. The trail is paved and very smooth, with hardly any expansion joints or cracks.
The first part of my ride was a mix of great views of the Wisconsin River and river bottom woods. The trail wound through farm fields and grasslands after leaving the river onto the plains.
It’s pretty scenic, especially with the leaf colors. Also pretty busy! There’s parking on both ends. A lot of the trail is grass, not even gravel. The spot where it’s asphalt is very minimal. It’s awesome you can stop and ride through Horicon Marsh! Lots of kitties on this trail ¿
Coming from Chicago, we have only ridden this trail as a day trip and ridden from Orangeville, IL (Jane Addams Trail) to Monroe (Twining Park) and back. This stretch is on a slight incline most of the way from Orangeville to Monroe, so the ride back is a lot easier. Trail is well maintained, and mostly shaded by trees. Trail in Monroe proper was a little dicey due to no protection from the elements, a bit of a steep hill, and a lot of runoff from rain by 8th street. Crossing at 8th street is "interesting". Pit toilet in Orangeville, with a BP gas station right across the road, flush toilet in Twining Park. Went riding on 10/26, and saw a grand total of 5 other people the entire ride (2 bikers, 2 walkers, 1 jogger). Only trail I've been on where there were complete moments of silence, combined with some of the scenery, just absolutely breathtaking.
Just kept riding. Gorgeous fall day. Started at northern trailhead. Passed a few walkers and one other biker the whole way to the end. As noted it has been extended well past 2.2 miles. Lovely scenery and immaculate trail surface with lots of peaceful farms. My new fave!
We rode about 23 miles round-trip from the Waukesha trailhead on Oct. 12. The asphalt is in pretty good condition, with just a few bumps. However, when we got to the big curve around what used to be a field east of Dousman, we discovered that the field is now a massive construction site, and the trail is closed indefinitely, with no posted detour. We don't take our tandem on roads, so we turned around at that point. I assume that the trail is open west of the construction site, but don't know exactly where.
We didn't ride on the western portion of the trail that day, but it's one of our favorites, especially the part where you bike across the lake.
I have ridden this trail a couple of times and have enjoyed the trail quality and the river and prairie scenery. The only complaint I have is that the trail ends before getting into Devils Lake State Park which could make the trail spectacular.
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