Tomorrow River State Trail
The Tomorrow River State Trail journeys east 30 miles from Plover to Manawa. It travels through picturesque rural countryside shaped by ancient glaciers. As it crosses Portage and Waupaca Counties, the path passes rolling fields, thick forests, and watery marshes. The route travels through the small towns of Arnott, Fancher, Amherst Junction, Scandinavia, and Ogdensburg. It also runs by Lake Emily and Cate County Parks. Trailheads are found at Plover, Custer Road, Amherst Junction, Cate Park, Scandinavia, and in Manawa at Lindsay Park. The trail has a separate path for horseback riders.
In Plover, the Tomorrow River State Trail connects to the Green Circle State Trail system. The surface is crushed limestone and in good condition. The trail runs on a fairly level gradient. Over the first 5 miles, it slowly rises, then descends over the remaining route. East of Amherst Junction, it travels on roads for 1.5 miles. West of Manawa the trail ends. Cyclists may follow roads for 1.5 miles to reach the trailhead at Lindsay Park.
The Tomorrow River State Trail traces an abandoned rail line. The Green Bay & Lake Pepin Railway was chartered in 1866, and built a line west to the Mississippi River in 1869. By 1873, it was operating from Green Bay to East Winona. The same year, the company became the Green Bay & Minnesota Railroad, commonly known as “The Green Bay Route.”
In 1881, the Green Bay, Winona, & Saint Paul Railroad bought the company. After years of financial struggles, it reorganized as the Green Bay & Western Railroad in 1896. The line was improved, and ran productively from the 1930s through the 1960s. Increasing competition and railroad mergers reduced the route’s traffic in the 1970s. In 1993, it merged into the Wisconsin Central Railroad. It soon closed the rail line that the trail now follows.
Today, the trail offers beautiful views of the rolling countryside. It journeys through a sandy outwash plan, crosses the low Arnott Moraine five miles east of Plover, and continues to Manawa past other glacial terrain. The Tomorrow River State Trail takes its name from the small river it crosses north of Amherst.
Cyclists who are 16 years of age and older must purchase a Wisconsin state trail pass to use this path. A day pass costs $5, and an annual pass is $25. They are purchased from the Wisconsin DNR, local bicycle shops, and at trailside self-registration stations. Trail-goers are reminded to yield to horseback riders on shared path sections, and obey all posted rules.
Route Descriptions