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Traveling the 400 State Trail is a numbers game. The trail’s name refers to the old Chicago and North Western Railway’s “No. 400” passenger train that zoomed through here between Chicago and St. Paul—a distance of 400 miles accomplished in 400 minutes. Other numbers related to the trail might interest trail users: 22, the number of miles between trailheads in Elroy and Reedsburg; 10, the number of times the route crosses the Baraboo River; 7, the miles of parallel horseback-riding trail; 3, the number of junctions with other trails.
NOTE: A State Trail Pass ($ 25 annually/$ 5 daily) is required for bicyclists and horseback riders ages 16 and older. Snowmobilers must display either a Wisconsin registration or a snowmobile State Trail Pass. For information, go to dnr.wi.gov /topic/parks/trailpass.html.
About the Route
Leaving off from the trail's northern endpoint in the historic railroad hub of Elroy, the trail leaves off just a couple of blocks from the Elroy-Sparta State Trail.
In the first mile heading south, the trail crosses the first of nearly a dozen bridges or trestles spanning the Baraboo River. The valley provides a level ride to Reedsburg, but trail users will be able to see hilltops, cliffs, and dramatic rock formations common to the so-called Driftless Area that wasn’t scraped flat by Ice Age glaciers.
In 4 miles, the trail arrives at a park and restrooms in Union Center, followed by a junction with the Hillsboro State Trail. In another 3 miles, the trail runs through Wonewoc, a narrow part of the valley that’s a tourist destination for trail pedalers as well as river paddlers. Wonewoc has two campgrounds (Baker’s Field is located along the trail) and numerous restaurants, taverns, and grocery stores.
The horseback-riding trail runs from here to La Valle. The old railroad grade passes through woodlots and wetlands in this section where trail users might spy deer, raccoons, and skunks, as well as a variety of songbirds and waterfowl. Two public recreation areas, Hemlock-Sauk County Park and Dutch Hollow Lake, offer waterside recreation close to the trail 5.4 miles past Wonewoc on Dutch Hollow Road.
Trail users can find more refreshments in La Valle. About 2 miles past the La Valle business district, County Road V can take trail users on a 1-mile side trip to Lake Redstone, a reservoir nestled in the hills.
About 7.7 miles past La Valle, the trail arrives in Reedsburg. While its early history involved growing hops and brewing beer, now it’s the home to the annual 10-day Fermentation Fest that celebrates all things fermented. The trail reaches its southeastern end here at a restored railroad depot that serves as an information center. By far the trail’s largest town, there are antique shops and a selection of restaurants, as well as bed-and-breakfasts and a campground.
Trail History
The Chicago and North Western Railway started running trains along this route in 1873 after completing three tunnels on the Elroy-to-Sparta section. The railroad discontinued the line, and the state acquired it in 1988 and opened the trail in 1993.
The 400 State Trail runs between Cedar St. (Elroy) and 240 Railroad St. (Reedsburg).
Parking is available at:
These are not official addresses, please see TrailLink Map for all parking options and detailed directions.
We had ridden into Elroy from Sparta and realized the 400 trail left from there. We went back to Elroy two days later and rode 11 miles out on the 400. We went through Union and through Wonewoc. We were so impressed with the little town of Wonewoc and the super clean facility they had along the trail, that included a picnic shelter and water fountain along with bike repair stands. The ride itself was very nice. The trail was well cared for and there were many bridges that overlooked very pretty areas. We passed several large rock formations that were impressive. We hope to return to the area so we can ride the entire trail.
We had ridden into Elroy from Sparta and realized the 400 trail left from there. We went back to Elroy two days later and rode 11 miles out on the 400. We went through Union and through Wonewoc. We were so impressed with the little town of Wonewoc and the super clean facility they had along the trail, that included a picnic shelter and water fountain along with bike repair stands. The ride itself was very nice. The trail was well cared for and there were many bridges that overlooked very pretty areas. We passed several large rock formations that were impressive. We hope to return to the area so we can ride the entire trail.
Awesome trail, but could be superb if grass was cut in the center of the trail. I have a trike, which makes it difficult. I managed, but was slow moving. Lots to see, with a variety of scenery. Be prepared for horseflies.
My dad and I started at the trail head at Reedsburg after getting some great tips and info from Sue at the restored rail depot by the parking lot. The ride out from Reedsburg passes through some busy streets and the first mile or two were a little slick after yesterday’s rain. But this trail just got better and better the farther we rode! The rail trail is primarily crushed pea gravel and after a few miles it dried up real nice and was very stable and reliable. From Reedsburg to La Valle we rode through a mixture of woodland filled with wildflowers (purple/white flox, white daisies and pink columbine) as well as lush marshland filled with water fowl, turtles and muskrats! My favorite parts were the sandstone bluffs that rose majestically over the marshlands and just beyond Le Valle the trail cuts straight through 20 foot high limestone. We ate in La Valle at Fishy’s Bar and grill which had some excellent burgers and fries. At Reedsburg we ate at Ronnie’s which also had great food. Overall I would highly recommend this trail!
Great trail. I did the full 22mi and back. Started at the south end. Very easy to follow, very little interaction with traffic. A few bathroom breaks on the way. Almost perfectly flat from start to finish. (I was wishing for a hill or two at one point. Got a bit monotonous.) Clean, well maintained, no hazards. It’s NOT paved but felt paved most of the time. A couple of the bridges could use a bit of work, but I never felt unsafe on them. Very quiet! At times I felt like I was alone in the world! ¿¿¿¿¿
Trail is almost completely flat. Surface consists of compacted crushed stone and soil, and is in good shape with no ruts or holes. A few of the bridges are rough. Nice and quiet, not too crowded. Lots of convenience stores and bathrooms along the way.
Road this trail for the first time. We started at the Reedsburg trailhead and went to Wonewoc and back (~30 miles round trip). The trail is in excellent shape. Wide road bed with a packed, firm surface. Few if any ruts. A previous review noted disrepair of the bridges. We went over seven or eight on this stretch and didn't see any problems. There has been recent maintenance with boards replaced. Scenery is outstanding, especially north of LaValle. The grade is mostly flat to slightly uphill going north. The trail crosses very few roads and the ones it does are quiet. Looking forward to finishing the rest up to Elroy.
We visit from Marlow, OK for the Cazenovia celebration every July and this is the highlight of my trip. Start in Lavalle, go to Reedsburg then 5 miles north of Lavalle then return. Exactly 25 miles. Nice and cool. Lush green. Smooth surface. Just fabulous. Highly highly recommended.
We rode 17 miles of this trail from Reedsburg north on July 9, 2023. The scenery and trail surface was fine. What was BAD, VERY BAD, were the bridges. There are MANY bridges. They were all in badly need of repair. Many loose boards and rotting boards with rough edges sticking up. I got a rear flat tire, probably due to the bridges, which I rode over very slowly. At the turn around point there was a couple whom had just finished riding the trail. He said he also got a flat tire. They also rode the Omaha Trail, which had a recent poor review. They gave me a ride back to Reedsburg while my husband rode his bike back. While it would have been great to complete this ride, it just wasn't going to happen.
Wisconsin Bike Trip Report - Cycle Seven Rails to Trails in Five Days: In August 2022, our group of 11 went on a self-guided partially supported bike ride covering seven Rails to Trails in Central Wisconsin near La Crosse, Sparta and Eau Claire. Turned out to be an amazing trip with great weather, except the last day during which it rained. Great variety of environments and trails, including some short bridges and long tunnels, shaded woodlands and bright prairie. Attached is a pdf detailing the logistics and planning we carried out to make the trip happen. TrailLink.com has great description of each individual trail. Over five days of riding we covered:
1. Elroy-Sparta State Trail
2. Great River State Trail
3. La Crosse River State Trail
4. 400 State Trail
5. Red Cedar State Trail
6. Chippewa River State Trail
7. Old Abe Trail
For a 5 page pdf summary document of our trip with maps and logistics, see: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mk5DYWU-LirXlXT9_B3R6ZbDn4Iautr_/view?usp=sharing
I always wanted to check the 400 Trail out. On October 2nd I had the time to tackle it. The trail was in excellent condition and the low 60s temps made for great riding. I was probably a week or two too early for optimal leaf color. There were some nice reds and yellows here and there, but I bet the trees will look awesome in mid-October. I'll be back again.
I rode the entire length of the trail on August 1st. Great trail. Great surface. Lots of services along the way. Very busy with cyclists and walkers, but not crowded. Met other bikepackers on the route. Recommended!!
There was a light rain overnight so the trail was a little soft in places, otherwise it was in very good condition. Much of the trail runs along the Baraboo River and there were views of limestone bluffs and many small lakes. Stopped for a rest at the north end of the trail at the Elroy Commons area. The bathrooms were very clean and even had showers. On the way back to Reedsburg, I stopped at Wonewoc to have a good lunch at the Neighbors Sandwich Bar and Deli. Connected to it is a coffee bar and ice-cream shop.
Be aware there is no restroom at the Reedsburg trailhead. There are several along the trail though.
I have ridden this trail in all directions and have connected it to various other trail systems. I find it scenic and easy to maneuver. You can easily jump on and off and turn the ride into various loops. Easy access to Lake Redstone Park as well which you can make a nice loop of by parking at park and heading up to LaValle. Enjoy a Spotted Cow halfway at Trail Break and back down 400 to Lake.
We did an 10.5 mile stretch from Elroy, WI to about 3 miles south of Wonewoc. Round trip 21 miles. We intended to do 30 miles but we're getting older and the air quality was terrible due to fires in Canada. That said this is a beautiful trail, very scenic, smooth, and a pretty flat easy ride. At a few of the road crossings the ends of the trail were filled in with sand instead of gravel, so watch out so you don't lose control. We chose the 400 due to having lots of stops with bathrooms. We were not disappointed. All of the facilities are clean and well maintained. Most of the small towns along the way have food and beer available, and the local folks are very welcoming and proud of their association with the trail. This has become our favorite WI trail. We hope to get back out there next year and finish the trail.
I rode the 400 trail from Reedsburg to Elroy as the last 20 miles of my ride from Madison this morning. I am midway through a cross country ride from Maine to Washington. Very grateful for rail trails like this one! Nice to have frequent public bathrooms, hard packed gravel, and shade. Some of the bridges are quite bumpy. Beautifully maintained town campsite in Elroy!
I thought this trail was just ok. One spot where there is bluffs and a river is scenic. Otherwise its pretty straight forward, easy to ride, just not a favorite of mine.
Spent the summer in LaValle and 400 was great way to get around and connect towns. Very easy pedal and surprisingly not used as much as I would have expected? A lot of bridges to cross and recommend stopping at each to possibly get a glimpse of a snapping turtle . Boundary Waters in Wonewoc is nice stop for a beverage and connecting to Hillsboro Trail in Union Center will take you right to Hillsboro Brewery which offered outside Covid seating . Nice Trail! Picturesque and peaceful picturesque, another one I
Rode the 400 Trail from Reedsburg to Elroy. New trail surface from west of Lavalle to wonewoc. Some rough spots but stay in middle to avoid washboard effect left by treads. The Baraboo River water level is low.
some closed portions from horrible flooding but fairly well marked SB's otherwise decent condition
This trail was closed in September by the Wisconsin DNR, due to mudslides and other trail conditions caused by heavy rains
Being a Chicago &Northwestern railfan I enjoyed walking from county V to the town of Lavalle and seeing the bridges and scenery and the next day walking from County V two miles south on the trail had a beautiful time.
Walked from County V to Lavalle very nice walk enjoyed the walk took photos of the bridges and Lavalle nice small town very friendly people on trail. Next day walked from County V two miles south on trail had a ball saw 4 deer.
If you want decent speed, choose to route from reedsburg to Elroy. Otherwise you spend your time with pedalling all the time. There are no steeps on the trail but slightly goes up. It is kind of non-scenic version of Elroy-Sparta trail. Plus not recommended in rainy weather. Not Asphalt
I set out on this trail expecting to go six miles to Lake Redstone and then come back, as the text suggests. But there are NO SIGNS for Lake Redstone on the trail and NO WAY TO GET TO IT via bike trails. I had gone more than two miles past it before I realized this.
As far I can tell, the only way to get to Lake Redstone is to turn off on Highway V, which has no bike lanes and looks very dangerous for bikers. I decided not to bother with it.
Otherwise, the trail is not bad. Very flat and the cross streets are few and far between, except for a few close together right at the beginning.
I would rate the 400 trail as the best of the (4) connecting trails for the natural beauty and ease of ride. I rode the 4 trails on a 3 wheel recumbent which is probably not the best choice for these trails as some have killer potholes due to ground squirrels digging them up. The 400 has abundant wildlife such as Geese, Deer, ducks, squirrels, turtles, snakes and a variety of birds. The bluffs and marshlands are picture worthy scenery.
I rode this trail in mid October as the first part of the four linked trails between Reedsberg and Marshland.
The scenery was good, the trail conditions ok, the crowds nonexistent, and the fall colors, although not spectacular this year, were still very nice.
I recommend Hillsboro for an overnight stop. It is only 4 miles off the 400 trail on a side trail so no streets or traffic. The Hotel Hillsboro was bike friendly.
We did get some prevailing headwind, so you could consider riding the other direction (Marshland to Reedsberg) in the fall.
I just rode the 400 several times this week. I started in Hillsboro and rode the trail north to the Omaha Trail one day and then south to Reedsburg the next. The trail is taken well care of and is flat. Other than being 22 miles long, there is nothing demanding about the ride. I rode early and saw no one before 9am on the path. There are a few nice views of the river but for the most part it is a tree lined path without a lot to look at. Don't get me wrong, I like the path but it doesn't change much over the 44 miles if you ride from one end to another. The Reedsburg trail end was a bit disappointing. The train depot was closed so no bathrooms or water was available. Also don't expect much in the way of signs - they just don't exist or I just missed them. There was some roadway construction at both ends. The other end is in Elroy and again the store there was closed. They did however have water and an open bathroom. The 400 is one of six paths in the area (counting the Hillsboro as a path). I rode five of the six in three days but bad weather stopped me from riding the last one. I chose a 29er for my rides which is overkill but I am glad I did just for the comfort and the few pot holes I ended up hitting. A good cyclocross bike or hybrid would be fine. The path can be ridden on a road bike but it would not be as enjoyable. There are patches of sand that can be annoying if you hit them at speed. For some reason, someone had the idea to put sand in place of the path when it crossed a road. If this was done to slow people down before crossing a roadway - it was real dumb. Overall it was a fine path to take. If your in the area hit all six, it will make you rides / trip more enjoyable.
We went out this past Saturday. We rode from Reedsburg to LaValle with 6 kids under 16. The trail & weather were beautiful. This was an easy ride for all in our group.
400 Trail is very well taken care of - we've rode several of the other trails in the area and 400 was in perfect condition!
Rode the 400 trail in July 2013. Started in Reedsburg and road to Elroy. Due to a lot of recent rain the trail was soft. We had taken road
bikes which made the ride a bit more difficult.
Should have taken my mountain bike. The wider tires would have made the ride more pleasant.
All in all it was a great ride and well worth the
1700 round trip.
I rode this trail last weekend. I was pleasantly surprised to find the trail in good shape. The ride from Reedsburg to Elroy was sprinkled with bike friendly towns and is mostly shaded. The trailhead in Reedsburg is a lovely old train depot, but is not the easiest to locate. Al in all, a great flat ride and one I would do again, especially in the fall, where I bet the colors are awesome!
I've biked this trail from Reedsburg to Union Center and then taken the extension to Hillsboro. I've also traversed the trail from Elroy to Reedsburg. This is a well-maintained, level trail that offers plenty of scenic beauty and periodic small town to get a cold drink, snack, or meal. As a side note, this August, I biked from Hillsboro to Wildcat Mountain State Park, a 13 mile trip on a black topped highway. The surface was smooth, the scenery beautiful, but the hills were tough--especially with a bike loaded with camping gear. I don't know if I would do it again!
I rode this trail a couple of days ago. From Reedsburg to Union Center. It is really nice. It is a rail trail so it is very level and straight as a gun shot. There was a lot of rain several days before I rode. The trail was dampish (a little slow under wheel)but not soggy anywhere. No standing puddles at all. The bridge planking is rough because of all the snowmobile use in the winter but not bad. There are great towns along the way like Elroy-Sparta before WalMart ruined Sparta. Lots of small local business all very welcoming all cyclists. I saw about 30 Blue Jays while riding.
After hanging out at the Wisconsin Dells Riverfest kayak races all morning, we decided to head over to Reedsburg to ride the 400 Bike Trail to LaValle and back(approx 16 miles). Usually, it's still too wet this time of year for comfortable riding, but it has been extremely dry lately, so we gave it a shot. Glad we did, it was great riding. Our old friends, a pair of nesting Eagles, were sitting on eggs in a rebuilt nest, and we found a crane nesting just 20 or so feet off the trail! We were careful not to stress her out. The first wildflowers were starting to rock out, but it's still too early for the Trilliums & such. The grocery store/butcher shop in LaValle has a nifty little ice cream shop for replenishing your energy for the trip back to Reedsburg.
I rode this 22 mile trail in August and October of 2008 with my scorpion Fx recumbent trike starting at the Commons in Elroy where you can also begin the Sparta-Elroy trail and the Omaha Trail to Camp Douglas. This trail is composed of crushed limestone, and easy to ride with it's perfectly flat surface. I enjoyed the views of the distant bluffs, and the x-crossing of the Baraboo River over the old wooden plank bridges. The bridge to the South of Wonewac was still out because of torrential rains we had here in early June, so this was as far as I was able to ride. It was about 12 miles from the commons to the washed out bridge. Just after crossing Hwy. 33 in Union Center you'll get to the branch of the 4 mile Hillsboro Trail which parallels Branch Creek through mostly woods, and some open meadows. Thnis trail is worth the extra miles.
I would highly recommend this trail for it's scenic beauty, and easy ride.
Dennis Adam
Sheboygan, WI
We rode this trail on Sept 23rd during a period of great weather. The trail is very flat and very well maintained. Part of the trail was and is closed due to some bridge damage caused by some recent flooding. The trail goes through the Baraboo river valley and is covered with a tree canopy about 50% of the time. There were all types of birds along the the trail. For us the highlight was a beautiful large bald eagle only 50-100 feet off the trail in an old snag. It sat there long enough for us to get numerous shots at it, with our camera of course. There are places to eat, rst areas, and water along the trail. Go ride this trail for sure, BUT call ahead for details of the short trail closure.
"Started ride in Reedsburg at 1pm on a hot Friday afternoon
in July 05. Due to weekday at times went for 2-3 miles
without seeing anyone. The trail was packed well and easy
riding. All the towns along the way was neat and plenty
of rest stops with bathrooms and water. Biked all the way
to Elroy. The commons there had a store where you could buy water, sodas, snacks,ice cream bars ect. On the ride back I stopped in La Valle and had a burger and soda at the resturant along the trail. Total ride was 44 miles round trip with a
pedal time of 3hours 20min. Back to Reedsburg at 5:15pm. The scenery on this trail is great. This trail is well
worth the ride.
"
"Our ride report, including photos, can be found at www.great-trails.com/state.shtml"
"The 400 trail has a little more character than the Omaha Trail(although the Omaha has a tunnel). There are quite a few small towns along the trail, so you really can carry the minimum in supplies. Also the grades are not demanding at all."
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