Wisconsin's nationally acclaimed "rails to trails" biking network offers smooth riding and scenic views while off-road trails around the state offer even more of a challenge. Some examples are the 32-mile Elroy-Sparta trail (608-463-7109) which winds through three century-old railroad tunnels, wooded valleys, and small towns and the paved 83.4-mile Mountain Bay State Trail which stretches from Green Bay to Wausau winding through Amish settlements, the Stockbridge-Munsee Reservation, woodlands, marshes , and farmland (715-261-1550). In fact, there are over 850 miles of biking trails that criss-cross the state.
• The Wisconsin State Bicycle Map (WisDOT/BFW)
• Wisconsin county bike maps (WisDOT)
• The Wisconsin Biking Guide (Dept. Tourism)
• Local Bicycling Maps
• Interactive Bicycle Routs Maps
• American Bike Trails Maps
• Other Bicycling Maps
The Wisconsin State Bicycle Map
The maps have routes marked according to their appropriateness for cycling (level & speed of auto traffic,
presence of shoulders or bike lanes, etc.). The maps also have the state trails that do not allow motorized vehicles
in non-winter months. New features of the 2005 edition include locations of all Wisconsin bike shops, designation of
local dirt roads, paved shoulder information for state highways, and interchange and non-interchange crossing locations
for freeways. The maps are ideal for long-distance touring bicyclists as well as casual recreational riders or
transportation bicyclists.
WisDOT also has downloadable bike maps
for each of Wisconsin's 72 counties. These county maps come from the Wisconsin State Bike Map. Each county map
highlights the most favorable bicycling conditions while presenting the full continuum of roadways - from narrow
town roads to US Highways. This approach enables cyclists of all abilities to select their own routes to meet their
individual transportation and recreational needs.
The Wisconsin Biking Guide Return to Top
Local Bicycle Information
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has compiled a list of Wisconsin
local bicycle map and route information from various counties and cities. Some maps are hosted for download by DOT and only available here.
Interactive Bicycle Route Maps Increasingly there are becoming options for interactively mapping a route online.
Other Bicycling Maps Return to Top
American Bike Trails Maps
Individual maps of biking trails and trail systems around the Midwest are available from
Trail Resources. Each map gives a detailed description of the trail,
its history, and other points of interest as well as locates facilities and places to access the trail.
A number of privately produced maps and books focus on particular bike routes and/or trail systems for tour and mountain biking.
They are available at many general bookstores, as well as businesses that sell or rent bicycles. Also, check out the
Wisconsin Department of Tourism's or the
Wisconsin Off-Road Bicycling Association's
(WORBA) web pages for more information.