Pecatonica State Trail

Nestled in Bonner Branch valley in LaFayette County, the Pecatonica State Trail offers spectacular views of the Driftless Area. This unglaciated landscape contains both rolling hills and picturesque valleys. Rocky outcroppings pierce the sides of bluffs. Oak and hickory savannahs grow on the ridges. Hillsides and valleys serve as pastures for grazing cattle. The landscape offers a peaceful and serene setting for biking.

Mountain bicycles are recommended when undertaking the Pecatonica State Trail. The path’s surface is paved in Belmont, but outside town it is crushed limestone and gravel. The trail is not always bicycle-friendly. It is rough and rugged in many places. While some parts are smooth, larger-sized gravel in other sections makes for a bumpy and challenging ride. 

Biking in spring and autumn offers a great view of the ridges and hills through leafless trees, but the trail gets muddy after rain. Bicyclists must share the trail with ATVs, horseback riders, and hikers. ATV traffic is busier on weekends, but most vehicles slow down and make way when passing bicyclists. For maximum visibility, wearing brightly colored and reflective clothing will help cyclists be recognized by ATVers.

The Pecatonica State Trail follows a line of the former Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad. This railway was also named “The Milwaukee Road.” It hauled lead from area mines through Bonner Branch valley.

Traveling east from Platteville, the Mounds View State Trail converges with the Pecatonica State Trail in Belmont at Spring Street. The trail winds through the village, past Bond Park, and journeys east out of town along Bonner Branch. The 10-mile trail connects to the Cheese Country Recreational Trail at the community of Calamine.

Bond Park in Belmont works well as a trailhead. It contains a parking lot, picnic tables, restrooms, playground, an athletic field, and an exercise course. The Pecatonica State Trail skirts the western border of the park.

When traveling by car on U.S. Highway 151, take exit 26 south onto County Highway G (1st Capitol Avenue). Continue driving south into Belmont. Turn left on Liberty Avenue, and drive east 0.3 mile. Turn right on Park Street, and go south another 0.3 mile to the parking lot on the right (west) side of the road. It is one mile from the highway to the parking lot.

There are several convenience stores and taverns in Belmont. Additionally, north of Belmont on County Road G are several sites worth visiting. Belmont Mounds State Park is located on County Highway G. It offers restrooms, picnic facilities, walking trails, and a 64-foot observation tower perched atop the 400-foot mound.

Near the state park on County Highway G is the First Capitol Historic Site. The Wisconsin Historical Society manages this site, which contains two buildings used by legislators when they met in the newly formed Wisconsin Territory in 1836.

Back on the Pecatonica State Trail, the path leaves Belmont after passing a large dairy factory and crossing County Highway G. The trail runs adjacent to meandering Bonner Branch in a low valley. Atop the slow-rising hills are rolling farm fields. After crossing the creek twice and heading around a bend, the valley narrows and steepens.

County Highway G crosses the trail again after 2.3 miles. At that location, Bonner Branch crosses the road and trail, and then runs adjacent to the trail on its northern side. The creek flows rapidly, as the elevation drops 175 feet from Belmont to Calamine. 

For the next 6.7 miles, the bubbling Bonner Branch snakes through the beautiful valley and crosses the trail numerous times. In all, the trail crosses 24 bridges. At certain places, the valley and its sloping hills are forested; in other places they contain cattle pastures. Atop the hills, farms and fields fill the countryside.

Before crossing County Highway O, a prominent building appears on the ridge to the north. The looming lodge belongs to the Tanglewood Ranch and Hunt Club. The resort and hunting preserve caters to hunters and lovers of the outdoors, and offers a wide variety of recreational experiences and amenities.

A small picnic area is found along the south side of the trail one half mile from the trail’s terminus. Here a single picnic table sits in the grassy bottom lands of the valley. It is worth the time to stop and view the rocky cliffs cut into the side of hill by Bonner Branch.

At the trail’s next intersection with County Highway G, Bonner Branch valley opens up into an even broader river valley.  Here the creek flows into the meandering Pecatonica River. The trail crosses the Pecatonica River and continues east through its floodplain toward Calamine. This little town is perched on the eastern slopes of the Pecatonica River valley, and is visible from the trail. Settled in 1838, it was once a thriving mining town.

The Pecatonica State Trail ends just south of Calamine, where it meets the Cheese Country Recreational Trail. This 47-mile multi-use trail travels between Monroe and Mineral Point. It’s just 350 yards north on this trail to a parking area on County Highway G in Calamine. No other facilities are located at this parking lot or in Calamine. By car, it is 2.8 miles east on County Highway G from Calamine to Wisconsin State Highway 23.

A user pass must be purchased to use the Pecatonica State Trail. The pass is $5 for daily use, or $25 annually. It is required for bicyclists and horseback riders aged 16 and older. Cyclists should follow all trail rules, and exercise caution when encountering ATVs and horseback riders. Also, bicyclists should yield to horseback riders.

Trail last ridden and documented in November, 2020.