Elroy-Sparta State Trail
WI - 33.8 miles
Surfaces: Crushed Stone
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We parked at the Christina Taylor Green Memorial Park. Good facilities. We headed north (to the right). When this trail ended there was another one we rode for a few more miles. Then we turned around and did a final 4 mile loop going south (left) from the CTG Memorial Park. It can connect with The Loop and the Santa Cruz River Trail. The trail was all paved. Great desert scenery. Popular route. Loved it! round trip 26 miles.
this is a great beginner trail, but be warned that it gets very crowded on weekends with many pedestrians so it’s more of a cruising trail than a speed trail. there are some places where you need to cross the street and as a result, must be able to maneuver through tight switchbacks with fencing, so if you are clumsy with clip ins like me, you will probably fall unless you jump off or focus really hard. The trails starts/ ends in downtown LG which is always a plus. You can definitely make a day out of it.
love the bamboo forest along the trail
Winter Walk along the trail. Snow covered.
Tried the trail 2X both from the west beginning at Glendale Hero’s Regional Park. Pleasant heading west and easily connects to the outstanding New River Trail. Heading east from Hero’s Park, as another reviewer pointed out, it gets sketchy after a few miles. We pushed on. It got worse. Homeless all over, poorly designed crossing. We turned around at N47th Ave. The next day, confident all the 5 star reviews meant something, we tried again from the east hoping to do a long loop. Started at Granada Park going east on the (also overrated) Arizona Canal then south on the Crosscut Canal to the Grand Canal. Started Ok, but abruptly and irrevocably ended as a Hard Stop at I-17 in a very sketchy neighborhood
Rode from St Ignace to King's Fish Market, and back in early fall. About 10 miles each way. Trail is rough, big gravel, potholes, dirt, some sand, and water running across the road in a couple of places. ATVs don't slow for bicycles. Good experience but the trail beat us up. Riding mountain bike with front shock and 44mm tires.
Note all the other comments here are over a dozen years old.
We are lucky to have this trail! In the summer, I bicycle it at least once a week, especially on hot days when bicycling or walking under the shade of trees, along the water front is much cooler! and more quite than on the road side! It is also nice to bicycle and walk in cold weather to get out of the wind. The DNR repairs this trail after big floods, replacing culverts, digging ditches along side of the trail etc. It still needs work, but like everything else, it takes funding. If we had a trail authority including Chassell, Portage Township and the city of Houghton, they could apply for funding and really make some improvements to this trail. Chassell maintains their portion of the trail more every year. It would be nice if Portage Township would keep their portion mowed on the sides of the trail, and it would be nice if the City of Houghton replaced the deteriorating asphalt that has wide cracks and bumps and crumbled sides on the east end of their portion of trail. But overall, it is great to have this waterside rail trail available. Note, this is a non-motorized trail, ATVs and snowmobiles are not supposed to be on this trail. Homes are located very near the trail and loud ORVs and snowmobiles would make those homeowners very upset.
Frigid blustery day to visit the park and trail. Several miles of the trail on the bay side were plowed by park personnel. Saw one cyclist using it. Several walkers. Park roads were snow covered. The sections of the trail that were not plowed had a good foot of snow on them, great for XC skiing. Plenty of hiking trails in the park good for hiking or snowshoeing. Ice in the trees on the bay side, some areas of the lake were frozen over though not thick enough for ice fishing. Horseshoe pond where the "houseboats" are was frozen though not sure how thick. The lake side of the peninsula ice was forming into ice dunes. Snow drifted over the trail on that side. A beautiful trail and park to visit year around.
We just finished the Courtney Campbell Trail and it was a blast! Our first trip here and we loved it!
Trail has enough Snow to Ski and Snowshoe. Must remove Skis and Snowshoe to go through Tunnels and Cross Roads.
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There is no vehicle parking at either end of the trail. Other than this, this is a great ride.
Paved and shady, but in winter moss on the pavement can make it slippery. Many tree roots make for a bumpy ride for bicycles or skates. If you like biking on pavement try the connecting Terrora circle and Old 441 that has light traffic and follows the river. Delightful even on a sunny winter day. .
I rode my bike on this trail in November, 2025. The surface was in good shape. The trail did cross may driveways into businesses and homes, as well as crossing some streets into subdivisions, none of which was a problem. The traffic noise did not bother me. I feel that it just comes with the territory of a trail alongside a highway, and then let it go. Since I did get off I 75 to bike this trail, I ended up parking at Publix Super Market, which was about midway on the trail, rather than driving to Archer. I also biked the spur or loop that included the Veterans Memorial Park. I rode a total of 26 miles, which took me about 2 1/2 hours.
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We did this trail the first night of the Bourbon Burn. Nice trail. Continue past the YMCA and you will find a nice brew pub West 6th Brewing.
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This roughly 7 mile (end to end) trail winds through parks, neighborhoods, and along a nice greenway offering a good ride with little elevation. There is one intersection with vehicle traffic in Arlington, but the trail is safe, smooth (concrete), and busy with riders, walkers, and others out enjoying the trail.
