Recreation

Summer Activities

Circle S Trails
23936 Logan Rd., Hwy. 71 Wilton
608.435.6975
Fun and excitement for the entire family. Experienced and first time riders will enjoy this experience. Trail ride customized to your needs. Next to the Elroy-Sparta Bike Trail. Open 7 days a week, May 1st through Nov. 15th. Reservations recommended.

Canoeing

Fort McCoy
Between Sparta & Tomah on Hwy. 21
608.388.3517
Canoe and paddle boat rentals. www.mccoymwr.com.

Bike & Hike

Elroy-Sparta State Trail
www.elroy-sparta-trail.com
608.463.7109
32-mile rails to trails conversion. Graded limestone surface. Bring your flashlight to find your way through the tunnels. A daily or annual pass is required to bike the trail.

La Crosse River State Trail
www.lacrosseriverstatetrail.org
800.354.2453
22-mile trail paralleling the LaCrosse River. Prairie setting, farmlands, forests and wetlands along the way. Graded limestone surface.

Tomah Recreation Trail
www.tomahwisconsin.com
800.948.6624
New outdoor attraction featuring 12,000 feet of outdoor trail pleasure. Located between Lake Tomah and Veterans Park. Compacted gravel, concrete and asphalt surfaces. Intersects with 3,000 feet of nature walkway.

Mill Bluff State Park
www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/parks
608.427.6692
The park has two trails. A .4 mile self guided trail where hikers will learn about wildlife, trees, wildflowers and geology. Camel Bluff Trail is a 1.25 mile loop trailamong unique bluffs. Many wildlife viewing opportunities.

McMullen County Park
Warrens, WI
608.378.4913
A 3/4 mile hiking trail goes around the bluff and wetlands area. See turkeys, hawks, Canada geese, osprey and deer. 1,000 acre forest. 30 acre fishing lake. 71 campsites.

Golf Courses

Hiawatha Golf Club
10229 Ellsworth Rd., Tomah
608.372.5589
Beautiful, rolling par 72, with layout measuring 6520 from the blue; 6199 from the white; and 5320 yards from the red/gold trees. Full driving range and putting green, a full pro shop with lessons available, and a lounge with a short order grill.

Holiday Lodge Golf Resort
10555 Freedom Road, Tomah
608.372.9314
Six miles east of Tomah, off Hwy. 21 at Wyeville. The resort is known for its challenging 18-hole course, featuring an island green. 6,000 yards, par 71. Lodging and RV camping accommodations.

River Run Golf Course
1000 E. Montgomery St., Sparta
608.269.3022
River Run has the reputation of being one of the finest 18-hole golf courses in Wisconsin. This par 72 golf course is rated 3 stars by Golf Digest. We provide a driving range, carts, bar and grill.

Tomah VA “Veterans” Golf Course
500 E. Veterans St., Tomah
608.372-1243
Nine-hole, par 36 course located on the beautiful campus of the Tomah VA Medical Center. Gas carts available. Military, Senior Citizen and Junior discounts.

Winter Activities

Elroy-Sparta/LaCrosse River State Trails
800.354.2453/888.540.8434
Cross country skiing permitted on the trails.

Fort McCoy Whitetail Ridge Recreation Area
608.388.4498
Downhill skiing, snow tubing, snowboarding, and five miles of cross-country skiing. Rental equipment.

Snowmobiling

Monroe County boasts over 275 miles of state funded snowmobile trails, plus many club trails. Snowmobile on the Elroy-Sparta and the LaCrosse River State Trails. The trails open on December 1st, conditions permitting. For updated trail information check out the website at www.monroetrails.com

Year-Round Activities

Canoeing & Kayaking

Monroe County has some of Wisconsin's finest canoe rivers. The gentle streams that are ideal for newcomers but wild and scenic enough to please the most experienced canoeist. On most of the streams, you can rent canoes and kayaks and arrange shuttle service.

The Kickapoo, known as "the crookedest river in the world," from Ontario and Wildcat Mountain State Park in the north to the Wisconsin River at Wauzeka, is 120 miles of unmatched scenic waterway.

Many canoeists regard it as the best in Wisconsin.

Also popular with paddlers is the La Crosse River, which flows 60 miles from the County Trunk BB bridge northeast of Sparta off Highway 21 to the Mississippi River in La Crosse. The river depth is acceptable for canoeing and kayaking all summer long. Enjoy the wildlife and scenery on this beautiful river.

Necedah National Wildlife Refuge
Located four miles west of the Village of Necedah off of Hwy 21, the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge provides a range of unique opportunities for people to enjoy and learn about the natural world through hiking, wildlife watching, cross-country skiing, horseback and ATV riding, hunting, fishing, photography, berry picking, birding and various educational events. Three established trails wind through various habitat types on the refuge, several observation decks, and refuge roads are open for use from sunrise to sundown to allow visitors an opportunity to see wildlife. Beavers, porcupines, white-tailed deer, foxes or the occasional black bear and timber wolf are sometimes spotted.

Necedah National Wildlife Refuge is home to many rare species. It boasts one of the world’s largest populations of endangered Karner blue butterflies.

The Refuge Office includes exhibits, refuge brochures, and a giftshop. The office is located in the southern portion of the refuge along Grand Dike and Headquarters Road and is open 7:30am to 4:00pm Monday through Friday.

Necedah Whooping Crane & Wildlife Festival, September 18, 2010 Educational presentations, vendor booths, children’s activities, run/walk, Refuge bus tours. Food. www.whooping-crane-festival.com

Hunting Information

Monroe County offers public access lands for the hunting enthusiast and several great fishing rivers, creeks, and lakes.

For complete information on hunting regulations, season dates, season forecasts, hunting application deadlines, size, weight and number limits on fish and game, check the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) website at www.dnr.wi.gov or call 1-877-945-4236, or write to P. O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707-7921.

Monroe County offers a variety of hunting opportunities—from the big game white-tailed deer to the smaller game of turkey and waterfowl.

DNR License Locations

Don & Vi’s Fishing Hunting Sports Store 604 E. Wisconsin St. Sparta, WI 54656 608.269.2686 Fort McCoy Exchange 1538 S. J Street Fort McCoy, WI 54656 608.269.5604 Pine View Campground 2187 S. J Street Fort McCoy, WI 54656 608.388.3841 Jack’s Tackle Shop 923 Main Street Cashton, WI 54619 608.654.7775 Rosco’s Live Bait & Sport Shop 205 Arthur St. Tomah, WI 54660 608.372.4326

The Warrens Mall 201 Main St. Warrens, WI 54666 608.378.4499 Wal-Mart Super Center #965 222 W. McCoy Blvd. Tomah, WI 54660 608.372.7900 Wal-Mart Super Center #979 1600 W. Wisconsin St. Sparta, WI 54656 608.269.7501 Wilton Hardware Hank 411 Main St. Wilton, WI 54670 608.435.6616

Deer and Turkey Registration Stations

Hidden Inn 213 White St. Kendall, WI 608.463.7194 The Longbranch 7509 Carmel Ave. Cataract, WI 608.272.3591 Don & Vi’s Hunting & Fishing 604 E. Wisconsin St. Sparta, WI 608.269.2686 Fort McCoy 608.388.2289 Doc’s 21 Club Hwy. 21 Wyeville, WI 608.372.0743

Lone Star Bar & Grill 504 Main St. Wilton, WI 608.435.6552 Rosco’s Live Bait 205 Arthur St. Tomah, WI 608.372.4326 Rotten Brothers 20704 Cty. Hwy. N Camp Douglas, WI 608.427.3400 The Place/ Main St. Café 104 Main St. Norwalk, WI 608.823.7515