Nan and Bill of El Paso, Illinois getting ready to experience the beauty of the Elroy-Sparta State Trail.
Nan and Bill of El Paso, Illinois getting ready to experience the beauty of the Elroy-Sparta State Trail.

In spite of a few showers from time to time, the weather has been some of the best for bikers who want to experience the Elroy-Sparta State Trail.

The trail spans 32 miles between the towns of Elroy and Sparta on the abandoned Chicago & North Western Railroad bed. Traveling from Elroy to Sparta will bring you through the towns of Kendall, which is the trail headquarters of the Elroy-Sparta State Trail; Wilton, which is the heart of the Elroy-Sparta State Trail and Norwalk.  Along the way you will observe wetlands, prairies, farms and un-glaciated areas since the trail is located in the northern Driftless Area of Wisconsin.

The highlights of the trail are the three rock tunnels. Two of the tunnels are approximately ¼ mile long.  These two tunnels are located between Kendall/Wilton and Wilton/Norwalk.  The tunnel located between Norwalk and Sparta is ¾ of a mile long.

For those biking enthusiasts that want to experience more of the area, there is an additional 68 miles of connected trails to the Elroy-Sparta State Trail.  The “400” State Trail is a 22 mile trail located between the cities of Elroy and Reedsburg, Wisconsin.  The La Crosse River State Trail is a 22 mile trail between the cities of Onalaska and Sparta, Wisconsin.  The Great River State Trial is a 24 mile trail between Marshland and Onalaska, Wisconsin.

For more information about the Elroy-Sparta State Trail and maps of all 4 connected trails, visit www.bike4trails.comdnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/elroysparta; and http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/parks.

Amil’s Inn Bed and Breakfast is located in the heart of the Elroy-Sparta State Trail and would be honored to have you as our guest as you enjoy the 4 trails of western Wisconsin.