List of hiking trails in Wisconsin

Last updated

This is an incomprehensive list of hiking trails in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, including multi-purpose biking trails that also function as hiking trails.The list does not include many smaller trails found within places such as Wisconsin state, county or municipal parks.

Contents

Many trails included require a current state trail pass from the Wisconsin DNR for any activities other than hiking, which can be obtained at various vendors around the trails. The current price of a pass is $5 daily, or $25 annually. [1]

Much of Wisconsin's state trail system follows the beds of now-defunct railroad lines; these are known as "rail trails."

List of trails

Trail Name [2] [3] Year EstablishedRouteCountiesTrail ManagementTrail Pass Needed?Trail TypeTotal Miles (in use)Notes
400 State Trail 1988 Reedsburg-Elroy Sauk, Juneau DNRYes Rail Trail 22
Ahdawagam Trails - Wisconsin Rapids (local) Wood MunicipalNoMunicipal Trail21
Ahnapee State Trail 1970 Sturgeon Bay-Casco; Luxemburg-Kewaunee Door, Kewaunee CountyNoRail Trail48
Badger State Trail 2000 Madison-Freeport, IL Green, Dane,Stephenson (IL) DNRYesRail Trail40
Bearskin State Trail 1973 Minocqua-Harshaw Oneida DNRYesRail Trail22
Buffalo River State Trail 1976 Fairchild-Mondovi Eau Claire, Jackson, Trempeleau, Buffalo DNRYesRail Trail36
Bugline Trail 1983 Menomonee Falls-Merton Waukesha MunicipalNoRail Trail16Paved asphalt trail.
Capital City State Trail 2000Madison-Fitchburg DaneCountyYesLocal Trail17
Cattail State Trail 1999 Amery-Almena Polk, Barron CountyNoRail Trail18
Chippewa River State Trail 1985 Eau Claire-Durand Eau Claire, Dunn, Pepin DNRYesRail Trail30
Devil's River State Trail 2003Denmark-Rockwood Brown, Manitowoc CountyNoRail Trail15Eight miles acquired, but not yet in use.
Eisenbahn State Trail 2003Eden-West Bend Fond du Lac, Washington CountyNoRail Trail25
Elroy-Sparta State Trail 1965Elroy-SpartaJuneau, Monroe DNRYesRail Trail32
Fox River State Trail 1991Hilbert-Green BayBrown, Calumet CountyYesRail Trail25
Fox River Trail -Pewaukee-BrookfieldWaukeshaCountyNoLocal Trail3Not to be confused with the state trail of the same name.
Friendship State Trail 2000Brillion-Forest JunctionCalumetCountyNoRail Trail4
Gandy Dancer State Trail 1989St. Croix Falls-SuperiorPolk, Burnett, Douglas CountyYesRail Trail62
Glacial Drumlin State Trail 1984Waukesha-Cottage GroveWaukesha, Jefferson, DaneDNRYesRail Trail52
Great River State Trail 1985Onalaska-Marshland La Crosse, Trempeleau DNRYesRail Trail24
Great Sauk State Trail 2017Sauk City - SumpterSauk, JuneauCountyYesRail Trail5
Green Circle State Trail 1992Stevens Point area (local) Portage CountyNoLocal Trail31
Hank Aaron State Trail 1996Milwaukee-West Allis Milwaukee DNRNoRail Trail12
Hillsboro State Trail 1988Hillsboro-Union Center Vernon, JuneauCountyYesRail Trail4
Ice Age Trail 1988Statewide30 counties statwideVariedNoVaried Statewide674
La Crosse River State Trail 1978La Crosse-SpartaLa Crosse, MonroeDNRYesRail Trail22
Lake Country Trail -Oconomowoc-PewaukeeWaukeshaMunicipalNoRail Trail15Paved asphalt trail.
Lake Michigan State Water Trail 2012Lake Michigan shorelineSeveralVariedNoWater TrailN/A
Mascoutin Valley State Trail 1996Ripon-Berlin; Rosendale-Fond du LacFond du Lac, Green Lake, Winnebago CountyNoRail Trail21
MECCA Trails 1973Mercer (local) Iron Private BoardNoLocal Trail15The trails are designed for cross-country skiing, meant as a component of area tourism.
Military Ridge State Trail 1981Fitchburg-DodgevilleDane, Iowa DNRYesRail Trail40
Mound View State Trail 1974/2018Belmont-Platteville Lafayette, Grant CountyNoRail Trail (partial)7
Mountain-Bay State Trail 1993Wausau-Green Bay Marathon, Shawano, BrownCountyNoRail Trail83
New Berlin Trail 1984New Berlin-WaukeshaWaukeshaCountyNoLocal Trail7Paved asphalt trail.
Newton Blackmour State Trail 2003New London-Seymour Outagamie CountyYesRail Trail22One mile acquired, but not yet in use.
Nicolet State Trail 1999Gillett-Michigan state line near Tipler Oconto, Forest, Florence CountyNoRail Trail89
North Country Trail 2001N/ADouglas, Bayfield, Ashland, IronVariedNoNational Scenic Trail140The trail spans Northern Wisconsin, from Minnesota to Michigan's upper peninsula.
Oak Leaf Trail variousN/AMilwaukeeCountyNoLocal Trail135The trail system spans Milwaukee County. It includes the Menomonee, Kinnickinnic, Root River, Oak Creek, South Shore, Milwaukee River and Zip Lines, along with the Bradley and Drexel Connectors, and Lake Park and Whitehall Park Loops. A portion of the system is rail trail.
Oconto River State Trail 1997Oconto-Stiles JunctionOcontoCountyNoRail Trail8
Old Abe State Trail 1990Chippewa Falls-Cornell Chippewa CountyYesRail Trail20
Pecatonica State Trail 1974Belmont-CalamineLafayette, GrantCountyYesRail Trail10
Red Cedar State Trail 1973Menomonie-DunnDunnDNRYesRail Trail15
Saunders State Trail 1991Boylston Junction-Minnesota state line near DeweyDouglasCountyNoRail Trail8
Stower Seven Lakes State Trail 2003Amery-DresserPolkCountyYesRail Trail14
Sugar River State Trail 1972New Glarus-BroadheadGreenDNRYesRail Trail24
Tomorrow River State Trail 1996Plover-ManawaPortage, Waupaca CountyYesRail Trail29A short unfinished section of trail exists just east of Amherst Junction.
Tuscobia State Trail 1966Park Falls-Rice Lake Price, Sawyer, Washburn, BarronDNR/CountyNoRail Trail75
Wau-King Trail Waupaca-KingWaupacaCountyNoLocal Trail4Mainly paved asphalt trail.
White River State Trail 1999Elkhorn-Lyons; Burlington-Kansasville Walworth, Racine CountyYesRail Trail19Eleven miles acquired, but not yet in use.
Wild Goose State Trail 1986Fond du Lac-Clyman JunctionFond du Lac, Dodge CountyNoRail Trail34
Wild Rivers State Trail 1993Rice Lake-Solon SpringsBarron, Washburn, DouglasCountyNoRail Trail104One mile acquired, but not yet in use
Wiouwash State Trail 1992Oshkosh-Hortonville; Split Rock-AniwaWinnebago, Outagamie, Shawano, WaupacaCountyNoRail Trail41
Wolf River State Trail 2003Crandon-White Lake Langlade, ForestCountyNoRail Trail37Six miles acquired, but not yet in use

See also

References

  1. "State Trail Pass | Wisconsin State Park System | Wisconsin DNR". dnr.wisconsin.gov. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  2. "StateTrailSystemFacts.pdf". widnr.widen.net. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  3. "State Trails | Wisconsin State Park System | Wisconsin DNR". dnr.wisconsin.gov. Retrieved June 23, 2024.