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Bicycling in
Trempealeau's "Coulee Country"
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Here is bike
touring as you've seldom seen it, in an area that explorer
Zebulon Pike described as, "...altogether so variegated and
romantic that a man may scarcely expect to enjoy such but
twice or thrice in the course of his life!" |
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...Short
trips in the stunningly scenic Upper Mississippi River Valley.
Longer rides to quaint villages on quiet back roads. Tours of
protected parks and refuges with abundant wildlife and
fantastic vistas. Hundreds of miles of easy or challenging
roads leading to fascinating places you've always imagined
might be out there somewhere.
There are
nearly 140 miles of level, well maintained bike paths located
within the interconnecting trails of Western Wisconsin and the
Mississippi River Valley. Several small villages are located
along each of the trails. During the winter, most trails are
open for x-country skiing.
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Loop # 1 25
Miles
(Trempealeau to Galesville)
This 25 mile loop stretching from the village of Trempealeau
to Galesville is the simplest of all our loops. You will find
just three miles of rolling terrain and two miles of fairly
steep hills and valleys. Bikers can start near the road
overlooking the Mississippi River in Trempealeau and skirt the
edge of Perrot State Park where visitors can hike scenic
bluffs and trails and camp overnight. Ancient Trempealeau
Mountain, a peak totally surrounded by water, towers above,
The nine-hole golf course in Trempealeau is a scenic companion
for a mile or so and you will pass along the Black River,
Beaver Creek and the Caledonia Bottoms providing an up-close
encounter with the wonders of the natural world. Along the
way apple orchards add to the never-ending display of nature's
bounty. As you approach Galesville, long ago called The
Garden of Eden by a man of the cloth, you may find yourself
agreeing with the preacher who thought he had discovered a
spot heavenly enough to have been the home of Adam and Eve.
Click for Loop # 2
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Great River Trail / Perrot
State Park
The Great River State Bike
Trail passes directly through Trempealeau. North takes you
to the Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge; south takes
you all the way to LaCrosse. A parking lot and facilties
make Trempealeau a great place to start your trek. This
trail offers a unique opportunity to bike through the
Black River bottoms. Listen for
sandhill cranes.
Birding and wildlife watching opportunities abound. Bring
your binoculars! Other portions include
prairie, woods, small villages. Limestone screening.
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Surface |
Limestone screenings |
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Trail
Length |
24
miles |
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Uses |
Biking, hiking, X-C skiing, snowmobiling |
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Setting |
Prairies, bottomland, woods, small communities |
Quick Map,
Trempealeau south to Medary,
Wisconsin.
Perrot State Park Trail
From
Trempealeau to Perrot State Park, enjoy 500' foot high
bluffs, beautiful river views, Indian mounds, and
Trempealeau Mountain. A natural groomed surface. 8.5
miles. Birding can be excellent in the Trempealeau
National Wildlife Refuge.
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Surface |
Natural-groomed |
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Trail
Length |
8.5
miles (mountain biking/X-C skiing) |
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Uses |
Mountain biking, hiking, X-C skiing, snowmobiling |
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Setting |
Prairies, bluffs, woods |
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"Trempealeau Bicycle Trails" is a unique, slim guidebook
to bicycling in the Coulee Country.
by
Walter Ordway |
Ordway went
out in the community and talked with people who live along
the Trempealeau area's lightly trafficked roadways.
They're farmers, mostly, and there's about 150 of them
along the seven designated bike routes. Of those 150, over
130 have agreed to be "Trail Stewards." The guidebook
indicates their location along each route. A cyclist
having a problem – a breakdown that can't be handled with
a roadside repair, for instance – can head to the nearest
steward's house for assistance with a smile, or maybe just
a glass of water and some friendly conversation.
Ordway also went out among the business community and
found 75 of 86 businesses that were willing to offer
discounts to people using the book. Food, lodging,
beverages and more can be obtained with a discount of 10
percent or more. Each cooperating business is listed in
the book.
Finally, there are the illustrations. It would be good to
somehow involve the children, Ordway thought, so he had
the children who live along the routes draw pictures of
bicyclists riding past their homes. There are nine
illustrations in all, including the cover, all penned by
elementary school kids; there were over 400 sketches to
choose from. Ordway's hand drawn and lettered maps
compliment the kid's artwork.
One thing you won't find anywhere in the book is Walter
Ordway's name. It's the community's book now; Ordway just
put it together with and for them. "The communities should
have the ownership and profit," he says.
To understand why Ordway would write a book and not put
his name on it, you have to know a little more about him
and what brought him from a western Iowa farm, which is
still his home base, to Trempealeau in the first place.
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For a
detailed map of 14 loops including 382 miles on paved back
roads—County Clerk 715-538-2311 ext. 205
Great
River State Trail
608-534-6409
State Trail Through Village of
Trempealeau
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Visit Trempealeau Bicycling Clubs
website:
www.ridebctc.com
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