Find the top rated horseback riding trails in Wisconsin, whether you're looking for an easy short horseback riding trail or a long horseback riding trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a horseback riding trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
I'll throw my 3 cents in and agree with the reviewers from the last couple years that the "chip seal" surface between the Red Cedar trail junction and Caryville is bumpy and potholed. I started at the Highway 85 rest area and got to ride a couple miles of nice smooth asphalt, which I expect continues into Eau Claire. But on my route west, the change to the "sort of paved" surface was sudden and unwelcome. Too bad, because the scenery is not unpleasant, it doesn't track right next to a highway, there are few road crossings of consequence, and no hills to worry about.
There are limited views of the Chippewa River, but those few stretches are particularly lovely. And a short side-trip up the Red Cedar trail brings you to a spectacular bridge over the river. I turned around here and returned for about 33 miles round-trip. The pavement at the junction became very good again and I think continues the last 7 miles to Durand, though it's been several years since I rode that section. The Red Cedar is well-packed stone. I've ridden that one often and would definitely choose that surface over the potholes.
This is probably my last ride on this trail unless it's completely repaved. Next time I'll do a round-trip from Durand to the Red Cedar and turn around at Downsville or so, for a more relaxing ride of 25 or 30 miles. No potholes to dodge.
The trail is perfect. I can go wherever, whenever on my bike or by my foot. The thing is, it's too small. Groups of three or more are too common here, and that leads to some very close calls. When there is a group of 20 seemingly professional bikers who look like they're going at a speed I will never be able to get to, vs. me who's biking at a super casual speed, surrounded my pools of mud, and nature is not so nice in that situation. It's happened to me. It wasn't nice. Otherwise it's a perfectly nice trail.
Very good rail trail, with slight grades on most of it. We went from Amherst to Scandinavia (8.5 mi one way) and back with an hour break at the ScandiHus coffee/gift shop in about 3.5 hrs. Good ride if you aren't in good shape,as not hard but gentle grade gives you some workout
My wife and I enjoyed the Devil's River State Trail this afternoon. We encountered a fair amount of rain, and this made the wet gravel a bit more difficult. So we were tired by the time we finished. Our bike computers said we did 29.75 miles for the round trip, though officially the trail is shorter than that.
We were initially surprised to discover that downtown Denmark had a festival going on, so it was busy. But parking was still available at the trailhead. I was impressed; it is a nice park for the trailhead.
We liked that trail mileage markers were posted every quarter mile.
One thing though. Heading south from Denmark all trail markers say XX.XX miles to Rockwood. We were sort of expecting something interesting at the Rockwood trailhead, but there were no services and no signs. You just get there, take a water break and snack, and turn around. My advice would be to start this trail in Denmark and do as much as you have energy for, but don't force yourself to go to the very end.
The whole trail is beautiful, but I sort of think the nicest parts are in the northern section.
Drove a longer distance to Shawano to ride a different portion of trail and was very disappointed. Unlike the section from Weston to Bowler, which is better condition, east of Shawano for at least 10 miles is in poor condition and has unfortunately been forgotten. Very little crushed limestone just grass and dirt which doesn't dry out very well, its like riding in a grassy yard. A couple of minor farmland drainage problems have ruined the trail and left several inches of mud on it. This section seems to have extremely poor priority in terms of maintenance, as long as its passable for snowmobiles in the winter it is good enough for the state of Wisconsin.
The Oak Leaf trail from Grant Park north to Milwaukee has to be one of the nicest stretches in the entire 120 mile system. On a sultry summer day, I parked in the golf course lot at Grant Park in South Milwaukee and headed north on the trail. It winds through woods and fields and offers beautiful views of Lake Michigan from the tall bluffs. There was a welcome cool breeze off the lake. The trail was smooth blacktop all the way, with a few hills. Later, it passes along the lake through the towns of Oak Creek, Cudahy, St. Francis and Bay View. At South Shore Park in Bay View, the trail heads down to the beach and the South Shore Marina, a good place to stop and take a break. I rode up to Bay View before the Hoan Bridge and then headed back. A great ride of 18 miles.
The Oak Leaf Trail has both positives and negatives, however positives do outweigh the negatives. This trail allows users to travel through the heart of Milwaukee, however the lack of bike lanes and signage when the trail segments off makes it difficult for people unfamiliar with the area to find their way around. Being a resident of the Milwaukee area for 16 years, the trail is not so challenging for me to figure out, but this does prove to be a downfall of using the Oak Leaf Trail. On the other hand, the trail is nicely paved, full of wildlife, and the users tend to be friendly, so it does make for a great atmosphere! My advise when using the Oak Leaf Trail would be to review the map and o plan your route beforehand, especially if you are unfamiliar with the Milwaukee area.
I've biked the whole trail in various sections. For the most part the gravel is well maintained, there are a few small sections where there is larger or sandier gravel to cover some storm washouts. You'll have to watch out for the occasional chipmunk hole and bridge transitions, but otherwise it's a smooth ride.
Riding later in the day will allow you to see a wide variety of wildlife, especially around the marshes near London and Sullivan. On all 4 days I rode on the trail, I encountered at least one deer on the trail along with turkeys, woodchucks, minks, all colors of birds and more. The wildlife thins out after Dousman (when the trail is paved) but the view gets better as the trail is quite a bit higher than the surrounding area. Wales to Waukesha is downhill and fast, but not too much of a hassle pedaling the other way. Your mileage may vary.
There are also some great river and lake views as you go across Rock Lake outside of Lake Mills and over the Crawfish and Rock Rivers between there and Jefferson.
The only other issue for people who don't like hills is the road detour around Jefferson. It's a bit of a climb on either side to get over Hwy 26, and the road that takes you to the next section of the trail is hilly also.
I road this trail on a sunny Monday afternoon, and it was a great ride. I parked at the paved parking lot on St. Martin Road in St. Martin. Took the Franklin Bike and Hiking trail southwest to connect with the Muskego Recreation Trail and rode it to its dead end about 7 miles away. Lots of wildlife on the trail, many rabbits and yellow chickadees. A hamburger and root beer at the Culver's restaurant in Muskego was a welcome break. Took a few side roads to see Muskego Lake and Bass' Bay. The trail bed varied from smooth asphalt to crushed limestone and crushed asphalt, and it wasn't a problem. A very pleasant summer ride, about 15.5 miles round-trip.
I road this trail on a sunny Monday afternoon, and it was a great ride. I parked at the paved parking lot on St. Martin Road in St. Martin. Rode the trail southwest to connect with the Muskego Recreation Trail and took it to its dead end about 7 miles away. Lots of wildlife on the trail, many rabbits and yellow chickadees. A hamburger and root beer at the Culver's restaurant in Muskego was a welcome break. Took a few side roads to see Muskego Lake and Bass' Bay. A very pleasant summer ride, about 15.5 miles.
Rode the trail for about 6 miles, from downtown to Miller Park. Just enough other riders, so I didn't feel alone and plenty of urban awe along the way.
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