Trans Wisconsin Adventure Trail

The 600+ mile Trans-Wisconsin Adventure Trail is your ticket to adventure in the Badger State. From the rolling hills of the south to the rugged northwoods, this overland track route will challenge your spirit and reward you with unforgettable memories.

Route Overview

Trip Length & Season

Adventure Rating: Epic Trip Length: 615 miles, 3 - 7 days Season: It's possible to travel this track year round, but for folks venturing out during winter, we only recommend 4x4s (not AWD vehicles) to deal with adverse traction conditions. Fall provides cooler temps and incredible colors as the leaves of the deciduous forest begin to fall.

Digital Maps & GPX Files

Download Digital Mapping Files

• Trans-Wisconsin Adventure Trail (with POIs) For Subscribers

• Trans-Wisconson Advenutre Trail (track only) Free -- coming soon!
  

If you need help working with digital mapping and GPX files, please check out our FAQ section.

Technical Ratings & Terrain

Avg Technical Rating: 1

Peak Technical Rating: 2

Typical Terrain: The track is a mixture of pavement and dirt. Dirt is mostly mellow county roads and forest service roads. There are some tighter forest roads (due to underbrush/trees) and sandy sections on the northern third of the track.

Recommended Vehicle / Moto / Adventure Vans

Recommended Vehicle: Stock 4x4

Recommended Moto: Big bikes or mid-weight bikes.

Adventure Vans: Sprinter 4x4s are good to go, just recognize you may encounter to low hanging limbs on some of the forest service roads.

Fuel, Provisions, and Recommended Gear

Fuel: There are dozens of fuel stops along the route, typically within a 20 mile drive of one another. Provisions: Provisions can be obtained in the same general vicinity as fuel. Gear: no specialized gear is recommended for this adventure.

Alternative Routes

Mason-White River Track Distance: 55 miles Technical Rating: 2

This track follows the mostly dirt roads around Beaver Lake, Wisco Road, around Bibon Swamp while passing the White River, and up past the small community of Mason. Bayfield Track

Distance: 43 miles

Technical Rating: 2 We recommend hitting the Bayfield Track at least once, either on your way to the northern end of the Trans-Wisconsin Adventure Trail, or on your way back south. Bayfield is a charming town that is worth stopping for, and checking out.

Camping Recommendations

The northern half of the route features dispersed camping opportunities in the Chequamegon–Nicolet National Forest, that starts just north of Thorp. Some of our other favorite places to camp include:

• East Fork Campground (Black River State Forest)

• Stockfarm Bridge campground

• Point Detour

• Beaver Lake campground

• Twin Lakes campground

• Connors Lake campground

Discovery Points

• DP1 - Platte River

• DP2 - Point Road Viewpoint

• DP3 - Mississippi River

• DP4 - Grant River

• DP5 - Village of Cassville

• DP6 - Old Denniston House

• DP7 - Wisconsin River

• DP8 - Prairie du Chien

• DP9 - The Dousman House

• DP10 - Villa Louis

• DP11 - Effigy Mounds National Monument

• DP12 - Fire Point

• DP13 - Lake Winneshiek

• DP14 - Driftless Area Education And Visitors Center

• DP15 - Black Hawk Bridge

• DP16 - Kickapoo River

• DP17 - Rockton Bar

• DP18 - La Cross River

• DP19 - Sparta

• DP20 - Black River

• DP21 - Levis/Trow Mound Trails

• DP22 - South Fork Jump River

• DP23 - Long Mile Lookout

• DP24 - Delta Diner

• DP25 - Little Sand Bay Visitor Center

• DP26 - Lake Superior

Land Managers & Other Resources

• Chequamegon–Nicolet National Forest
  

Other Resources

• Driftless Area

Permits & Papers

n/a

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Route Details

The Trans-Wisconsin Adventure Trail is Wisconsin's most popular overland and adventure bike route, and likely one of the most well-known tracks in the greater Midwest. Originally developed for adventure bikes, the Trans-Wisconsin Adventure Trail evolved over time to incorporate roads suitable for vehicles as well, and that's the version of the track you'll find on OTG. The route begins at the Wisconsin-Illinois border and travels 600+ miles on a northward trajectory, ending near Wisconsin's northernmost point (Point Detour) along Lake Superior. The route showcases a variety of terrains, landscapes, and cultures. The southern section follows the banks of the Mississippi for many miles, crossing over into the hilly Driftless region of Iowa, through many Amish settlements, and into the Northwoods of Wisconsin, finally reaching the cool shores of Lake Superior. Lake Superior is so vast (it has the largest surface area of any freshwater lake in the world) that it creates its own weather and, much like the ocean, has a cooling effect on the land and surrounding shoreline.

Your adventure begins at the Illinois border, on the eastern banks of the Mississippi. Soon after crossing the Platte River, the track hugs the banks of the Mississippi. Its immense width (well over a mile in these parts) is quite the sight to behold—and we highly recommend making the drive out to Point Road (DP2) to get an idea of the river's awesome and sometimes tumultuous power. As the track continues northward, it passes through many communities, towns, and villages. The Village of Cassville (DP5) is one of the more historic towns and worth a quick stop as you drive through the village.

Further north, Prairie du Chien feels like a full-blown city, even though its population is just over 5,000. History buffs will want to stop by Saint Feriole Island to visit the Dousman House (DP9) and the exquisitely restored Villa Louis (DP10). The Dousman House is an old railway hotel built in the 1860s, while Villa Louis is an Italianate-style mansion that was built in 1870 by the wealthy fur-trading family, the Dousmans. The many French names in the region can be attributed to the French fur traders who began arriving in Wisconsin in the 1600s. What many history books fail to teach is that the unregulated fur trade and trade of animal commodities nearly caused many species like beavers, sea otters, tule elk, and American bison to go extinct. Looking at the resource riches, particularly the animal wealth in the New World (compared to the Old World, where many species had gone extinct or were extirpated), they thought it was unlimited. How wrong they were.

The Trans-Wisconsin Adventure Trail crosses the Mississippi into the hill country known as the Driftless region of Iowa. Effigy Mounds National Monument has been tied to no fewer than 20 different Native American tribes that used the area as sacred burial grounds. The mounds are the site of numerous burial mounds, many in the shape of animals, hence the name. For those who would like to learn more about the natural and human history of the Driftless region, we highly recommend visiting the Driftless Area Visitors Center (DP14) near Lansing. As you depart Lansing, the route crosses back into Wisconsin via the historic truss (built in 1929) better known as the Black Hawk Bridge (DP15).

Passing back into Wisconsin, chances are you'll come across the Amish with their horse-drawn buggies on the roads (if you haven't already). Dozens of Amish (and Mennonite) communities continue to live their traditional way of life throughout Wisconsin, and the Trans-Wisconsin Adventure Trail passes through many of these Amish settlements. The roads of the southern portion of the route are typically well-graded and wide, but as you move northward, especially through Wisconsin's Northwoods, several sections of the trail become much more narrow (due to encroaching bushes/trees/shrubs) along with some sandy sections. The track also contains two must-see (eat/drink) establishments. The first of these is the old biker saloon, the Rockton Bar, located about ten miles south of Sparta.

From Sparta, the track continues north through the rolling countryside and woods of central Wisconsin. Traveling northward from Sparta, the Trans-Wisconsin crosses the dark waters of the Black River (DP20). For those who enjoy hiking, be sure to check out the Levis/Trow Mounds Recreation Area, which features over 40 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails. Soon enough, you'll be passing through the lands of the Chequamegon–Nicolet National Forest and nearing Wisconsin's Northwoods. The National Forest is filled with hundreds of dispersed camping sites, so if you want to find a private campsite, this is the place to do it! Chequamegon–Nicolet National Forest also features hundreds of miles of dirt roads, so adventurous types may wish to veer off the route to do a bit of ad hoc exploring.

Continuing your journey to Lake Superior, the rural lands of northern Wisconsin are filled with hundreds of lakes, streams, and rivers. You'll encounter far fewer people and traffic on this section of the track. With its lush forests, crystal-clear lakes, charming towns, and numerous opportunities for wildlife encounters, the Northwoods are an outdoorsman's/woman's paradise! And seemingly in the middle of nowhere, you'll come across the Delta Diner, a 1950s-style diner that's said to have some of the best food in northern Wisconsin and a favorite among travelers passing through. The opportunities to camp next to a lake seem limitless as you depart the diner and head towards Lake Superior.

Eventually, you'll find yourself cresting a hill with Lake Superior sitting downslope just a few miles in the distance. The track meets its official end near Point Detour, mainland Wisconsin's northernmost point. And while there's a nice campground at Point Detour, much of the lake is hidden behind the thick forest of the Northwoods. Little Sand Bay to the south provides expansive views of Lake Superior and the beautiful north Wisconsin shoreline.

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