Best Mountain Biking in Wisconsin

Trying to find the best mountain biking in Wisconsin? Bivy has great hiking, biking, paddling, climbing, skiing, riding and more, with hand-curated trail maps, as well as detailed driving directions.

1

Wisconsin, Clark County

02 :07 hrs
8 mi
56.25238 ft
Hard

This trail is just north of the Black River State Forest and is among the most exciting and rewarding in all the state. This cluster is often overlooked and offers climbing of a sort not normally found outside of mountainous regions. You will find stunning, unobstructed views, incredible singletrack, and beautiful medium-paced cross-country trails. Two towering mounds dominate the diverse terrain. Levis Mound to the south is covered with ribbons of narrow trails cutting back and forth on their way to the peak. Trow Mound to the north just out of the forest and has two trails leading to the top. Atop these mounds, views stretch out for miles over the surrounding forest. The trail is not very technical but the repeated climbing and descending is intense.

2

Wisconsin, Polar County

01 :08 hrs
4.3 mi
17.015533 ft
Hard

There is a lot of variety here for such a small trail system. Looping east from the parking lot, you’ll pass through an extraordinarily tall sumac grove, through a stand of Norway pine, and you’ll see a ginseng farm to the left through the trees. The trail swings down onto a beautiful old logging road cut into the side of a wooded hill before heading up the valley side and down to the shelter and bridge. You will cross a very soft, boggy section and then be faced with a very steep climb. On top, some wonderful terrain rolls through a dense hardwood forest, before a steep descent to ride along the bottom edge of the slope back to the river crossing.

3

Wisconsin, Vernon County

06 :57 hrs
14 mi
91.37166 ft
Hard

At Kickapoo Valley Reserve, a vast mountain-biking playground awaits in one of the most beautiful, unspoiled parts of the state. The trails are quiet and scenic with breathtaking scenery that includes a ridge and valley through mostly a deep hardwood forest with periodic open fields. Many opportunities for viewing wildlife are also present here. The terrain is hilly with a mix of long, moderate grades and short, steep grades and short sections along the flatter river bottom roads. The trail surface is rough with some soft, muddy low spots and some sections with severe erosion, creating trail hazards.

4

Wisconsin, Washburn County

01 :51 hrs
6.9 mi
37.238556 ft
Hard

Nordic Woods offers a solid shot of woods and lake scenery that is as beautiful as you will find anywhere else. The terrain is easy enough for any rider to take on, and shortcut trails are options that should keep even beginners from getting overextended. The terrain is gently rolling with a few soft, boggy spots that add the only bit of difficulty. The scenery is a beautiful deep forest of maple, birch, and pine, with trailside views of tiny lakes and bogs that is charming enough to entice any rider.

5

Wisconsin, Bayfield County

03 :32 hrs
13.3 mi
81.70267 ft
Hard

The Short & Fat Trails are a short version of the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival that includes a 40-mile race track. About a thousand riders compete annually in the Short & Fat and its course has varied over the history of the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival, but the current course has been so popular that the CAMBA has signed it for recreational use. The route has many challenging steep uphills and downhills but the track has very little technical difficulty other than handling your bike on these roller-coaster hills. The scenery is well worth the trip as you will ride through a beautiful hardwood and pine forest.

6

Iowa, Decorah

09 :06 hrs
33.9 mi
125.360535 ft
Moderate

A ride that will take on you on roads shared with cars and on the Prairie Farmer Trail. The surface is made of paved roads and crushed limestone. The climb is steep and long. The scenery changes from farm fields, city neighborhoods and business district. There are restroom facilities and drinking water at the trailhead.

7

Wisconsin, Florence County

01 :33 hrs
5.7 mi
11.694977 ft
Hard

Lauterman Lake and Perch Lake are very isolated lakes and these trails offer absolutely beautiful and serene wilderness riding. Narrow, technical singletrack over rocks and roots take you around Perch Lake then an out-and-back singletrack connector takes you to the loop around Lauterman Lake with some steep climbs. The Perch Lake Trail is quite challenging, despite it being pretty flat. It is very grown-in, with lots of brush making for a very narrow passage and the surface is a maze of rocks and roots. On the Lauterman loop, the scenery is breathtaking, with several boardwalk crossings in low spots and views of Lauterman Lake as you ride the high ground. Several miles to the south of these trails is the equally appealing Lost Lake trail.

8

Wisconsin, Calumet County

00 :35 hrs
2.3 mi
53.109818 ft
Hard

At Calumet County Park, the park personnel are very enthusiastic about mountain bike use, and the trails are used for an extremely popular Wisconsin Off-Road Series race called the Calumet County Sun Run. There isn’t a lot of mileage here but all trails are open for riding and many combinations are possible. There are several long, steep climbs throughout but technical skills required only include these climbs and some tight turns but the trails are smooth. A favorite spot is the steep trail to the top of the Niagara escarpment where you will ride through a beautiful stand of maples and past fractured blocks of limestone. On top, heading south, the trail takes you past several panther effigy mounds before turning toward the lake, down twisty switchbacks.

9

Wisconsin, Iowa County

00 :45 hrs
2.9 mi
57.659973 ft
Hard

The trails at Governor Dodge State Park are consistently cleared of debris and overgrowth throughout the year by rangers and volunteers. There are two main loops open to bikers, both offering incredibly scenic views and challenging terrain. This trail follows a one-way counterclockwise trail up into the sandstone bluffs surrounding Cox Hollow Lake. The first half is a black-top path with a fairly steep incline. At the top of the bluff the singletrack begins and the path rolls along the top of the bluff, darting into the forest and reemerging into sunlit meadows. Small climbs are scattered throughout followed by quick descents.

10

Wisconsin, Bayfield County

02 :22 hrs
8.9 mi
62.7782 ft
Expert

The Chequamegon Area Mountain Bike Association has created several singletrack trails because of high demand from avid mountain bikers in the area. The terrain around Telemark is aerobically challenging with several climbs that are long and steep and many short steep climbs. The technical difficulty includes these challenging steep grades on a loose surface with tight corners and narrow passages as well as. You will ride through a forest of pine, birch, and maple over paved roads, dirt roads, uneven doubletrack, and narrow, twisty singletrack. The scenery is great and the trail contains exciting challenges and surprises that are bound to test riders of any ability.

See more adventures..

Explore complete list