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Wisconsin Bicycle Routes
Former Wisconsin Bike Touring Maps

Over the years, a number of maps have been published showing suggested bicycle trails in Wisconsin. The following are out of print but still have a wealth of information on possible routes.

Wisconsin Coastal History Trails: Lake Michigan by James Purinton, Madison: Wisconsin Coastal Zone Management Development Program, 1976

Wisconsin Coastal History Trails: Lake Superior by James Purinton, Madison: Wisconsin Coastal Zone Management Development Program, 1976

Both volumes have separate maps with marked biked trails on back roads paralleling the lake shore. The also show some inland routes. The books themselves contain maps of cities with suggested bike routes. Emphasis is on historical sites. They each include a section giving cues for the routes.

Bicycle Escape Routes: A Touring Guide to Wisconsin by Doug Shidell and Philip Van Valkenberg. Madison: Wisconsin Tails and Trails, 1974.

Includes a booklet with general descriptions of bike routes and six maps of the southern two-thirds of Wisconsin. The maps show both long distance routes (“connectors”) and loops (“tour routes”). Booklet have small maps of some cities but there does not seem to be any attempt to relate those to the routes on the large maps. Except for the lake shore route, all routes stop at Milwaukee County.

Wisconsin Bicycle Map: Eastern. Wisconsin Department of Tourism, 1992.

Wisconsin Bicycle Map: Western. Wisconsin Department of Tourism, 1992.

Two maps, which together cover the entire state. Shows recommended routes, as well as routes not recommended. There is an attempt to show continuous routes, although cities are largely written off. No routes in Milwaukee County are shown, for example.

Eastern Wisconsin Bicycle Escape Guide. Wisconsin Department of Tourism, 1985.

Eastern Wisconsin Bicycle Escape Guide. Wisconsin Department of Tourism, 1985.

Earlier editions of the maps above. Essentially similar, with different colors.


Wisconsin Bikeway: Map and Guide. Wisconsin Division of Tourism, undated, probably mid-1970's.

Wisconsin North-South Bikeway: Map and Guide. Wisconsin Division of Tourism, undated, probably mid-1970's.

These two maps consist of sectional strip maps and cue sheets. The first route runs from La Crosse to the outskirts of Milwaukee, Racine, or Kenosha; the second from Bayfield to La Crosse. The first was the first designated cross-state bike route. Although other states have established bike routes (New York and Pennsylvania are notable examples), Wisconsin has apparently discontinued its bikeway. No explanation of this decision seems to be available, but it may be related to the road rating system developed for the Wisconsin State Bike Map, leading to the discovery that there was no way to cross the state without using roads marked as red.
 
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