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 is how much you get to engage with the environment – the feel, the sounds, the smells, and the pace allows you to notice and appreciate so much more of the landscape. A large sculpture at the Great River Landing also reminded me why I ride – to enjoy, explore, and experience the world around me.
I met Carol, the executive director of the Mississippi Valley Conservancy (MVC), and Nathan, a passionate and engaged fellow citizen and cyclists, at the Great River Landing.
She told me about the many different conservation projects spearheaded by land trust organizations, including MVC. Land trusts provide unique services that ensure vital land is protected for a long time. Land trusts often partner with other groups, like state organizations and local park departments, to combine resources in the most effective way.
In the La Crosse area, MVC is partnering with private landowners, the DNR, and the City of La Crosse in the La Crosse River Conservancy Project, a 386-acre (and growing) protected area east of Highway 16 and south of I-90 along the La Crosse River State Trail. The groups are now working together to conserve the unique river valley, along with the nearby wetlands and forests, to protect habitat, allow for recreation, and preserve the special character of the La Crosse River landscape. MVC also worked with the City of La Crosse in the La Crosse Bluffland Protection program, which protects over 900 acres of the regions iconic bluffs from development. MVC and other land trusts contribute to these partnerships by providing permanent land protection through conservation easements and by bringing in philanthropic money that amplifies what local governments can do.
Carol told me that only 7,000 of MVC’s more than 27,000 protected acres are public lands – meaning the majority of the work they do is with private landowners on private lands, working to maintain the character and value of rural, undeveloped landscapes while still allowing the land to be used and passed on. Much of this work would not be possible without matching grants available from Knowles-Nelson. Additionally (and perhaps ironically), it’s these types of small, community-driven projects that would likely be most impacted by any restrictions on conservation funding in future Knowles-Nelson program models. Small organizations and private landowners often have less time and resources to navigate complicated, bureaucratic, and unpredictable processes. It’s part of the reason we need to ensure pragmatic and accessible conservation is a key part of Knowles-Nelson moving forward. To find out more about and support MVC’s work, visit https://www.mississippivalleyconservancy.org/
Although a bridge was out on the Great River State Trail, requiring a reroute, it was worth hopping back on the northern-most section for the last remaining miles past the Trempealeau Wildlife Refuge, another Knowles-Nelson beneficiary and beautiful resource for wildlife and visitors to rest and restore themselves.
Leaving the Great River State Trail, I rode the glorious roads of Trempealeau county. They are scenic, lightly traveled, well-signed, and some of my favorite (if hilly) roads in the world. Trempealeau County has many miles of marked bike loops, which I think are an important part of Wisconsin’s comprehensive bike infrastructure, especially where there are already great, paved, roads for riding. Connecting roads like these to state and country trails in one map would make cycling around WI easy to access and navigate.
I finished my ride on the 36 mile Buffalo River State Trail, an ATV trail that connects Mondovi to Fairchild in western Wisconsin. It was a challenging, but rideable trail that was in need of some love and signage. Expanding the Buffalo River State Trail to really invite and embrace cycling could be a great way to bring more tourism to the area and support growth of the trail and communities along it. It’s a beautiful part of the state, especially as the fall trees fade and turn to multiple, muted shades of brown and maroon against a bright blue sky.
It was bittersweet to finish today. It’s been such a wonderful journey exploring and celebrating all the beautiful places and amazing people all across WI. It was so nice to finish on a celebratory note with a finish line party at Lucette Brewing in Menomonie with Gathering Waters and Landmark Conservancy, as well as friends and family. But it doesn’t end here. I’ll keep riding my bike, appreciating the amazing landscapes and resources in this great state, and doing what I can to help support the people and places working to make it even better. I hope you do the same!
– Sarah
Today at a glance
Day 22 | La Crosse to Menomonie
Mileage: 113
Trails Covered
Explore Nearby
Dunn County, WI | Managed by: Landmark Conservancy
Originally intended to be a nuclear power plant site, the Meridian Barrens were protected and made public through Knowles-Nelson funding. Visitors can now hike, fish, and hunt on the land.
Eau Claire, WI | Managed by: City of Eau Claire
Eau Claire's Pheonix Park boasts a walking labyrinth, an outdoor amphitheater, the Eau Claire Farmers Market, and the Chippewa River State Trail trailhead. Knowles-Nelson funds allowed for Phoenix Park’s development and expansion.
Chippewa County, WI | Managed by: WI DNR
Tom Lawin Wildlife Area is a 2,282-acre public hunting and wildlife preserve. It's also a birding hotspot, with visitors frequently spotting waterfowl, shorebirds, American bitterns, harriers, and short-eared owls. Knowles-Nelson funded land purchases for the preserve’s expansion.
