The Wisconsin River Trail is a project that will create a 20+ mile, non-motorized hiking/biking trail through the Driftless areas of rural Boscobel, Woodman, and Wauzeka, following both sides of the Wisconsin River. It will create an avenue for users along WIS 133 to access work, school, or recreational opportunities increasing tourism and bolstering the economy for the City of Boscobel and surrounding communities.
Phase 1 of the Wisconsin River Trail was constructed in 2016 by the City of Boscobel, DNR (Knowles-Nelson grant), WisDOT and the Wisconsin River Trail Organization (WRTO). It connects Boscobel’s community trails to the Von Haden Boat Landing along USH-61. Three more phases of the Trail remain: the second is a 7-mile trail from Boscobel to Woodman, following WIS 133 and local roadways. Phase 3 connects the Von Haden Recreational Area to Wauzeka on a five-foot-wide paved shoulder and is anticipated to be completed by WisDOT by 2025 as part of a scheduled roadway project. Finally, Phase 4 will cross the Wisconsin River from Wauzeka-Woodman with an ADA-accessible pedestrian/ATV/UTV/ snowmobile bridge.
In early October 2023, WisDOT released the list of TAP grant awardees following the spring 2023 application cycle. The Bike Fed is thrilled to announce that the Wisconsin River Trail project was awarded $2,069,460 towards the completion of Phase 2. Going forward, Bike Fed staff will continue working with project stakeholders and community members on next steps for future phases of the trail.