Mornin' to everyone living in Wisconsin - AKA a “climate haven” by some standards. This is the Wiscampsin Weekly - the email that gets you in the know on the Wisconsin outdoors in 5 minutes or less. New reader? Subscribe here.

*Dad has done a lot for us over the years, no? Scraped our windshields, told us to look out for deer, grilled brats at all the tailgates… Show him ya care with a Father’s Day gift from the Wiscampsin shop.

This week’s news ‘cycle’:

• Biking Wisconsin 🚴 

• Canadian wildfire air 🔥 

• Leave No Trace spotlight 🔎 

Biking in Wisconsin

Ah, smell that?

That’s a heavenly, aromatic mix of the open road, fresh air, and a healthy dose of cow manure.

Alas, you’re biking in Wisconsin’s great outdoors!

With options for every type of rider and desired adventure, Wisconsin’s bike trails truly provide somethin’ for everyone.

And the benefits can’t be overstated: Biking makes ya feel better, gets ya in shape, is an eco-friendly mode of transportation, a great way to enjoy time outdoors with others, should we keep going…?

Cycling Wisconsin

• Biking brings in an estimated $1.4 billion to our state’s economy

• Wisconsin has the 4th most Rail-Trails (converted railways) at over 1.9k miles for biking

• Plenty of trails, events, and races for mountain biking, gravel riding, road cycling, winter fat biking, touring, etc etc

Types of bike trips

What’s so epic about Wisconsin biking is the many different ways one can saddle up and get outdoors.

Day trips. Week-long cross-state trips. A ride down the road to Culver’s. Regardless of your biking abilities, guaranteed there’s a trail out there for you and your bike.

Diehards may load up their bikes with camping gear and food for a self-supported, many-miled “bike tour.”

Others travel with nothing more than a credit card and swipe their way to a destination.

And then you have supported biking events, filled with volunteers, snack & water stations, and likely a post-ride beer. Ah, no better way to soothe the rump.

Check out these cycling classics in WI:

June 15-25th - Tour of America’s Dairyland

August 19-20th - Ride Across Wisconsin

Sept 10th - Door County Century

Sept 16th - Chequamegon Mountain Bike Festival

WI Rail-Trails

Thanks to the efforts of the Rails To Trails Conservancy, there are now over 21,000 miles of Rail-Trails traveled by millions every year.

What are the Rail-Trails Converted out-of-commission railroads into public trails for hiking and biking across our nation.

Though there are over 100 Rail-Trails in the state, Wisconsin's most famed is the Sparta-Elroy, which served as a blueprint for thousands of other Rail-Trails.

They’re our fav way to avoid motorists and see some of the most beautiful, off-the-beaten-path places of our state.

How to get out 'der

Now that you’ve donned those ridiculous, but oh so comfy bike shorts, how do you plan out a ride?

A great place to start is with some epic maps from the Rails-To-Trails Conservancy, Wisconsin Bikeways Project (our fav), or AllTrails.

P.s. Some of you might be thinking “aw cripes, how do I know what’s good and not?”

Have no fear. With the Strava heat map, you can see where other ‘Sconnies are frequently riding. A great way to avoid those shoulder-less highways with FIBs zipping by.

Some of our fav routes:

• NW: Chippewa River State Trail - 38.5 miles

• SW: USBR 30 (Connects 7 Rail-Trails from La Crosse -> Milwaukee): ~270 miles*

• NE: Wolf River State Trail - 33.4 miles

• SE: Glacial Drumlin Trail: 52 miles

*With options like AirBnb, hotels/motels, or even camping, you can really get creative with where and when you stop on this route.

Just be sure to pack some snacks, check the weather, and charge up the phone in case of a breakdown.

Phew, that should get ya started! Hey, forward this to your neighbor and tell ‘em you wanna go for a ride soon (a great way to earn your beers!).

Now get out ‘der!

Wiscampsin Weekly Poll

Criminy cripes, a whopping 33% of you said hiking was your favorite outdoor activity (followed by camping & biking)! ***More hiking Wiscampsin Weekly’s to come.

Nuts and Seeds 🌰 

💨 Wildfires in Canada = crappy air in Wisco: Wildfires from our neighbors wayyyy up ‘nort is causing poor air quality down here in Wisconsin, but cleaner air is set to move in, per the WPR. If they could send some poutine instead, that’d be great…

🔦 Leave No Trace: Pack it in, pack it out. Leave nothin’ but footprints. These are the famed Leave No Trace principles. Now, Peninsula State Park is being spotlighted for rallying around the cause, as traffic to our natural spaces balloons. Check out the initiative here.

💰 National Parks pinchin’ pennies: …including the Apostle Islands. In just five years, the famed kayaking, “cripes-what-a-beaut” park has seen its deferred maintenance costs go from $9 million to $66 million. Holy smokes, don’t tell Dad…

🖼 WI State Bird Art Print

When it came to our childhood art projects, mom always said: Keep your day job.

And criminy was she right. That's why we brought aboard a local 'Scon, Kayley Hackett, to design our latest piece of Wiscampsin merch - the State Bird print!

Picture this hanging above your bed, your tool shelf, your toilet... anywhere really, it's that darn pretty.

For every purchase, 10% will be donated to The Wisconsin Society for Ornithology to promote the enjoyment, study, and conservation of Wisconsin’s birds.

• 3 Options starting at $9.95: 5"x7", 8"x10", and 11"x14"

• 100lb. Matte Cardstock

• Ships in a Rigid Envelope

• Made in the USA

• Printed in Janesville, WI

• Artist: Kayley Hackett

Meme of the Week 😂 

A review from the Trail... That makes us happier than Bottomless Perch on a Friday night