Route: Sugar River State Trail (WI)

Submitted by UltraSteph on Mon, 11/16/2020 - 05:06pm
Location
Wisconsin, US
Distance
22 mi
Vertical Gain
175 ft
Description

The Sugar River State Trail runs from the town of New Glarus, Wisconsin to Brodhead, Wisconsin on an abandoned railroad line. This route features many trestle bridges along the Sugar River, crossing through prairies, farmland, and woods and goes through the town of Monticello, Wisconsin and Albany, Wisconsin along the way. The north western terminus features a quick access trail to the New Glarus Woods State Park and in Monticello, you can access the Badger State Trail! Part of the Sugar River State Trail even shares some miles with the scenic national Ice Age Trail. These junctions provide a great network of trail systems.

This underappreciated trail could garner some fast times, being mostly crushed limestone, and offering good aid locations if needed along the way. This route can be done in either direction one-way, or done as an out and back. Have a stop in New Glarus for some of their famous spotted cow beer, and relax along the Sugar River after you are finished! The trail is open year-round for all sorts of activities including running, biking, and snowmobile in the winter.

This trail is further described on the Wisconsin DRN site: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/sugarriver

GPS Track

Comments

Will be attempting this unsupported on Thursday 11-19-20 starting in New Glarus.

Planning on doing the FULL out and back, unsupported, on Sunday, June 25th. What is listed on the website and map for the trail, and a Google maps look at the Southern Terminus of the trail, the previous out and back missed the road south of the gravel trail to the parking lot and sign. I'm going to park at this lot and go out and back, for the full 45.5 miles.