Find the top rated dog walking trails in Wisconsin Rapids, whether you're looking for an easy short dog walking trail or a long dog walking trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a dog walking trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
Walked from County V to Lavalle very nice walk enjoyed the walk took photos of the bridges and Lavalle nice small town very friendly people on trail. Next day walked from County V two miles south on trail had a ball saw 4 deer.
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).
This is a nice trail but needs to be better maintained, especially when they are charging $5 per day to ride the trail. Four of us rode July 21, 2018 (Saturday) and 2 trees were down between Wilton and Elroy. We had to lift our bikes over and then climb over a large tree blocking the path. Another tree was down but you could get around it by going in the ditch. People with bike trailers for children would not be able to pass. Other areas had a lot of mud on the trail. The tunnels are very cool but it is disappointing that you have to walk your bike, one is 3/4 mile long and that really interrupts the flow of a ride. Again, I think if the surface in the tunnels was better maintained it would be safe to ride through.
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.
I just spent the last 2 days riding this trail. We started out at the Kendall depot on Monday(it is closed on Monday and Tuesday) so I didn't get a chance to go inside. We rode 3 1/2 miles to the first tunnel. That was amazing to see as I rode towards it and started to feel the cool air coming from it. Very cool tunnel. After the 1st tunnel it was a pretty good downhill ride. I think it was about 8 1/2 miles to the next tunnel.Overall we turned around at the 12 mile point and went back to the car in Kendall. Coming back was tougher as it got hotter, and it was more uphill. I also got a leak in my back tire with 6-7 miles to go. I had to use my mini pump to fill it 3 different times to make it back. I changed the inner tube later that night at the hotel. After the ride we got in the car and drove to Sparta. We stayed at a nice hotel(Super 8) and had a great dinner at Slice of Chicago. We woke up and rode the Tail starting in Sparta. It was a gradual uphill ride for 9 miles to get to the 3rd tunnel. It was a long tunnel and yes it was dripping quite a bit. You get a little wet but not drenched at all. I had a great flashlight attached to my bike that worked great. We tuned around at the 11 mile mark and had a good downhill ride back to the Sparta depot. Right before tunnel 3 we stopped and talked to the older guy who sells ice cream and flashlights out of a small shack. What a friendly nice guy. Overall this trip worked out great with biking over two days. The trail, and the tunnels,and the countryside were beautiful. The only reason I gave this trail 4 stars was because it isn't paved. I had no problem with the trail surface except at some points it is a little narrow,but well compacted. It was about 2 1/2 hours from Milwaukee,and I will definitely be back to ride this some more. It was a really fun little trip. If you haven't been to this trail,you should make a trip out here.
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.
This had so much potential to be an awesome ride but this is NOT for road bikes ! Got off after 1/4 mile of rough old gritty asphalt. Too bad :( cute trail head bike store and bathrooms in Elroy
I’ve been riding this trail for years since I live two blocks from the trail head in Camp Douglas. I love the trail, the bluffs in Camp Douglas are beautiful and the stream between Camp Douglas and Hustler ( the town) is a nice trout stream for browns and brook. ( license required). 7 miles in from Camp Douglas is a super cool tunnel. The trail is not next to any roads so a nice peaceful ride. But it has been in rough shape lately with a few to many ruts and divots. Needs a little maintenance. Hopefully the snow mobile clubs and the summertime users can get a plan together to restore this awesome trail in the heart of wisconsin.
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.
We rode the 12 miles from Howard to Pulaski WI today on a very well maintained trail. It is crushed stone, so a bit slower than pavement. Some areas have been recently resurfaced with pea-sized gravel, so although a touch rougher than older sections, we were glad to see the attention and care that Brown County gives their trails. Only one small section was soft, just as we approached a street that we had to stop for anyway. This section of the trail has many tree canopies that provide shade during the sunny part of the day.
I read through the reviews before my wife and I biked the trail in spring 2018. Some of them noted the rough surface of the trail, but the fact is, it's not that bad at all! Would it be a comfortable ride on a road bike? No, probably not, but any kind of hybrid or mountain bike would be just fine. It's actually pretty smooth in many sections. Very scenic, interesting countryside, and the trestles and tunnel are great. And it's (apparently) hardly used! We were there on a sunny Sunday afternoon and biked the whole thing round-trip and only saw 5 other people the entire time (I walking and two groups of two cyclists). Decent restrooms, water, and picnic tables at both ends and in the middle on the north side of the tunnel. The tunnel is relatively straight and smooth and you can see from one end to the other, but it's surprisingly dark in the middle, so you might want to take a small flashlight/bike light with you (or do as my wife and I did, and use the "flashlight" on your phone...). Overall a great trail and one we will happily do again.
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