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The Devil's River State Trail stretches 14.6 miles, connecting the towns of Denmark, Maribel, Francis Creek, and Kossuth in eastern Wisconsin. The trail is a scenic jaunt through farmland, woodland, and wetland with dramatic views from two railroad trestles over river crossings.
About the Route
In winter, the trail is popular for snowmobiling, cross-country skiing (although it is not groomed) and snowshoeing. In summer, walk, jog, or bike. Watch for wildlife, including plentiful species of birds.
Maribel Caves County Park is located just off the trail, and Devil's River Camper Park is also nearby on County Road R. At the trailhead in Denmark, trail users can find a park shelter with a kitchen and bathrooms plus ample parking for vehicles with snowmobile trailers.
The Devil's River State Trail runs between E. Pine St. (Denmark) and 3818 Rockwood Rd (Manitowoc).
Parking is available at:
Please see TrailLink Map for detailed directions.
The southern terminus is pretty barren, but riders who go 1.1 mile east where the trail crosses Berringer Road and .1 north on Q will find spring water and shade at the Kossuth Artesian Well: https://maps.app.goo.gl/mVP2CHkrpbA7KMrx8?g_st=ic
This trail is one of the smoothest, well maintained rides in the area. Yes, it is gravel but no washouts or ‘loose’ gravel . Kudos to the people that maintain this beautiful trail.
It’s a nice trail..the gravel is a bit loser than the ones I’ve been on. There’s not much for bathrooms along the way but there’s nice parking right at the trail head. At the end there’s a small parking lot too and u see where the old railroad use to continue. Colors r nice along this trail.
After reading some of the reviews for this ride, I was looking forward to it. However, after riding I was disappointed. I thought there might be some fun points of interest along the way and that the end would give us a nice little respite as we saw the quarter mile markers pass by. When we arrived at Rockwood Rd, we found a picnic table to sit at which may or may not have been the property of the business that was there. We were grateful for it, but found little to be excited about. We did stop in Francis Creek at their park which we appreciated much, because there was a bathroom there we could use and was clean. Overall, I would give this trail a 5/10. For us, it was just getting some miles in as it does not compare to other Rail Trails we have ridden. The upsides of the trail was it was straight and relatively flat. The areas where there were hard packed dirt was much better than the trail surface that was gravel which seemed to be the majority of the ride. The worst was that they had just sprayed herbicide and we were on the trail the day after it had reopened and the smell was bothersome to some of us on the ride. Overall, I appreciate those who take the time to maintain the trail for others to use. I am certain it is a fabulous ride when snowmobiling.
We completed this trail on June 23, 2022. Much of the riding surface is loose gravel, that can make for a slower than usual ride. It is fairly level, with some grade that can last for as much as a mile. Tree canopy doesn't provide much shade. On a sunny day, depending on the time of day you are out, you will be in the sun. There are many areas along the trail that have benches for those that need to take a rest. Me, the last thing I want to do when sitting on a bike for two hours is sit to rest. :) The only restrooms are at the Denmark Trail Head. You pass through a few small towns, if needed you could veer off the trail for a quick pit stop.
Rode the trail 10.29.21. Beautiful Fall scenery along the trail. I especially liked that this trail did not run adjacent to a busy highway like so many RtT do. Also enjoyed the variety of the landscapes and the fact that a large portion of the trail is higher than the adjacent terrain allowing for good views and vistas. Passing through a couple of small towns on the route was also enjoyable.
I deducted 1 star because there was a logging operation along about half of the trail. The heavy equipment being used tore up the surface pretty badly. I will assume that once the logging operation is complete, the surface will be restored (?).
Beautiful trail! Easy ride! We ended up doing the whole trail round trip which was just under 30 miles with our kids. Stopped in Maribel on the way back at Gunslinger’s for some much needed fuel(burgers) and more water!
My wife and I consider this our "home" trail. We do it several times per year. One of the attractions is the large pond on both sides of the trail north of Maribel. It's appearance is different each visit. There is also parking in Rockwood at the trail end but no facilities until you get to Francis Creek.
The trail passes beautiful woods, swampy areas, and farmland. The trail is extremely smooth and my road bike went over it just fine. The trail is almost as wide as a road lane in many areas, and it's barely populated, making it perfect for biking with kids. Lots of black raspberries along the trail this time of year. The bridge about 2.5 miles out from Denmark is gorgeous and much higher up than I expected! The kids loved it!
Excellent surface. No holes or soft spots. Pass over 9 bridges and cross 12 roads. Mile markers every 1/4 - 1/2 mile. Nice tree canopy over trail. No bathrooms except in Denmark, and those weren’t unlocked.
Don’t expect to find much at Rockwood at the end of the trail.
I rode this entire trail this weekend. I love how wide it is. Parked in Denmark. Restrooms were closed. Saw less than ten people out on my ride. Scenic, peaceful, easy to ride.
Parked near start of trail in Denmark in parking lot with restrooms located off of Main Street on Railroad Ave (near Main Street Market). Crushed stone surface, which seems to be very well maintained with beautiful green scenery. Came across only one small stretch of trail that was wet and slightly muddy. Rode entire length of trail and only saw two bikers and someone pushing a stroller - Enjoyed the peace and quiet! The only negative would be the lack of shade. Being in direct sunlight at 85° with a dew point of 65° wasn't the most comfortable temperature to be in without shade. Overall though my first time on this trail was great. I will definitely ride it again, but most likely during closer to and during fall when it's a little cooler. VERY few gnats compared to other trails - I think having the greenery cut down quite a few feet away from the trail and the lack of water helped!
I started this trail in Denmark and rode the entire length of the trail. At Denmark, it was well marked with rest stop facilities. The trail is a very pretty trail. You see lots of wildlife as well as farm animals. It is a well maintained trail. My only complaint is that the end of the trail in Rockwood could be marked better. There are a number of buildings that may be confused for a parking lot for the trail.
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.
Started in Denmark, very nice parking and restroom facilities. Drinking fountain available. The trail is well kept, crushed stone and is shady in the afternoon or early morning. Midday would be very sunny. The trail is long for a group of children. Nice park about 12.5 miles south on trail. All intersections with roads are well marked.
My son and I enjoyed a 14.6 mile ride on the Devil's River State Trail this afternoon. One last ride before college! Peaceful and beautiful, trail was in awesome shape. Impressive new bridges too.
Road completed trail today. It was a long time coming but Manitowoc and Brown Counties did a great job. The surface is a little soft in some places but I am sure after a summer of bike riders and a winter of snowmobiles it will harden up. My odometer had it just under 30 miles round trip.
The Denmark Trail head is very easy to find by the grocery store in downtown Denmark. The Rockwood Trail head is a little harder. It is located next to the fertilizer plant on Rockwood Rd. just west of The Big Apple Bar & Grill. You can park next to the trail by the fertilizer plant.
Enjoy the trail and wildlife along the way.
Rode mountain bikes from Denmark to Maribel (6 miles) and took side trip to Maribel Caves State Natural Area + return. 17 miles total. Trail is complete, not partial as indicated on the DNR and Manitowoc County websites. Fine graded gravel on the 6 miles that we rode, hard packed and very nicely graded. The bridge at the Devil's River looks new and is in premium condition as of this writing. The Northern 6 miles have good shelter from the wind and the route is primarily through woods. Great trail.
I rode this trail on July 17, 2012, and didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I began at the south end, at the gravel plant on Rockwood Rd., and made it all the way to the original north terminus at Greenstreet Rd., although the trail now goes for several miles past this point. The trail is kept up well enough; but, probably because it is also a snowmobile trail in winter, the fresh gravel was laid on a little thick, and its looseness made the peddling a real slog in some places. I kept wishing it had not been applied so thickly and that the surface were more a nice mixture of gravel and soil, which to my mind is optimal for hybrid biking.
We rode part of the trail today; would have gone further if the temperatures weren't so extreme. The trail was grest and is well-kept. We will definitely go back sometime.
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