On the Road: Driftless serenity.
Biking and road tripping through the Driftless Region
Bikes non-motorizedcommon Driftless— of both Region.sight the varietyin ♦ motorizedThe Wisconsin’s— area are andof a flattening effect the of the state last that glacier escapedhas quietthe backroads that crawl over a rolling landscape — a combination that makes for gorgeous scenic drives, especially as the leaves start to change, for motorcyclists and quad and lung-busting rides for cyclists. ♦ Throw in a handful of off-road trails that connect a series of quaint towns, and it makes for a great cycling getaway in a quiet and lovely part of the state.
I started my biking road trip in Paoli, a tiny town south of Madison that has a few shops, galleries and restaurants. I wasn’t the only cyclist moving through — two other riders, panniers loaded with gear, were also taking a break on the outdoor patio at the Paoli Schoolhouse Shops & Cafe.
Paoli is just west of the Badger State Trail, a 40-mile former railroad line that runs from just south of Madison (where it connects with the Capital City State Trail) south through Belleville, Monticello and Monroe on its way to the state line, where it connects with Illinois’ Jane Addams Trail.
A highlight of the trail is the 1,200-foot Stewart Tunnel between Belleville and Monticello. The tunnel is slightly curved, so you can’t see the exit when you enter from either end. You’ll need a strong flashlight to make it through safely.
(Note that July storms closed portions of the trail near Fitchburg and Monroe. Check the DNR website,
dnr.wi.gov/topic/parks/name/badger, for the latest trail conditions.)
I’ve biked the Badger before, including journeying through the spooky Stewart Tunnel, so I continued south to New Glarus.
The Green County town is perhaps best known for its only-sold-in-Wisconsin Spotted Cow. But the town has deep Swiss roots, and it wears that heritage proudly with brown chalet-style buildings, German-swiss restaurants and bars and a Swiss Historical Museum.
Worthy New Glarus stops include Puempel’s Olde Tavern, a bar that feels like a step back in time, because it is. Built in 1893, it’s had just three owners over its nearly 125year history. For more substantial — and Swiss — fare, head to Glarner Stube. The cozy restaurant serves everything from cheese fondue to pork schnitzel.
New Glarus is the northern trailhead for the Sugar River State Trail, a 24-mile trail that hugs the Sugar River as it follows an old railroad line to Brodhead in Green County.
You could set out from the trailhead at the historic 1887 railroad depot downtown to bike the entire trail, but you can’t bike it without a stop at New Glarus Brewing — and that includes a long climb up a steep hill to the brewery.
I opted for my car to do the work on that leg, and after enjoying some Staghorn on the lovely and expansive beer garden, made my way to a parking area for the trail in Monticello.
From there, I biked south over a handful of trestle bridges that cross the Sugar River and its tributaries. The trail features 14 bridges — they’re numbered along with mile markers.
Just south of the parking area in Monticello, the trail crosses the Badger State Trail.
I stayed on the Sugar River and after a pleasant, flat ride through pastoral southern Wisconsin, it was time to head west.
If you’re not staying in New Glarus for this biking trip (New Glarus Woods State Park south of town has camping and an access trail to the Sugar River trail), Yellowstone Lake State Park is about 20 miles to the west.
I had originally planned to stay there, but made a game-time decision to continue west for Nelson Dewey State Park. The extra hour of driving was worth it. The small park along Wisconsin’s Great River Road is perched on a bluff above the Mississippi River, with four walk-in campsites that offer some of the best views of any sites in the state.
You’ll have to deal with noise from trains rumbling below, but the views are worth it — the Mississippi River is framed by bluffs blanketed in green, and come fall, a kaleidoscope of fall colors. Bring earplugs for nighttime and enjoy awesome stargazing from the bluff top.
To the north, Wyalusing’s ridge-top sites also offer great views, but without the privacy of the Nelson Dewey sites.
If you’re an experienced cyclist, the hilly, twisting roads around Nelson Dewey make for great, challenging riding. Cycle Southwest Wisconsin (
has a few route suggestions in the area, including riding along the Great River Road (Highway 133) between Cassville and Potosi.
In Potosi (an 18 mile ride from Nelson Dewey), the Potosi Brewery serves local brews and food in a brewery that dates to 1852. At its peak it was the fifth largest brewery in Wisconsin, but it shut down in 1972. Locals raised money to restore the building and reopen the brewery in 2008. It also houses the National Brewery Museum.
Beautiful drive
After a night watching the Milky Way along the Mississippi, I headed back into the heart of the southern Driftless Region.
Wisconsin’s section of the region is roughly bounded on the east by I-94 from Baraboo to Hudson, on the west by the Mississippi River and the south by the Wisconsin-Illinois state line. The Wisconsin River cuts through the middle, separating the region into two areas that do feel different.
The northern Driftless has more rugged bluffs and plunging valleys; the southern Driftless isn’t as crinkle-cut, with more farmland and larger stretches of relatively flat land. A look at a topographic map reveals this difference, with the spiny veins of hills north of the Wisconsin River more pronounced than those to the south.
Still, it’s a beautiful drive and ride, even on the four-lane Highway 151 that runs through its heart.
I followed that through Platteville, Belmont and Mineral Point — lead-mining country in the 19th century.
The mining boom brought a rush of European settlers to the area, and even earned it the Wisconsin territorial capitol in Belmont in 1836.
Two buildings from that time still stand and are part of a Wisconsin historical site.
To the northeast, Mineral Point was aptly named. Lead miners, many from Cornwall, England, descended on the area in the 1820s. The city’s population grew to be larger than Milwaukee and Chicago at the time. In the same year legislators were meeting in Belmont to build the framework for the state of Wisconsin, the territory’s first governor, Henry Dodge, was being inaugurated in Mineral Point.
As mining declined, so too did the town and its beautiful limestone buildings. In the 1930s, Robert Neal and Edgar Hellum began to restore some of them, which today are part of the Pendarvis state historical site. The entire downtown is on the National Register of Historic Places and is an artists’ enclave, with galleries and shops displaying everything from pottery to jewelry.
I had my sights set on the governor inducted in that town, and continued northeast to Dodgeville.
North of town is Governor Dodge State Park, one of Wisconsin’s largest parks. It features the rolling hills characteristic of the Driftless, two lakes, two campgrounds, and miles of hiking trails.
The park would serve as a great base for a bike-camping trip along the Military