Elroy-Sparta Trail Ready for Spring!

Given everything we’ve been through in the last couple of years, it would be no surprise if you missed the news that the Elroy-Sparta Trail was fully repaired and ready to ride!

As many of you know, sections of the 400 State Trail and the Elroy-Sparta trail were severely damaged way back in 2018. Various repairs seemed to languish for a long, long time. Large sections of the trail remained closed and needed to be bypassed by riders for literally years. Ultimately it wasn’t until October of 2020 that funding for the repairs was finally approved. Only then could work begin in earnest. Even a full year later in October of 2021, we still had to do some road biking to get around the last 2 bridges between Kendall & Elroy when we did our “Bike 4“. It wasn’t until December that the DNR could finally announce that all the trail work had been completed. (Photo Above is the new Bridge just north of Elroy, WI.)

So that’s exciting! This spring you can’t once again ride the complete Bike 4 Trails route including the Elroy-Sparta & 400 State Trails. No more dealing with the traffic on Hwy 71! I know we’ll be anxious to get out there once the weather warms up. Keep in mind that you will need a Wisconsin State Trail Pass to ride these trails and the 3 historic tunnels won’t be open until May 1, 2022.

Side note: In January, Bridge #27 between Norwalk and County Road T on the Elroy-Sparta State Trail was temporarily closed due to safety concerns… Let’s hope that’s taken care of by spring! 🙂

Derrick Mayoleth

For nearly 2 decades the Skillet Creek blog has focused on 3 main goals; To inspire you to visit and explore the Devil’s Lake region, to help you get the most your visit by sharing tips, events, and other helpful information. Lastly to advocate for our environment & wildlife and talk about how we can keep our natural areas amazing now and into the future! That last goal can sometimes cause controversy, but it’s the only way we can accomplish the first two. – Derrick Mayoleth, Owner.