La Crosse River State Trail — Attraction in Town of Bangor

My wife and I really enjoyed biking the portion of the trail we had time for. It would have been nice to better understand the inclines before going, but they were gradual, so not a big deal. Started in Sparta. Gradual incline for 8 miles to tunnel three. Highly recommend sweatshirt and raincoat as the tunnel is quite cool, damp, and downright wet in some areas. Also need headlights and taillights and/or flashlights as it is really dark. Great adventure! Nice gradual downhill to Norwalk. Great picnic shelters to enjoy the lunch we packed and brought along. Gradual incline up to tunnel 2. Shorter tunnel and not as wet, but recommend same gear as for tunnel 3. We turned around after the tunnel and headed back to Sparta, which majority of trip was downhill, except for three miles from Norwalk to tunnel 3. Smooth sailing. Nice packed limestone path. We biked for roughly 7 hours. Nice leisurely pace. Would love to go back and do more of the trail...

We picked up the trail at the Sparta information booth. It is an old rail station and kept up well. There is plenty of information inside and even a gift shop. A trail pass is required and can be purchased here.

It is uphill mostly to get to the nearest tunnel, but well worth the ride. Keep up a steady pace and stay in top of gear changes. There are great views, shade, benches and bridges along the way.

The tunnel is 3/4 of a mile long and about 20° cooler than outside. Be sure to have a bike light or flashlight. Groundwater drips down inside the tunnel, so be prepared to get a little wet.

The trail is even and compact with very little ruts. It was an...

Peaceful ride. This trail is better mananged-kept than the Great River State Trail. The bridges are in better condition. The trail was also freshly mowed along the edges which is a plus. Be prepared as the mosquitoes are horrid between LaCrosse and West Salem in the lowlands. They're also very thick near the West Salem County Park trail access. Trail is somewhat slick in spots with smooth...