We began our 3 day bike trip through rural west-central Wisconsin in a downpour.  In fact it rained on and off much of the first 2 days with the sun waiting to show its face until the morning of our very last day.  You may think that’s a bad thing, but in truth biking in the rain can feel better than biking under a hot sun.  The heavy clouds and a wet landscape also add color and shadow to an environment that would have otherwise been lost in a white summer glare. There were sections of the trail that seemed more like they were winding their way through Panama than the heart of cow country.  All in all, we couldn’t have asked for a better way to take in Wisconsin’s amazing Elroy-Sparta and 400 Bike trails.

On day one we got up early and drove to the tiny village of Wonewoc to grab a shuttle from there to the head of the Elroy-Sparta trail. Shuttles are the bane of any bike or kayak trip.  I normally avoid them at all costs. The logistics give me a migraine. Sometimes however, it simply can’t be avoided. It seemed best to  begin our trip in Sparta and ride south. This allowed us to end our trip closest to home, and we hoped we could get some advantage from the generally dropping elevation from start to finish. What climbs there were we’d get out-of-the-way on the first day. The first day was also the longest, covering 25 miles from Sparta to the village of Kendall.

Elroy-Sparta Trail Jungle

We took off from Sparta in the rain and took our time.  The one rental bike in our group had its first problem when the front brake lever came apart.  We simply tied it off and kept going. On that first day we traveled through all 3 big historic tunnels.  In one we discovered some spooky handprints.. We didn’t hang about.  For lunch we stopped off in Norwalk at what was advertised as the “Friendliest Bar In Town”.. Well, it wasn’t at first.  But eventually the owner warmed up to us.   I don’t want to say bikers aren’t welcome in the small towns along the trail, but I do think we’re seen as a bit alien at times. All the towns along the bike trail seem to take pride in being on the trails, but don’t do a very good job of catering to the tourists and outdoor folks who use them. Another way to look at it, is that part of the charm is taking in real rural Wisconsin culture and just forgetting about healthy food or finding bike parts along the way! On a side note, Norwalk calls itself the “Black Squirrel Capitol of the World”.. Can you guess what one animal we didn’t see in Norwalk?

Norwalk Riding Lawn Mower

We arrived in Kendall where they take pride in the last remains of “Western Wisconsin’s Largest Turn Table”.  The stone and brick foundation is now part of a park with three benches and some nicely chosen plant life.  You have 2 choices for food in Kendall; The gas station, where they tell us they put up a great breakfast, or a restaurant/tavern called the Hidden Inn.  The Hidden Inn is in fact SO hidden from the trail that you’d never know it was there without riding each street in the small town until accidentally finding it behind the old lumber mill.  Thing is, if you’re looking for a real breakfast in the morning… you’ll want to find it.

On day 2 the first member of our group dropped out leaving 3 adults and the 2 boys.  The 5 of us made good time on a now distinctly downward grade. We were also helped along by the fact that we only had 14 miles to cover.  The trail from Kendall to Wonewoc leaves the hills and tunnels behind, the scenery becomes much less forested, more open and agricultural.  The sandstone ledges and cliffs that are trademarks of the area begin to show up regularly along the way.  Midway we arrived in the town of Elroy, the end of the Elroy-Sparta leg and the beginning of the 400 trail.  From there it was a quick ride, and one snake encounter to Wonewoc where we had picked up our shuttle 2 days before.

It's Wisconsin all right!

At Beyond Boundaries, the local outfitter, we parted ways with our friends who had planned to do just a two day ride.  We planned to finish the 400 as well and had one more day in front of us.  After saying our goodbyes we took off again down the trail a couple more miles to Chapparal Campground just outside of town where we had a small cabin waiting for us.  It was cold and raining when we arrived but Gryphon still wanted to play in the pool.  It was a short swim.  While he did that, we sat in the rain drinking Margaritas from plastic cups.  In the evening we went down to the restaurant for our first real meal of the day.  Of course by now I’d been riding long enough NOT to be all that hungry and simply ate a salad.  I don’t know what it is about these excursions, but unlike the stories I hear from others, I can never seem to eat much when I’m biking or kayaking.  I just nibble throughout the day.

Derrick on a 6am coffee run

On the last day, I got up early and went back to town on a coffee run.  My early mornings give everyone else a chance to go slow and (hopefully) be ready by the time I return.  Personally I’m a jump out of bed and go type myself.  The two-mile ride back to Wonewoc was cold, but I had the promise of coffee leading me on… Nothing was open.  OH NO!!  I was pleased when the dude at the local “FastTrip” took pity on me and came to the door just as I was pulling out and invited me in to fill my water bottle… with hot, fresh coffee! I rode back to the campground, stopping to take pictures and sip coffee along the way.

Grypon by Hemlock Lake Near LaValle

After packing our gear, we continued south enjoying the amazing views provided by the morning sun & fog. This section of the trail follows the winding Baraboo river through miles of wetlands. White Tailed Deer and Sandhill Cranes were everywhere along the path.  Around 10 am we stopped in the village of LaValle to have breakfast at a tiny restaurant called “Granny’s Pantry” in what used to be an old mill along the river.   From there it was only an hour before we were loading our gear back into our Jeep at the Reedsburg head of the 400 Trail.  The last day seemed to go way too fast.

We took away a few good learning points.  First, 25 miles is fine for 10-year-olds with good bikes. We have Trek bikes (Made here in Wisconsin btw) which at between $300-$400 each are not cheap but necessary if you’re going to really make use of your bikes. The rental bike for the other boy in the group was a hassle.  At one point the handlebars actually came off!  We were lucky we weren’t calling for an ambulance! We also learned too few miles is not good either. 14 miles in a day is actually a bit too short.  We spent more time than we needed grounded in a couple small towns just passing time.  The issue is adjustment. Once you’re focused on staying busy, traveling, etc., it’s hard to just sit.  Even if there are good Margaritas!  The small towns have very little to keep you occupied for very long unless you’re into Karaoke in rural taverns. We were also darned happy we brought basic first aid supplies and bike repair tools.  We used both.

Gryphon was of course proud that he had completed both the Elroy-Sparta and 400 trails in 3 days.  Just to do one of those “dad” things I snuck over to the trail & chamber of commerce office to get him a memento of his adventure and as a little reward for the effort he put in.  I was really disappointed to find they had almost nothing promoting the trails.  Golf shirts and a T.  One thing is sure, when it comes to merchandising and making a profit from the trail every community along the way is blowing it big time… It’s no suprise you hear communities say that OR doesn’t bring in the promised revenues.  It seems as if they simply don’t understand the people who use the trails and can’t figure out how to offer applicable goods and services…but that’s another blog entirely…

Deer On The 400 Trail

Our next goal is to take in the Great River & Lacrosse River State Trails west of Sparta.  There are an amazing amount of Rail to Trail conversions in the mid-west and we’ve only got our feet wet.  What’s fantastic with these trails is that if you wish you can cover a lot of miles fast, or conversely you can cover them slowly with kids and not worry that the grades will get too tough to make them miserable.  You can pack to be self-sustaining, but it’s also easy to find a motel and a cheeseburger along the way.

I’ve posted a huge gallery of photos over on Flickr. Click Here for that.

For More Information

- Rails To Trails Conservancy

- State 400 Trail

- Elroy Sparta Trail

- More Galleries from the 400/Elroy Sparta

Related Posts:

1. Changing Gears
2. i walk
3. Kid Bike – Trek 220
4. The Quiet Earth
5. Better Than Leaving The Bike At Home