elroy-sparta touring trail

During our Stay-cation of Monroe- County, one must visit the Elroy-Sparta Touring Trail. Bikes in the summer- snowmobiling and hiking in the Winter. This trail was the first of its kind in the United States - the reclaiming of a railroad bed. Over 30 miles long- bikes are available for rent in the summer. The trail moves around thru the cities of the drift less area. It is really a gem and not to be missed! Strongly Recommended!

We biked the trail from Kendall to Sparta. It was great since the trail is downhill for the last 8 miles or so. However since that was heading west, it was into the wind.The trail is crushed gravel. It was fall so there was a lot of leaves and branches on the trail. The members of our group with road bikes were nervous.We had tire issues with one of the bikes at the Kendall trailhead. The staff were helpful.The tunnels are fun. They are dark, so flashlights are recommended, but you can do without.

My husband and I biked the whole trail, the furthest I had been before was 22 miles. WE stayed at Amil's B and B in Wilton, which is very nice. Dorset Valley is great for supper. The approach to each tunnel on the trail is a slow incline for a couple miles. But it's fun going downhill. Definitely need flash lights and jackets. It was literally raining inside the longest trail. Wish I'd covered my seat. Only restaurant in Elroy is Sportsman's Bar. We ate at Ginny's Cupboard in Sparta and they had good food. Trail was in good shape. Would do it again.

I grew up in the area and have fond memories of biking the trail with my family over the past forty years. I've since biked most of the trails and many of the roads in Wisconsin and this is still my favorite place. The tunnels are unique and the towns well spaced for rest or snacks. I've biked it in many seasons and always enjoy myself.

The first -- and still the best -- bike trail in Wisconsin, and one of the best anywhere. You'll love the fabulous scenery and the pleasant forests. Established on an abondoned railroad line, the grades are gentle, making it a great family trail. And, of course, the three tunnels are stupendous. Kids (of all ages) will never forget it this trail!

Trails were in excellent condition. I expected the trail to be over crowded on this last weekend of summer but it wasn't especially on Sunday when we practically had the trail to ourselves. Bring lights for the tunnel. They've been resurfaced and are fun to travel through. Some services along the way. Always a good time.

We road tunnel trail almost every year when our kids were growing up. Our favorite place to camp was Tunnel Trail Campground. You can either bring your own bikes or rent them here if you want the experience minus the hauling of bikes. We liked to hitch a ride courtesy of the campground for a fee to the long tunnel and would start there and then head back. For the tunnels I recommend a light rain pancho and headlamp, bike lamp or flashlight as it is around a mile long. On the ride back we stopped at Pies are Square which everyone loved the treat plus we had a light lunch. You may want to bring apples or trail mix and definitely water for the ride. Here is the DNR link. http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/parks/name/elroysparta/Have fun and bring ibuprofen because even an intermediate rider will be sore after an all day bike ride if that's the rout you decide on! There is a DNR trail fee but it is minimum.This trail holds many of our favorite family memories so ENJOY!

I cycled the Elroy/Sparta trail this weekend. The three tunnels are beyond words. The longest tunnel is 3810 feet over 3/4 of a mile in length. Any cyclist who enjoys the environment they cycle in will not want to miss this experience.

Four of us (60+) rode Elroy-Sparta Trail over two days. Stayed just south of Wilton, which is middle of 35 mile trail. Highly recommend Amil's B&B, which I'll review separately. We biked southeast toward Elroy & back to Wilton one afternoon. Biked northwest to Sparta and back to Wilton with break for lunch second day. If you bike near Wilton and stay between the two closest tunnels, it is suitable for younger kids who like to bike. If you go end to end and bike vigorously up hills, you can get a good workout. You will get breaks when you walk your bikes through 3 unlighted former train tunnels. Length approx 1, .6 & .4 miles. Tunnels are unlighted and you should have a decent light as surfaces are very uneven. Someone who does mountain biking and is accustom to riding with a light might be able to ride. We passed one rider out of 100 or so people in tunnels over 2 days. Tunnels can be chilly, especially long one. And they can be wet with dripping water and puddles, especially after it has rained. Grades on trail aren't bad since it's a rail bed, but even with a slight incline, some riders will get weary after a mile-plus of steady climbing. Tunnels also are a great break on a hot day. FYI - If you choose to eat in Sparta, most restaurants are 1+ miles from trailhead. We recommend Ginny's Cupboard old fashioned soda fountain downtown for food and beverages; bike rack outside. If you stay in Wilton, Badger Crossing in Cashton has the most extensive menu in area for dinner. Back to trail: it's a good ride for all levels and you can ride it as hard or as easy as you wish.

We are accustom to the Red Cedar Trail between Menomonie and Eau Claire. Overall flat and mix of blacktop and some crushed rock. We have biked over 65 miles in a day so we tackled this trail...never thinking to consider elevation.we put in at Sparta and would guess from tunnel three to tunnel one all but about 5 miles was uphill grade. We ended up turning around at tunnel one and turned home knowing we still had 5 miles uphill. It was a work out. We normal travel speeds of 12-15 miles per hour we were pushing 9-10 with constant pushing at gear 19, we started at 8 am we returned around 4 counting our breaks. Trail is well groomed and nice stops along the way which include two small towns. Trail is all packed crushed rock. Tunnels are awesome. Glad we brought a flashlight and headlamp gear. Tunnel three was long, dark and foggy our morning we could not see the other side. The other two tunnels are shorter. We put sweatshirts to get through the drops. I assume it was wetter than normal as it rained the night before. We would go back again but would give more time to finish the remaining trail. Scenery is rolling hills and farming communities.

This is a really fun and scenic bike trail and just fine for the novice and experienced biker. the three railroad tunnel are quite a site as well. No big hills and a max 3% incline. the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that it is not paved but the surface is hard packed clay with a small amount of gravel worked in and rides very smoothly. also some great small towns at about 7-10 mile intervals.

We recently took the family on this trail and found it easy to ride. It is fairly level and the kids love the tunnels. Since it is an old train track, the grade is easy for younger riders. Bikers get to ride in the valleys next to streams and agricultural fields as well as forests. Bathrooms along the way are a nice touch as well. Would recommend for some great exercise and a good time. You can get your trail pass at a number of stations along the way but it $4 for a daily pass or $20 for a season pass.

My wife and I biked this trail from Elroy to Sparta. It was our first time traveling anywhere to bike on trails and it was a great choice. You can call the Sparta Chamber of Commerce and there are volunteers that for a small fee will take you from Sparta to Elroy or vice versa. The trails are fantastic in this area of Wisconsin. A must do if you like trail rides.

So much to love about this trail! Excellent trail, tunnels were refreshing and people were friendly! Only thing that would have made our trail ride better would have been a sign letting us know how close we were to each tunnel.

We took two days to ride the trails. On our first day we rode from Sparta to Norwalk going thru the longest tunnel. BE SURE TO BRING A FLASHLIGHT!!! Tunnel was phenomenal - my kids loved it (ages 9-13-17 and19). Glad we dressed right as well as its cold and wet on the inside. On our second day, we rode from Norwalk to Elroy and rode thru the second two tunnels. So fun and so beautiful. I would love to go back in the fall and see the colors. We will definitely be back....