Trans Wisconsin Adventure Trail a.k.a. TWAT

***2012 UPDATE! **** This is the current file
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Here is a link to download the newest version of the GPS file for the route. If you can't get it to work, email me at chad@lonewolfexpeditions.com and I will send it to you as soon as I can. HUGE thanks to Cannonshot for getting the routes added to my track. Thanks Bryan!

http://www.dualsportmaps.com/?link=100257
^^^Dual Sport Maps website link ^^^

Thanks to you and cannonshot again!

If I may ask. Why three different routes? And all three say 603 miles? I have NOT recalculated it or anything. (that I know of anyways) And they all look to be the same. Although I have not gone line by line to compare them.

Hoping to ride some more of this, this weekend. I need to play some more with my TKC's and the sand! lol

Ahh now I see it.

I do like running tracks but I think I will load both up.

Thanks!

I have never actually tried to run this as a route, I have always used the tracks. I may have to give it a shot soon! I'm riding the full route again soon and I have been scouting some new options so I imagine there will be a 2012 version too.

I might have to ride this again. I rode the original route and it might be time to check out the new changes. Thanks for sharing.

The route has lengthened out a bit now, used to be about 540 miles and now sits at 603 miles. A lot of that is due to the Iowa addition and the new stuff that I added between the Mississippi River and Soldiers Grove. There are also several fun roads near Black River Falls that I had to remove due to logging and a recently added fence.

So most of the changes are on the southern section of the route. I plan on running the route again in a few weeks so I will see if there are any other changes that need to be made.

Anybody ride this recently? What is it like now?

i'd also like to know if there are recent changes of any significance. Thanks

Gonna ride the new route end of July....

Any hotel/motel recommendations along the route?

Thanks
Mike

Hey Mike - A small group of us (6) are hitting the trail end of July also (July 31) but we are tent camping this trip with a possible one night reprieve in a cabin. I imagine the trail is pretty messy along the Mississippi, if not impassible, right now, with all the rain/flooding. Anyone know first hand?

We are headed out 21st-26th. I would love to camp the entire route, but my sidekick for this ride is more of a motel/hotel kinda guy.

I will keep an eye on the Mississippi and rain as we get closer, thanks for the heads up.

Ill let you know what we find when we get back.

Mike

****UPDATE****
With the exception of the ATV trails south of Clam Lake, everything is in great condition. The ATV trails had standing water a shade of green I have never seen before...we rerouted on Black Lake Rd.

Just a heads up, heavy logging operations from Black River Falls all the way up. It was the ONLY traffic we saw the entire trip on the trails! Not 1 ATV or motorcycle on the trail!!

The Delta Diner...worth the entire trip! Todd and crew are top notch and this should not be missed. The Diner will be featured in the next 6-12 weeks on Drive In's, Diner's and Dives...

There are plenty of ride reports so I wont do another, but here is some info that may of be of some use...
Dubuque to Lansing 120 miles (gas)
Lansing to Sparta 125 miles (gas/motels)
Sparta to Thorpe 120 miles (gas)
Thorpe to Clam Lake 137 miles (gas/motels-Clam Lake motel and Elkhorn Lodge)
Clam Lake to End 110 miles (Delta Diner was about 50miles from Clam Lake if I remember correctly?!?) It was a great morning ride and perfect timing for breakfast.

Temps ranged from 50 to 90...

AT&T cell service was very limited along the entire route.

We were riding:
'02 Suzuki DR650 (Blue Mule), 5.3 gallon tank, Tires front-Pirelli Scorpion Rally/
rear-Michelin T63
'08 Honda XR650L, 5.8 gallon tank, Tires-Michelin T63 front/rear

1300 miles round trip and there are still knobbies left on the rears. The fronts have another 1300+ miles left in them. The Scorpion Rally is my new favorite front DOT knobbie

Have fun

Mike

I made a track that goes almost the entire length of the Wisconsin-Illinois border on the different iterations of Stateline Road. You can enjoy this on its own or you can drop in anywhere along it to extend you TWAT experience because it does end just where the TWAT begins.
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?p=24965869#post24965869

Headed out this afternoon from Hazel Green. Going the entire trail then on to the UP. Any trail reports?

We ran the southern end of it (as far north as Yuba) last weekend. No road construction or anything weird on this end.

Left Hazel Green around 2:00pm on July 23.......9 days of riding....lots of screwing around along the way (side trips, visiting friends, etc). Great trip. Made Cornucopia on the 27th of July. Took a pic and headed for the Keweenaw Peninsula (Copper Harbor MI). Took the long way home although mostly slab back to Elkhorn WI and landed on August 2nd. 1900 plus miles. Great trip!!!

we rode through Yellow River State park this weekend. Roads through the park were great.
After that we rode Donahue road back to X52. Donahue road east of the horse camping area has just had gravel added in many sections. However, the gravel seems to be larger pieces than normal gravel on other roads.

This larger gravel along with the underlying ruts made it a tense ride for us 2 up on the Vstrom.

Probably not an issue with a smaller, lighter bike.

Dale

Just rode the southern portion, up to Gays Mills this weekend.

I will agree with Daleah that there were some hairy spots due to fresh marbley gravel. Other than than there were no issues. I was riding a Ulysses with Scorpion Trail tires.

Friday we had lunch in Dickeyville at Katina's Kitchen. Really good food, but they close at 1:30, so don't show up too late.

In the portion outside of De Soto we came upon a Road Closed sign. We rode up to check it out, and there had been a wash out or a slide. The damage had been filled in and the road was passable.

We gave up due to the threat of weather early Sunday morning.

We camped at Scenic View Campground (the same one for the Great River Gravel Run). It was nice, all the RVs had power hook up, so no generators running all night.

So stupid question, but where do I gt the GPX file for this? The link at the top of page and the link on Lone Wolf's page does not seem to work. Another strange thing is that my buddy has a GPX version of the TWAT that does not seem to match the picture on Lone Wolf's page. His route does not cross the Mississippi in the first part of the trip, it stays plenty East of it up to Soldiers Grove.