Map
Ride Log
P.S. Keep Riding
This ride has been about so much more than riding my bike. Yes, it’s about celebrating being outside and the feel of wind on your face, feeling free and alive. But it’s also about protecting the land, connecting communities, supporting recreation opportunities, and celebrating all the amazing folks across Wisconsin who are engaged in the passionate, thankless, and often volunteer efforts to make Wisconsin what it is today. This ride has been a dream come
Day 22: Great River and Buffalo River State Trails
Today I started with an urban ride on familiar roads through La Crosse to the start of the Great River State Trail. In the quiet morning light, I appreciated the smells of urban riding – fresh baked bread and donuts near the Kwik Trip headquarters and main distribution center, fresh roasted coffee from the local coffee shop, someone cooking breakfast, even industrial smells over the rail road bridge. One of the reasons I love riding
Day 21: 400, Hillsboro, Elroy-Sparta, and La Crosse River State Trails
Today, on my route from Reedsburg to La Crosse, I traveled on several of the most popular and oldest rail trails in Wisconsin. I started on the 400 State Trail, which is the newest of the trails I rode today but is important because it connects the historic Elroy-Sparta and La Crosse River State Trails almost all the way to the Great Sauk. I took an out-and-back detour on the adjacent Hillsboro State Trail, which
Day 20: Connector 28 and Great Sauk State Trail
We started the day at the Capitol, talking about how important stewardship funding is and sharing my story with policymakers. That included Governor Evers, who has been a great supporter of Knowles-Nelson. In his last budget, he proposed $100 million annually for 10 years, which would have provided the sustainable, predictable funding for recreation and conservation we need moving forward. Thank you, Governor Evers, for taking the time and for all your work and dedication
P.S. Keep Riding
This ride has been about so much more than riding my bike. Yes, it’s about celebrating being outside and the feel of wind on your face, feeling free and alive. But it’s also about protecting the land, connecting communities, supporting recreation opportunities, and celebrating all the amazing folks across Wisconsin
Day 22: Great River and Buffalo River State Trails
Today I started with an urban ride on familiar roads through La Crosse to the start of the Great River State Trail. In the quiet morning light, I appreciated the smells of urban riding – fresh baked bread and donuts near the Kwik Trip headquarters and main distribution center, fresh
Day 21: 400, Hillsboro, Elroy-Sparta, and La Crosse River State Trails
Today, on my route from Reedsburg to La Crosse, I traveled on several of the most popular and oldest rail trails in Wisconsin. I started on the 400 State Trail, which is the newest of the trails I rode today but is important because it connects the historic Elroy-Sparta and
Events
Want to meet Sarah, connect with other Team Knowles-Nelson advocates, or just talk trails? Here’s where to find her along the way:
October 22, 2026 – Finish Line Celebration, Menomonie
In The News
WJFW | Sarah Widder on biking Wisconsin’s trails for Knowles-Nelson
Sarah Widder joined WJFW’s “Up North at 4” to talk about her Great State Trails Adventure and her advocacy for Knowles-Nelson reauthorization.
Wisconsin cyclist hits the trails for Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund ahead of November Elections
WXPR follows Sarah Widder through the Northwoods as she bikes Wisconsin’s state trails to build support for Knowles-Nelson reauthorization ahead of November elections.
Explore
Wisconsin is home to 44 state trails, covering more than 1,700 miles of former rail corridors, converted highways, and scenic routes from border to border.
They connect small towns, state parks, and natural areas, and they’re managed by the Wisconsin DNR for hiking, biking, snowmobiling, and horseback riding depending on the trail.
State trails rely on a mix of state funding, user passes, and local Friends groups to stay maintained, which is exactly the kind of investment the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program has supported for decades.
Friends of Wisconsin State Parks is the statewide umbrella organization supporting the volunteer “Friends” groups behind individual state parks and trails. They help these local groups fundraise, recruit volunteers, and take on the trail maintenance, signage, and small capital projects that keep Wisconsin’s trails in good shape.
Want to get involved where you live? Find your local Friends group and see how to pitch in.
See All Friends Groups
- Friends of the 400 State Trail
- Friends of the Ahnapee State Trail
- Friends of the Fox River Trail
- Friends of Gandy Dancer State Trail
- Friends of the Great Sauk State Trail
- Friends of Hank Aaron State Trail
- Friends of Military Ridge Trail
- Friends of the Mountain Bay Trail
- Friends of the Red Cedar State Trail
- Friends of the Stower Seven Lakes State Trail
- Friends of the Badger and Sugar River State Trails
- Friends of Tuscobia Trail
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- Bong Naturalist Association
- Equestrian Friends of Governor Knowles State Forest
- Friends of Aztalan State Park
- Friends of Bird Sanctuary
- Friends of Blue Mounds State Park
- Friends of Brunet Island State Park
- Friends of Buckthorn State Park
- Friends of Cadiz Springs State Recreation Area
- Friends of Cedarburg Bog
- Friends of Copper Falls State Park
- Friends of Council Grounds State Park
- Friends of Devil’s Lake State Park
- Friends of Governor Dodge State Park
- Friends of Governor Nelson State Park
- Friends of Governor Thompson State Park
- Friends of Harrington Beach State Park
- Friends of Hartman Creek State Park
- Friends of Havenwoods State Forest
- Friends of High Cliff State Park
- Friends of Horicon Marsh
- Friends of Interstate and Straight Lake State Parks
- Friends of Kettle Moraine State Forest – Northern Unit
- Friends of Kettle Moraine State Forest – Southern Unit
- Friends of Kohler Andrae State Park
- Friends of Lake Wissota
- Friends of Lakeshore State Park
- Friends of Lapham Peak
- Friends of MacKenzie Education Center
- Friends of Merrick State Park/TURTLES
- Friends of Mirror Lake State Park
- Friends of Namekagon Barrens Wildlife Area
- Friends of Navarino Nature Center
- Friends of New Glarus Woods State Park
- Friends of Pattison and Amnicon Falls State Parks
- Friends of Peninsula State Park
- Friends of Perrot State Park
- Friends of Pike Lake
- Friends of Point Beach State Forest
- Friends of Potawatomi State Park inc
- Friends of Rib Mountain SP
- Friends of Rock Island State Park
- Friends of Sandhill Inc
- Friends of Stonefield/Nelson Dewey State Park
- Friends of Vernon Marsh
- Friends of Whitefish Dunes State Park
- Friends of Wildcat Mountain State Park
- Friends of Willow River and Kinnickinnic State Parks
- Friends of Wyalusing State Park
- Friends of Yellowstone Lake State Park
- Heritage Hill State Historical Park
- Newport Wilderness Society
- Seth Peterson Cottage Conservancy
Team Knowles Nelson doesn’t ride alone. These are some of the bike advocacy groups, land trusts, and conservation partners working alongside us across Wisconsin. partners helping make Wisconsin more bikeable, on state trails and beyond.
