Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Trail.
The 32-plus miles, virtually surrounded by wildlife refuge lands, roughly parallel
WIS 71 and dance with the headwaters of the Kickapoo River, along with the Baraboo
River and numerous trout-laden creeks.
There are three otherworldly railroad tunnels, hand-carved into massive limestone rises
for the railroad. Two tunnels are a mere quarter-mile, but the other—the terrifying Norwalk
Tunnel—is afull three-quarters ofamile ofdrippy,spelunkers'-delight darkness. There are
no lights, so bring a flashlight—and a jacket. It's an ineffable experience—the light at the
endofthetunneldisappearsandallyoucanhearinTunnel3istheoverheadnaturalsprings
cascading through the faults worn in the cement through the passage of time. The tunnels
took two to three laborious years each to bore out in the 19th century, and at present it can
feelasifittakesthatlongtogetthroughthem.Tunnel3stillhastheold“keeper'sshack”in
which a solitary—I daresay lonely—watchman kept vigil on the thunderous doors, clapped
shut between trains during winter to protect the tunnels from heaving and cracking from
winter cold.
Yetthisauthor'sfavepartisonemilefromSparta,wherethepathcrossesoverI-90;take
a break and wave at the truckers to honk.
Trail Passes and Services
Trail passes, available in Kendall, are required; hiking is and always will be free. Rentals
and repairs are available at all communities along the route. Of note is Kendall, offering an
electric vehicle for people with disabilities and a drop service for a nominal fee.
One-Horse Towns
The historic railroad depot in
Kendall
is now the headquarters for the state trail; it serves
asarepositoryfortrailinformation, aswellasbeingasmallmuseum.Campingisavailable
at the village park, and Kendall, the most “cosmopolitan” along the route, also has a B&B,
a motel, and a restaurant, not to mention a great horse- and pony-pull festival on Memorial
Day weekend.
Wilton
serves a copious, farmhand-size pancake breakfast every Sunday morning Me-
morial Day-Labor Day; the village park also offers a public campground. (Another camp-
ground is directly on the trail—the Tunnel Campground.) Wilton offers bike rentals and
has, a mile south, a habitat for rare wood turtles.
Inadditiontotheepictunnel,
Norwalk
alsoofferseasyaccesstoTunnel2(forthosejust
lookingforphotos).Northoftown,aflood-controldamhascreatedanadditionalrecreation
area. Right on the trail you'll find the Norwalk Cheese Factory.
