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Bicycles Online > Bicycle Touring and Trails > Great-River-Trail
The Great River Trail, Wisconsin
Article and photos by Dale Kiffel
Lake Onalaska along the Great River State Trail |
287' Bridge spanning the Black River |
From the bridge, looking south on the Black River |
The Great River
State Trail is a 24 mi rails to trails endeavor and follows the abandoned Chicago and
Northwestern railroad bed. The trail traverses a mixture of prairie and marshy
bottomlands. It passes through the communities of Onalaska, Midway, Trempealeau, and two
wildlife refuges. Parking is available in Onalaska, Midway, and Trempealeau. A Wisconsin
trail pass (4$/day or $15/yr) is required. Some of the trail information literature list
the Center for Commerce and Tourism as 800 Oak Forest Drive, but this has moved to 1101
Main Street.
I rode the trail on a new toy I purchased this year, my Bacchetta Giro 26
recumbent, aka the reclining lawnchair on wheels, during the last week of summer.
This article includes first hand descriptions and plenty of photos of
the Great River Trail going from Onalaska,
Wisconsin to the Trempeleau National Wildlife Refuge (September 2006).
Bike Trail
Information
The Great River Trail in Wisconsin is 24
miles one way and connects to the Lacross River Trail in Onalaska, Wisconsin. The 4
connecting west central Wisconsin trails (aka Bike 4 Trails) going from
southeast to northwest are:
Daily or annual State trail passes are
required for riders age 16 and older. Currently the pass is $4.00 /day or you can choose
the $15.00 yearly pass (good for all Wisconsin state trails).
Here's a link to the Great River Trail Map
A lot is said about the abundant wild life on this trail, but I didn't
really see a whole lot unless you consider the geriatric bicycle club that had a
particularly good showing for a Monday morning. :-) I did see a few bunnies, grey and
black squirrels, and a number of different birds. Various bird calls can be heard also,
which sound eerie echoing through the marshes. A lot is also said of the 18 bridges,
however, there are only 3 or 4 of any significance and the others are 10 - 20 ft crossing
small creeks. Small nigglings aside, The Great River State Trail is a fun and interesting
trail.
Great River Trail Photos
Here's the photo tour of the
Great River State Trail, Onalaska,
Wisconsin to the Trempeleau National Wildlife Refuge. These pictures are from September 2006.
Great
River Trail Photos 1
Great River Trail Photos 2
Great River Trail Photos 3
Great River Trail Photos 4
Great River Trail Photos 5
Great River Trail Photos 6
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