New Bike Trail Spur Paved Along Highway 19

Is that new pavement I see? Let's ride!

Crews have finished laying the pavement for the new bike trail spur that connects the main Madison–Johnson's Point trail with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Office on Highway 19. Paving included a nice little parking spot at the USFW headquarters entrance... because heaven knows nothing will fly in Madison without lots and lots of parking. (You can see all the parking I needed up by the wetlands kiosk.)

Yay for trees! This shady copse greets riders at the south trailhead.

Ah, fresh asphalt. Zoom!

Yeah, soft shoulder. Not to worry—I'm sure the sity will send out our man Ted LaFleur and the rake crew with some grass and wildflower seed, and we'll be pedaling past prairie pasque presently.


Up the hill toward the Highway 19–34 intersection—Most of this spur, like the main trail, is out in the open. Perhaps the Lake Madison Sanitary District will do riders a favor and plant some trees alongside the west edge of their containment ponds. After all, do visitors really need a clear view of our admittedly glorious sewage treatment facilities?

View south from the trail intersection—The ride from USFW HQ to the 19–34 intersection is just 0.7 miles, but it's a nice addition to the 4.2 miles that parallels 34 from town out to Lake Madison. Next priorities: extending this spur all the way down to the public access area and the mondo-cool mountain bike park we could build on the old gravel pit, then giving riders an actual loop! Riders love loops!