Elroy-Sparta State Trail
| Elroy-Sparta State Trail | |
|---|---|
 Just outside one of three railroad tunnels along the Elroy-Sparta State Trail | |
| Length | 32.5 mi (52.3 km) |
| Location | Wisconsin, USA |
| Established | 1967 |
| Designation | multi-use |
| Trailheads | Elroy, Wisconsin and Sparta, Wisconsin |
| Use | Hiking, Biking, Equestrian, Snowmobile |
| Elevation change | 194 ft (59 m) |
| Highest point | 978 ft (298 m) |
| Lowest point | 784 ft (239 m) |
| Grade | 3% |
| Difficulty | easy |
| Season | May through October |
| Sights | tunnels |
| Surface | crushed limestone |
| Right of way | Chicago and North Western Railway |
| Maintained by | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources |
| Website | https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/parks/name/elroysparta/ |
The Elroy-Sparta State Trail is a 32.5-mile (52.3 km) Wisconsin State rail trail between Elroy and Sparta, Wisconsin. Considered to be the first rail trail when it opened in 1967, it was designed for foot, bicycle, equestrian and light motorized traffic. Designated a multi-use trail, it offers recreational access to the routes and is open to the public.[1] The trail is part of the larger Wisconsin bike trail system operated by the state of Wisconsin.[2] It passes through rural scenery and three tunnels.[3] It is one of six connecting trails in west-central Wisconsin. It was added to the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy hall of Fame in September 2008.[4] It is one of the most popular trails in Wisconsin[5]
History
The original railway was constructed from Madison to Winona, starting in 1870, by a predecessor of the Chicago and North Western Railway, the Baraboo Air Line Railroad Company. It was so named because of the straightness of the Air-line railroad route.[6] The Baraboo Air Line was soon consolidated with the North Western.[7] By 1911, the Chicago and North Western completed a new route called the Adams Cutoff through Wyeville, to avoid the steep grades of the Elroy to Sparta cutoff.[8] In 1964 the Chicago and North Western was permitted to abandon the stretch from Elroy to Sparta.[9] The Wisconsin Conservation Commission, the forerunner of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, purchased the trail property for $12,000.[9] The trail came into use in 1967, and the commission learned that 40% of the users were bicyclists, who required a smoother road.[9] The trail was surfaced with screen limestone, and the bridges received planking by 1970.[9] The trail was made part of the National Trails system in 1971.[9]
Trail
The trail, constructed upon the abandoned Chicago and North Western Railway railroad bed, is covered with crushed limestone for a smooth ride for bicyclists. The three tunnels along the trail are impressive feats of nineteenth-century railroad engineering. Tunnel #1, a short distance from Kendall, is surrounded by natural tunnels formed by the surrounding canopy of trees. Tunnel #2, stationed halfway between Wilton and Norwalk, features 20-foot-tall wooden doors on both ends of the tunnel. Both Tunnel Number 1 and Tunnel Number 2 are a 0.25 miles (400 m) each. Tunnel number 3, nine miles from Sparta and three miles from Norwalk, is longer than the span of 10 football fields at 0.75 miles (1.21 km). It took $1 million and three years of digging by hand, through stone, to complete in 1873.[10]
Seasonal closing
The tunnels are closed for the season by the beginning of November, using the doors that the railroad added to prevent storm damage. The debate on when to close the tunnel caused a conflict between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the organizers of the Rails to Trails Marathon.[11] The northern long-eared bat hibernates in Tunnel Number three. It was listed as threatened species in 2015. The Rails to Trails Marathon, a Boston Marathon qualifier, moved their event date to earlier in October from November in 2017 to accommodate an earlier tunnel closing than the original November 15 date.[12]
Location
The eastern end of the trail is on 
WIS 80 just north of 
WIS 71 in downtown Elroy (43°44′34″N 90°16′23″W / 43.74278°N 90.27306°W), while the western end is at the intersection with the La Crosse River Trail on John St. in Sparta (43°55′55″N 90°47′50″W / 43.93194°N 90.79722°W). The trail headquarters, located in Kendall on Wisconsin Highway 71, is open from May 1 through October 31. There is a fee for use of the trail if one does not have an annual Wisconsin trail pass.[13] Camping, lodging, food, parking, bike rentals and information are available at many points along the trail.[14] Lights are required for the tunnels.
West Central Wisconsin Trails
The six connecting west central Wisconsin trails, going from southeast to northwest[15] are:
- 400 Trail (22 mi or 35 km)
- Hillsboro State Trail [16]
- Omaha Trail (13 mi or 21 km), a Juneau County, Wisconsin trail[17]
- Elroy-Sparta State Trail (32.5 mi or 52.3 km)
- La Crosse River Trail (22 mi or 35 km)
- Great River Trail (24 mi or 39 km)
The Elroy-Sparta State trail connects to the 400 Trail in Elroy. It connects to the La Crosse River Trail in Sparta. There also is a connection in Elroy to the 13-mile Omaha County Trail. The Omaha trail travels between Elroy and Camp Douglas, near Mill Bluff State Park. The Omaha trail features a shorter rock tunnel that is about two blocks long. The Hillsboro State trail is further south from Elroy along the 400 trail at Union Center, Wisconsin.
See also
References
- ^ "TrailBlog: Wisconsin's Elroy-Sparta State Trail", Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, 01 Sept. 2008.
- ^ "Elroy-Sparta State Trail | Travel Wisconsin", Wisconsin Department of Tourism, Madison, 2014.
- ^ Bob Sobie (2001). Elroy Sparta Trail Guidebook: Also Includes: "400" State Trail, Omaha Trail, La Crosse River State Trail, and Great River State Trail. iUniverse. ISBN 978-0-595-18977-9.
- ^ Wisconsin's Elroy-Sparta State Trail Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Hall Of Fame Trail Blog. September 1, 2008
- ^ Lewis, Chelsey - old railroad tunnels help make the Elroy-Sparta Trail one of the state's most popular. Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal. June 21, 2018
- ^ Yesterday and Today: A History of the Chicago and North Western Railway System. Winship Company, Printers. 1910. pp. 73–.
- ^ Sauk County Historical Society (2004). Baraboo. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 17–. ISBN 978-0-7385-3299-8.
- ^ Tom Murray. Chicago & North Western Railway. Voyageur Press. ISBN 978-1-61673-154-0.
- ^ a b c d e United States President of the U.S.; United States. Citizens' Advisory Committee on Environmental Quality (1975). From Rails to Trails. Citizens' Advisory Committee on Environmental Quality. pp. 30–.
- ^ "Elroy-Sparta State Trail | Wisconsin Trails | TrailLink.com", Rights-to-Trails Conservancy, 2014.
- ^ Hubbich, Chris - bikes and regulation: Conflict brewing on Elroy Sparta trail. La Crosse Tribune, September 12, 2016
- ^ Rails to Trails Marathon in Norwalk on Oct. 8 La Crosse Tribune, October 1, 2017
- ^ "Elroy-Sparta State Trail", Trails from Rails, 2009.
- ^ "Elroy-Sparta State Trail - Wisconsin DNR", Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, 17 Oct. 2014.
- ^ Wisconsin State Trails Network Plan West Central Region Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Bureau of Parks and Recreation Trails Section. January 2001
- ^ Hillsboro State Trail Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource
- ^ Juneau County Wisconsin Trails
External links
