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Wisconsin State Park System Bicycle Trails
Biking in the Kettle Moraine Forest.
Wisconsin's many miles of trails and varied terrain make it an ideal place for bicycling. The League of American Bicyclists ranked Wisconsin No. 2 in the nation and No. 1 in the Midwest for bicycling.
There are more than one thousand miles of great off-road bicycling opportunities on public lands throughout Wisconsin. Below is a list of designated bicycle trails on Wisconsin DNR properties. There are three different kinds of experiences for bicyclists on Wisconsin's state trails:
- Bicycle touring trails - Easier trails such as paved or limestone-surfaced former railroad corridors. Generally appropriate for all ability levels and bikes with skinny tires.
- Off-road bicycle trails - Intermediate-level trails, often in the woods with a variety of surfacing, from native soil to wood chips. Appropriate for families with more adventurous riders and hybrid or mountain bikes.
- Constructed mountain bike trails - Specially constructed, challenging, narrow-width trails built to the trail standards of the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA).
Bicyclists can help do their part to minimize the spread of invasive species. This invasive species poster [PDF] can be downloaded and put up to alert bicyclists to the issue of invasive species and what they can do about it.
Bicycle touring trails
The following list includes state trails and trails two or more miles long in state parks, forests, and wildlife areas. Some additional parks and forests have shorter connecting trails, and many have low-traffic roads which also are good for bicycling. Most have limestone surfaces which pack down to make for good riding for skinny-tired as well as mountain bikes. Ride attentively—burrowing animals sometimes dig holes in the limestone. Click on the park, forest, or trail name for more information.
A dollar sign ($) indicates that bikers age 16 and older must have a state trail pass.
| Park, Forest, or Trail Name | Miles | Fee | Surface |
|---|---|---|---|
| 400 State Trail | 22 | $ | Limestone (7.5 miles have parallel horse trail) |
| Ahnapee State Trail | 46 | -- | Limestone |
| Badger State Trail | 40 | $ | Asphalt 6 miles, limestone 34 miles |
| Bearskin State Trail | 18.3 | $ | Granite |
| Capital City State Trail | 10 | $ | Asphalt |
| Chippewa River State Trail | 26 | $ | Asphalt 10 miles, seal coat 10 miles |
| Elroy-Sparta State Trail | 32.5 | $ | Limestone |
| Fox River State Trail | 20 | $ | Asphalt 5.4 miles, limestone 8.6 miles |
| Gandy Dancer State Trail | 47.3 | $ | Limestone |
| Glacial Drumlin State Trail | 52 | $ | Asphalt 7.5 miles, limestone 41.5 miles |
| Great River State Trail | 24 | $ | Limestone |
| Green Circle State Trail | 24 | -- | Asphalt and granite |
| Hank Aaron State Trail | 5 | -- | Asphalt |
| Hillsboro State Trail | 4 | $ | Limestone |
| La Crosse River State Trail | 21 | $ | Limestone |
| Mascoutin Valley State Trail | 19 | -- | Varies |
| Military Ridge State Trail | 40 | $ | Asphalt 3 miles, limestone 38 miles |
| Mountain-Bay State Trail | 89 | $ | Limestone |
| Oconto River State Trail | 8 | -- | Limestone |
| Old Abe State Trail | 20 | $ | Asphalt |
| Peninsula State Park | 9 | -- | Limestone |
| Point Beach State Forest | 5 (links to 8 miles outside forest) | -- | Limestone |
| Red Cedar State Trail | 14.5 | $ | Limestone |
| Sugar River State Trail | 23.5 | $ | Asphalt 1 mile, limestone 22.5 miles |
| Tomorrow River State Trail | 18 | $ | Limestone |
| White River State Trail | 11 | $ | Limestone |
| Wild Goose State Trail | 32 | -- | Limestone (4.1 miles have parallel horse trail) |
| Wiouwash State Trail | 35 | $ | Limestone |
Off-road bicycle trails
These trails are often in the woods with a variety of surfacing, from native soil to wood chips, and are appropriate for families with more adventurous riders and hybrid or mountain bikes. These trails are typically unsurfaced trails in state parks, forests, or recreation areas, or are on former rail lines.
Trails may be closed due to surface conditions. For more information, see our current conditions page or click the property name below for a phone number to call.
A dollar sign ($) indicates that bikers age 16 and older must have a state trail pass.
| Park, Forest or Trail | Miles of trail | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Black River State Forest | 32.7 | $ |
| Brule River State Forest | 34 | -- |
| Buffalo River State Trail | 36 | $ |
| Copper Falls State Park | 8 | -- |
| Devil's Lake State Park | 6 | $ |
| Flambeau River State Forest | 15 | -- |
| Governor Dodge State Park | 8 | $ |
| Hartman Creek State Park | 2 | $ |
| High Cliff State Park | 10 | -- |
| Kettle Moraine State Forest - Lapham Peak | 5 | -- |
| Kettle Moraine State Forest - Northern Unit | 5.5 | $ |
| Kettle Moraine State Forest - Southern Unit | 21 | $ |
| Kohler-Andrae State Park | 2.5 | -- |
| Lake Wissota State Park | 11 | -- |
| Mirror Lake State Park | 9 | $ |
| Newport State Park | 15 | -- |
| Nicolet State Trail | 28 | -- |
| Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest | 471.5 | $ |
| Pecatonica State Trail | 10 | -- |
| Peninsula State Park | 12 | $ |
| Point Beach State Forest | 4 | -- |
| Potawatomi State Park | 8 | -- |
| Richard Bong State Recreation Area | 12 | $ |
| Saunders State Trail | 8 | -- |
| Tuscobia State Trail | 65 | -- |
| Wild Rivers State Trail | 104 | -- |
| Wyalusing State Park | 7.5 | -- |
| Yellowstone Lake State Park | 3 | -- |
Constructed mountain bike trails
The Wisconsin State Park System currently has about 50 miles of constructed mountain bike trail. Trails are mostly singletrack (where riders need to ride single-file), although some are wide enough to be considered doubletrack.
Trails may be closed due to surface conditions. For more information, see our current conditions page or click the property name below for a phone number to call.
A dollar sign ($) indicates that bikers age 16 and older must have a state trail pass.
| Park, Forest or Trail | Miles of trail | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Mound State Park | 10 | $ |
| Hartman Creek State Park | 2.2 | $ |
| Kettle Moraine State Forest - Northern Unit | 15 | $ |
| Kettle Moraine State Forest - Southern Unit | 21 | $ |
| Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest | 2 (mixed with non-constructed bike trails) | $ |
Local bike clubs throughout the state also construct and maintain mountain bike trails in cooperation with land managers. In northern Wisconsin, the Chequamegon Area Mountain Bike Association [exit DNR] has developed a system of trails in and around the Chequamegon National Forest.
