Traveled 7 miles from Owen Park in Eau Claire south to the Hwy 85 Wayside. Flat and paved well enough to haul our infant in his Burley Bike trailer without too many bumps, not a lot of people once you get outside Eau Claire. A very enjoyable, extremely easy ride. We took our time and completed this 14 mile out and back in about 3 hours. Apart from the beautiful river and woods, highlights for this section include: - Racy’s coffee at Water street is worth stopping at on your way back, around mile marker 1.5 - Mile 3 you’ll cross the river on an old Union Bridge Co bridge and there’s a historical marker at the end about early settlers and trade. - Almost to mile 6 is a historical marker about the town of Porterville. - At mile marker 6 (exactly) you can spot the famous Silver Mine ski jump. Hwy 85 wayside has a historical marker for it but you can’t see it from there.

I rode this 'trail' in the late 1960's, when it was basically a concept trail, and connected with the Sparta-Elroy trail. It actually started at Riverside Park then, on a dirt-gravel trail along the La Crosse River. I see from the trail map, it now starts several miles further, avoiding some highway crossings. At that time, it followed roads, more or less, until it got to the start of the Sparta-Elroy trail. And it was free. I doubt the scenery has changed that much. I have to put in a rating, but what rode then is much different than it is now.

I’ve stopped at this trail several times while traveling through lacrosse. I love it, very scenic and well kept.

We rode this trail late October and sadly missed most of the color, but the trail did not disappoint. My favorite part is from Peterson to Preston. There was very little traffic, few cross streets, mostly flat, and lots of beautiful views. The section going down to Preston was a little rougher than the Root River trail, but probably our favorite section for views. If you want a delicious meal, eat at Old Village Hall in Lanesboro. It was a little expensive, but some of the best food I've ever had!

We spent a wonderful day on the trail enjoying the beautiful Fall colors. Starting in Sparta we biked the doable 3% upward grade to the .75 mile tunnel 9 miles away. After walking a few hundred feet of the tunnel (bring a flashlight) we flew back downhill to the Depot. We met many friendly people along the way enjoying this last warm Fall day. We will be back to explore another section of this great trail.

The pavement is in great condition, bridges are smooth. Check ahead for business hours if you are visiting on a weekday and want lunch on the trail. We stayed at the Stone Mill Inn in Lanesboro and they have a bike shed available, I recommend them.

9/14/20 with road bikes. Trail has serious issues: very rough bridge approaches (~ 10 bridges), cracks/holes in pavement, washout which created about 18" wide of rideable trail for about 50'. The curves make it difficult to see issues early.

We had a great ride on this trail today. We rode from La Crosse to Sparta and back. 42 miles. There is a tree down about 5 2/3 miles from La Crosse. There is a way around it but it is also pretty buggy there. We thoroughly enjoyed this ride. Trail is in very good shape and very scenic. Since the Elroy Sparta trail is in bad repair, I would highly recommend this trail.

We went yesterday and honestly one of the best trails I’ve ever been on. Beautiful and easy to ride. Love, love, loved it!!!