Map
Ride Log
Day 19: Military Ridge State Trail
I began my ride this morning by finishing the Cheese Country Trail from Calamine into Mineral Point. Thank you Tri-County Trail Commission and Tri-County ATV Club for the great trail maintenance! I picked up the Military Ridge State Trail in Dodgeville, where I also met up with Jen Filipiak, the Executive Director of the Driftless Area Land Conservancy (DALC), who joined me for a few miles and showed me some of the properties DALC has
Day 18: Monroe to Platteville
You guys! You simply must come ride the Cheese Country Trail! It is a multi-use trail running from the Badger State Trail in Monroe, WI to the Pecatonica State Trail in Calamine (it continues north to Mineral Point, which I will finish tomorrow). And despite being a multi-use trail, the surface is fantastic! Better than many non-motorized state trails and so fun! I would still recommend wider tires (at least 35-40 mm) for maximum enjoyment,
Day 17: Glacial Drumlin, Capital City, Badger, and Sugar River State Trails
Today was one of my favorite days so far. It was my favorite kind of fall day, frosty and crisp in the morning, with warm sun and a bright blue sky. I began today’s ride on the Glacial Drumlin State Trail, which took me to the K. Redmond Family Preserve. The Redmond Preserve is located in Delafield and protected through Tall Pines Conservancy. The land was donated by the Redmond and Bugbee families to ensure
Day 16: Hank Aaron and White River State Trails + Oak Leaf Trail and Seven Waters Trail
I want to start today’s post by returning, first, to yesterday. I want to thank WI Bike Fed and Rails to Trails for putting on such a fantastic, fun event celebrating the Great State Trails Adventure, their work on the Route of the Badger, and our collective efforts to expand bike infrastructure and connectivity in Wisconsin. The event was held at Wheel & Sprocket in Milwaukee and it was awesome to hear about the history
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,
Day 19: Military Ridge State Trail
I began my ride this morning by finishing the Cheese Country Trail from Calamine into Mineral Point. Thank you Tri-County Trail Commission and Tri-County ATV Club for the great trail maintenance! I picked up the Military Ridge State Trail in Dodgeville, where I also met up with Jen Filipiak, the
Day 18: Monroe to Platteville
You guys! You simply must come ride the Cheese Country Trail! It is a multi-use trail running from the Badger State Trail in Monroe, WI to the Pecatonica State Trail in Calamine (it continues north to Mineral Point, which I will finish tomorrow). And despite being a multi-use trail, the
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
On a Roll for Knowles-Nelson
Peninsula Pulse follows Sarah Widder as she bikes Wisconsin’s 44 state trails, including Door County’s Ahnapee Trail, to raise awareness for Knowles-Nelson reauthorization.
Wisconsin Bike Fed: Sarah Widder’s Great State Trails Adventure
Wisconsin Bike Fed sits down with Sarah Widder to talk about what’s driving her monthlong ride across every state trail in Wisconsin and why she chose now to do it.
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.
