Badger — Purcell Road paved return: short bicycle return

Badger — Purcell Road paved return: short bicycle return — detailed guide

Source review: 2026-10-21. A dated source review does not guarantee current-day conditions.

Fitchburg area, Wisconsin · Up to 2 miles return · Asphalt on the northern six-mile reach

Start: Badger — Purcell Road paved return, Public small trailhead lot at Purcell Road, about 2.5 miles northeast of Paoli, WI. Fresh DNR explicitly names the small public lot at Purcell Road, the southern end of the paved section. Walk any parking/drive interface and join the northbound pavement; Dawley Park requires a separate quarter-mile Capital City connection and is not this start. Use designated ordinary visitor spaces, respect reserved spaces and walk through the lot to the signed main path. The address identifies a public facility, not a surveyed stall.

Ride: Follow the signed main path north on the asphalt Badger main toward Madison. Turn after 1 outward mile or before the first public-road crossing, work barrier, uncertain continuation or uncomfortable transition, whichever comes first; retrace. Walk any initial lot or access-drive interface. Do not use a road or private-property detour.

Distance: Chosen 2-mile maximum return, not the full regional corridor or a surveyed parking-to-parking distance. Earlier interfaces shorten the outing; parking walking is extra.

Permission and effort: Source-backed ordinary bicycle use on the designated improved main path; walking-only spurs and adjacent private property are excluded. Fresh DNR specifically describes this named bicycle trail as level or fairly level. Qualitative effort guidance, not a measured maximum slope or survey of every lot ramp. Walk or turn before uncomfortable transitions.

Planning: DNR lists year-round use; choose daylight and obey current lot gates, closures and seasonal conditions. Cyclists age 16 and older need a personal Wisconsin state trail pass, retained current price $5 daily or $25 annual. Posted parking and vehicle terms are separate. Ordinary pedal bicycles on designated improved main. Yield, announce passes and leash pets eight feet or less. Do not use adjacent natural branches, roads or snowmobile bypasses. Winter trail permissions do not guarantee comfortable bicycle conditions.

Access reviewed October 20, 2026 Central (October 21 UTC): Stewart Tunnel remains closed for construction throughout the 2026 forecast; no tunnel or Tunnel Road detour is included. This northbound paved return also excludes the southern limestone reach north of Basco/bridge34 where retained owner notices report slippery ruts from farm runoff. Any local barrier or poor tread shortens the ride. Six paved and 34 limestone miles are the whole 40-mile corridor, not additive selected outings. Retained statewide notices were screened; absence of another matched notice is not a local field inspection. Current signs, work zones and actual tread govern. This is a dated source review, not a field inspection or current-day all-clear. Postpone for snow, ice, high water, soft tread or barriers rather than improvising a bypass.

Bring water and choose suitable weather. Parking walking is extra. No surveyed parking-space pin or navigable GPX is supplied.

Sources: Fresh DNR improved main / public parking / operating terms · Fresh DNR specific bicycle permission / effort / surface