Sugar River State Trail: Albany to Brodhead
The Sugar River State Trail from Albany to Brodhead offers a short, scenic ride for 7.7 miles through Green County’s agricultural countryside. It follows an abandoned railroad line through picturesque hardwood forests, farmland, prairies, and meadows. Much of the path is shaded due to a corridor of trees and bushes surrounding it. A highlight of the ride is crossing Norwegian Creek on the quaint Clarence Covered Bridge.
This trail segment gradually descends from Albany to Broadhead, dropping about 30 feet over 7 miles. The surface of the path is screened limestone with compacted earth. The trail runs a fairly straight course, but three fairly sharp turns merit caution and low speeds. Generally, this part of the trail sees little traffic.
The trailhead in Albany is on 4th Street. A large sign on Wisconsin State Highway 59, east of the village, indicates the trail intersection. To reach the trailhead, turn south from the state highway onto N. Cincinnati Street by a large convenience store. Drive south a half mile, then turn left (east) on 4th Street. The trailhead has a parking lot, flush toilets, drinking water, a picnic table, and an information kiosk.
Before Albany was settled by white Americans and European immigrants, the area was home to people of the Ho Chunk nation. They called the river “Tonasookarah” because of the sugar maples growing on its banks. In 1839, James Campbell and Thomas Stewart arrived in the area and called it “Campbell’s Ford.” In the mid-1800s, other settlers made Albany their home. Attracted by the river’s waterpower and potential farmland, families came from New York and New England, as well as Norway, Germany, Ireland, and Wales.
From the trailhead, the Sugar River State Trail heads south along the edge of Albany before venturing into farmland. For the first 0.3 miles from the trailhead to Bump Road, the Ice Age National Scenic Trail shares the path. Bicyclists should keep an eye out and yield to hikers in this short section. At Bump Road, the two trails diverge.
It is a half mile from Bump Road to Peckham Road, and another half mile to Atkinson Road. After crossing Atkinson Road, the trail parallels County Highway E before angling off to the south. The trail crosses the county highway after the road turns east. While not visible from the trail, Sweet Minihaha Campground sits off County Highway E. Campground activities center around the Sugar River with fishing, tubing, and canoeing. They offer tube, canoe, and kayak rentals and free shuttle service.
It is 0.7 mile from County Highway E, past Golf Course Road, to a sharp turn to the left (east). Over the ensuing mile, the trail makes a series of sharp corners as it skirts a subdivision near Brodhead. At least two bends have sharp angles, so reduced speed is advised. Posted private property signs remind trail-goers to stay on the path.
Less than 300 feet after the last turn, bikers arrive at the replica Clarence Covered Bridge over Norwegian Creek. The original bridge passed over the Sugar River southwest of Brodhead, on what is now Wisconsin State Highway 11. Opened in 1865, that bridge closed in 1931. Several decades later in 1984, the Brodhead Jaycees replicated this picturesque, smaller version of the bridge on the Sugar River State Trail.
From the covered bridge, it is 1.6 miles to the end of the Sugar River State Trail on Decatur Road in Brodhead. Within this distance, the path crosses Golf Course Road again and Race Road. It also travels a short distance once again along County Highway E. By the trail’s end, the route has covered 6.3 miles. A picnic table, trail sign, and information kiosk are found at this intersection, but there is no parking area.
Bicyclists have several trailhead options in Brodhead. American Legion Park is 0.3 miles to the south. It has a parking lot, playground, covered picnic shelter, and flush toilets. To reach the park from the trail terminus, turn left (east) on Decatur Road, and go two blocks. Turn right (south) on 2nd Avenue and travel 0.2 mile into the park. By car, the park is accessed by turning north on County Highway E from Wisconsin State Highway 11, and driving 0.2 mile. Turn right (east) on Green Street, and right again (south) on 2nd Avenue.
There are four other trailhead options. One option is a 0.3-mile ride west from the trail’s end on Decatur Road to Pearl Island Recreational Corridor. This park is an island between the Sugar River and a man-made canal. A parking lot is on the north side of the road. It has a picnic table, portable toilet, and benches. By car, the lot is reached by turning north on County Highway E from Wisconsin State Highway 11, and going 0.3 mile. Turn left (west) onto Decatur Road, and go 0.4 mile to the parking lot on the right (north) side of the road.
A north-south bike trail runs the entire length of Pearl Island Recreational Corridor. Its surface is crushed limestone and travels about 3 miles next to the canal. Named Sugar River Mill Race, this historic canal diverted water from the Sugar River to provide waterpower for the city’s mills, factories, and later an electrical power plant. The Decatur Dam, built upriver from Brodhead in the late 1840s and rebuilt in 1911, diverts water to the canal.
From the Pearl Island Recreational Corridor parking lot, trail-goers may travel north 1.6 miles past Headgates Park Dam to Decatur Dam. Or they may turn left (south) and take the trail 0.6 mile to Putnam Park, which also serves as a trailhead. After intersecting County Highway F (4th Street), a beautiful bridge crosses the canal and leads to the park.
Putnam Park sits next to Sugar River Mill Race. As another trailhead option, it has many amenities. It has restrooms, covered picnic shelter, a playground, a swimming pool, and athletic courts. Street parking is available on 3rd Avenue. By car, turn west on 5th Street from Wisconsin State Highway 11 and drive to 3rd Avenue.
The trail next to the canal continues south 0.4 mile to the end of Pearl Island Recreation Corridor, another trailhead option. A covered picnic shelter, park benches, and two interpretive signs are by a dam that routes the canal’s waters west to the Sugar River. A bridge takes trail-goers over the dam to a small parking lot on 11th Street. To reach this trailhead by car, turn west on Exchange Street from Wisconsin State Highway 11 (1st Center Avenue). Go two blocks to 3rd Avenue. Turn left (south) and then right (west) onto 11th Street. The driveway to the parking lot is on the right (north) side of the road after 250 feet.
The official DNR trailhead for the Sugar River State Trail is found a few blocks away in town, on the corner of Exchange Street and 3rd Avenue. A large sign marks its location. This trailhead has a parking lot, flush toilets, drinking water, and self-serve bicycle repair station. From the end of the Sugar River State Trail, it is about a mile to the DNR trailhead. It is 7.7 miles via the state trail, Decatur Road, and Pearl Island Recreation Corridor path from Albany to the DNR trailhead in Brodhead.
Brodhead was named for Edward Brodhead, chief engineer of the Milwaukee and Mississippi Railroad. This company was the predecessor of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, often known as the “Milwaukee Road.” The Sugar River Mill Race has been in existence in some form since the 1850s. The race furnished waterpower for a flour mill, foundry, wagon shops, and plow factory. Electricity began being produced here in the 1880s.
Brodhead is home to a variety of colorful murals, attractive vintage homes and a depot museum. The nearby Half-Way Tree was used by Native Americans to mark the halfway point between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River. Brodhead is noted as being one of the first communities in Wisconsin to provide electrical service to residents, through a hydroelectric generator on the Sugar River Mill Race.
There are several Brodhead businesses that cater to visitors. The city has a variety of dining options, including taverns, restaurants, and fast food. The Tastee Cream on Wisconsin State Highway 11 (1st Center Avenue) is a great stop for ice cream lovers. It is north of downtown and offers soft serve ice cream cones and sundaes.
Near Broadhead, local gems include Decatur Dairy and Ten Eyck Orchard. Located on County Highway F west of Brodhead, Decatur Dairy is a small company that has been making cheese since the 1940’s. Today they produce a variety of cheeses, including Havarti and Muenster. It’s a perfect place to stop for lunch and enjoy one of their specialty grilled cheese sandwiches. Ten Eyck Orchard is also west of Brodhead, on Wisconsin State Highway 11. The orchard has been in the family since 1839, and features over 50 varieties of apples. In autumn they offer apples, cider, and apple baked goods.
Trail last ridden and documented in August, 2025.
Map of trailheads and addresses along this section of the trail.
It’s a pleasant ride on the Sugar River State Trail from Albany to Brodhead. The route only runs 7.7 miles. Most of the adventure is at the southern end of the trail in Broadhead. After completing the Sugar River State Trail, additional local paths take bicyclists throughout the area and into the city. It’s worth visiting some of these scenic parks.