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You are invited to participate in our newest Shuttleguy Tours adventure, the Wisconsin Parks Ride, or as we have come to know it, WISPRIDE. We offer you six days of biking in some of the most scenic areas of Wisconsin. We have also worked closely with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of Parks, to secure camping accommodations in five of the “gems” in the crown of our award winning state parks system.
This un-glaciated part of the state includes many rolling hills. Millions of years ago glaciers “swept down” through what is now Wisconsin, leveling the hills and filling in the valleys, creating the flat plains of central Wisconsin. However, the glaciers stopped near Devils Lake State Park and left this tour’s part of the state in its original state of topography.
Our tour will feature this topography and visit five state parks that have capitalized on the natural landscape. At Devils Lake you will be able to ride near the terminal moraine, observing where the glaciers stopped and then began to recede.
This will be a challenging ride but worth every pedal rotation! Be part of this inaugural ride!
We offer you:
Beautiful vistas and scenery of the southwest five counties of the state
Superb camping accommodation in five of Wisconsin’s state parks
Great small town hospitality
Warm Spring Temperatures
A Challenging Route
Friendly and Knowledgeable Staff
Registration Day (Saturday, June 5)
We will start and end our six day loop tour at Wyalusing State Park, located on the banks of the mighty Mississippi. The park is located high on a bluff above the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers. You’ll want to arrive early to take in some of the parks great hiking opportunities. As you look west from the bluffs towards Iowa, see great vistas up and down the river, as well as soaring eagles, riverboat traffic and recreation boaters. In nearby Prairie du Chien, tour the Villa Louis and experience Victorian life during the 19th century as you visit the estate of one of Wisconsin's most prosperous families.
Have a great day but be back in time for our pre-ride meeting. It’s a chance to ask any final questions and meet your fellow riders. You may want to turn in early in order to be ready for the first big day of riding!
Day One (Sunday, June 6)
This will be our longest day of riding with our final home for the night being Yellowstone Park. Wait a minute, did I make a wrong turn!?!. No, that’s Yellowstone State Park located in Blanchardville, WI not Yellowstone National Park in WY. We’ll have our first encounter with the rolling hills of this un-glaciated part of the state. As you ride along, note the rock bluffs, beautiful wooded valleys, and meandering creeks and streams the local folks have come to love. As we pass through the small bergs of Bagley and Bloomington you will begin seeing dairy farms that have helped make Wisconsin the “cheese state”. Stop in downtown Lancaster for a mid morning break. As you look around you’ll note the beautiful array of homes and buildings with architectural styles including Contemporary, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Queen Anne. Located downtown is the Grant County Courthouse, built in 1905. The majestic brownstone building with its octagonal glass and copper dome is visible from miles around. Inside the courthouse dome are four breathtaking murals painted by Franz Edward Rohrbeck. Then it’s on through Platteville, home of the UW-Platteville Pioneers and rich in mining history. From there, go through Belmont, home of First Capitol State Historical Site. Then it’s on to Yellowstone Lake State Park, our home for the evening.
Day Two (Monday, June 7)
Today we’ll head northeast towards Devil’s Lake. You’ll want to stop at the charming Grandview near Hollandale. Grandview is a unique sculpture garden, house and museum, featuring the works of immigrant artist/dairy farmer Nick Engelbert (1881-1962). Truly unique, this is a stop you will want to make. From Hollandale, it is on to Barneveld and Botham Vineyards and Winery for a tour. Feel free to get some souvenirs; we will transport them for you. Head north from Barneveld to Mazomanie, home of the Mazo Deli and The Old Feed Mill, both great places for food. From Mazo we will follow the Wisconsin River to Sauk City and Prairie du Sac, home of Wollersheim Winery and another opportunity for souvenirs. The award winning winery is open daily from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., with tours held every hour. Five local wines are produce and carry the prestigious appellation, "Lake Wisconsin Viticultural Area".
From the winery its on to the free Merrimac Ferry. The auto ferry carries bicyclist too and crosses the Wisconsin River every 15 minutes. Once across the river, we’ll bike into Devils Lake State Park. With over 1.4 million visitors a year, Devils Lake is Wisconsin’s most visited park. You will quickly see why as you notice the stunning cliffs and vistas develop millions of years ago by the debris pushed ahead and deposited by glaciers. As you enter the park from the south, look for towering views of the terminal moraine. The park is located on the Ice Age Trail, a National Park Service recognized trail, following the terminal moraine diagonally across the state.
Day Three (Tuesday, June 8)
Today will be a relatively short, but challenging, ride full of great surprises. We climb out of Devil’s Lake park and head though downtown Baraboo, home of the Circus World Museum, a popular tourist stop. If you are interested, stop to see the daily “Big Top’ show, complete with performers and animal acts. We leave Baraboo passing through the historic downtown area on our way to historic Reedsburg. Reedsburg boasts a Pioneer Log Village with a collection of cabins from the mid to late 1800s, a historic downtown with murals by local artists, a collection or Norman Rockwell art and the Popple Nature Area. We leave Reedsburg for the final ride to Mirror Lake State Park, our home for the next two nights. Get plenty of rest tonight because tomorrow will be action packed.
Day Four (Wednesday, June 9)
Today is our layover day. Take a loop ride along the Wisconsin River or spend the day off the bike. It is a great time to just relax around camp, take a swim in Mirror Lake or hike the trail system. For those wanting more activity you will have a hard time deciding among the many options. Of course there is Wisconsin Dells with scenic boat trips, waterslide parks and the famous “strip”. For those interested in spending their money other ways, just south of us is the Ho Chunk casino! Those looking for educational activities may want to visit the world renowned International Crane Foundation, featuring live displays of all fifteen species of cranes from around the world. You may also want to visit the Aldo Leopold Foundation Center celebrating the life of the well known conservationist. See great examples of LEED conservation minded construction techniques. And . . . for those who don’t mind backtracking a little, explore the bluffs of Devils Lake State Park, do some boulder scrambling or take a swim in the pristine lake. Make sure to leave time tonight for relaxing and discussing your day’s activities around the campfire.
Day Five (Thursday, June 10)
Today we’ll head south from Mirror Lake passing through North Freedom, home of the Mid Continent Railroad Museum. Tour the museum and wait for the conductor’s call of “All Aboard”, for a seven mile, 50 minute train ride through the scenic Baraboo Hills aboard a 1915 restored steel coach train. From North Freedom we continue south past Natural Bridge State Park where we can see the natural sandstone arch which has been formed over millions of years. From there head south towards Spring Green, home of the world famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. Tour the picturesque village of Spring Green with its many quaint shops and have lunch at the locally famous General Store featuring superb sandwiches and soups. As we cross the Wisconsin River immediately on your right you will see the beautiful Wright mansion named, Taliesin. Taliesin means “shining brow” in Welsh and aptly describes the home sitting atop a hill. It is a fine example of Wright’s prairie style architecture. For those interested, there are four types of tours offered and lunch is available in the Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center located in the Riverview Terrace. We’ll have a few challenging hills left as we climb out of the Wisconsin River valley. We head south towards our overnight stay at Governor Dodge State Park. Stop near the top of your climb at the Pleasant Ridge General store for a cold beverage and a great bar burger. Make sure to catch a ride on the hay wagon ride transporting you from camp to our dinner site located on one of the two beautiful lakes within the park.
Day Six (Friday, June 11)
As we head south out of the park we’ll ride through Dodgeville, home of the world famous retailer Lands’ End. We’ll ride by the huge order and shipping complex and for those interested a tour has been arranged. Follow your order from the order desk, through the warehouse, monogramming, packaging and out the door on the UPS truck. All at a company that revolutionized the mail order business. (Sorry, no free samples!). As we peddle through downtown Dodgeville stop and walk the restored “Main Street USA”. Note the beautiful and historic Iowa County courthouse made of local limestone. From Dodgeville, we head south to Mineral Point. Mineral Point is a “must see”! Reminiscent of a rural English village, and nestled in the beautiful rolling hills of southwest Wisconsin, Mineral Point offers century old stone cottages and downtown buildings now home to renowned artists’ studios, galleries and specialty shops. Be sure to stop by Pendarvis, a cluster of restored stone houses located on Shake Rag Street and find out the origin of the streets name! And don’t forget award-winning Hook’s Cheese which has recently been in the news for their 15 year cheddar which sold out in a matter of days at $50 a pound. From Mineral Point, it’s a right turn as we head back to Wyalusing State Park. Take in the small town flavor as we pedal through Rewey and Union. As you ride the finals miles from Union to Wyalusing you’ll think back over the week and wonder how it went by so fast! The memories and new friends you made will be with you forever as you approach the final surprise of the ride! At Wyalusing, it’s time to shake hands, say goodbye and a have a safe journey home. See you next year! |
