Explore the best rated trails in Madison, WI. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Levee Trail (Portage) and Lower Yahara River Trail. With more than 52 trails covering 513 miles you're bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
Took advantage of the mild weather forecasted and did the ride I had put off all summer. The fall leaves were just beyond their peak but still quite colorful. The trail surface was good except for some sections between Ridgeway and Dodgeville that were rutty and sandy. Restrooms were still open in Mt Horeb, Barneveld, and Ridgeway.
Stopped at the Brix cidery in Mt Horeb for cider and an apple cider doughnut. Stayed overnight at the Pine Ridge motel in Dodgeville - clean, quiet and only a couple hundred yards from the trail.
I started out my ride from my home about 9 miles north of downtown Milwaukee where I caught "the Hank" and made my way west to the Glacial Drumlin Trail. I started out at 3:00 am, so it didn't really get light out until I got to about Wales. After that, I was on non-paved trail (my personal fav) for the rest of the ride to Madison. The trail is really very nice and mostly flat with a lot of varying landscapes. Since it's October, there were a ton of migrating birds and pretty good fall colors all along the trail, and I didn't see another human riding until I was about 5 hours into my trip near Lake Mills. The only thing keeping me from giving this trail 5 stars are the bridges, which are mostly bad. They do have a rubber strip running down the middle of them which helps, but they are still mostly bouncy and you have to deal with a 3-6" rise at the start of each of them. The west end of the trail was closed near Cottage Grove, and I had to take a detour on streets, which was fine. This is a highly recommended ride, especially during fall.
It's a pretty trail and nice and quiet, but not trike friendly. With two lanes separated by a grassy strip, I was always dragging one or two wheels through the grass so it was a bit of a rough ride and slow. The lanes are pretty smooth, so two-wheelers will not have a problem, but it's not a great ride for a recumbent trike
The trail is longer now as it ends at Beloit's Big Hills Park. Scenic ride on new asphalt one section on the road to cross Bass Creek in Afton. Several other short sections on roads but well marked. Go up to the park's observation platform for a vista of the Rock River.
I rode from Richland Center to Lone Rock today. The trail has segments of asphalt in Richland Center, then basically dirt with some fine gravel, and lastly packed limestone. You need a hybrid bike. I thoroughly enjoyed the trail with its mix of environments. Richland Center has restaurants and a good coffee shop downtown. Lone Rock has a tavern. Good trail to take if you are staying in this area. I’d definitely recommend it.
On their site they said had a message from Aug.9 that the trail got beat up from a storm.So today I took a shot and gave it a try.Bad choice.I (silly me) would have thought they would have done some repairs,nope.Hang on to your handlebars.I went home after 7 miles one way,maybe next year after repairs.Other than that flat and straight,nice rural feel and quite.
Just rode this today and all the negative reviews are spot on.
This ride will just tear up your bike and your body.
This is basically an ATV ride. There is no reason for anyone on a bike to do this unless you like fixing flats and rewelding bike parts.
We were hoping to hop on the trail where it crosses a road near the north trail head and ride it down to Sauk City. However, after a LOT of driving around trying every possible spur off of 12, 113, and 78 onto the roads on the former Badger ammunition plant—the only roads that intersect the trail near the north end—we found every one was either closed off or private, despite what Google maps kept telling us. We finally picked up the trail where it crosses 78 which made the one way ride to Sauk City barely 4 miles. So, if you want to do this trail, plan on starting at the southern end as the north end seems inaccessible—even where Google maps shows it crossing roads—as long as vehicle access to the old Badger Ammunition plant is closed off.
I give this trail 5 stars. It is now a paved ride from Big Hill Park (Beloit) to Janesville Wi.
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