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Trail Conditions
- Unknown
- Snow Groomed
- Snow Packed
- Snow Covered
- Snow Cover Partial
- Freeze/thaw Cycle
- Icy
- Prevalent Mud
- Wet
- Variable
- Ideal
- Dry
- Very Dry
Trail Flow (Ridden Direction)
Trailforks scans users activity logs to determine the most popular direction each trail is ridden. A good flowing trail network will have most trails flowing in a single direction according to their intension.
The colour categories are based on what percentage of users are riding a trail in its intended direction.
The colour categories are based on what percentage of users are riding a trail in its intended direction.
- > 96%
- > 90%
- > 80%
- > 70%
- > 50%
- < 50%
- bi-directional trail
- no data
Trail Last Used
Trailforks scans activity logs to determine the last time a trail was ridden.
- < 2 days
- < 1 week
- < 2 weeks
- < 1 month
- < 6 months
- > 6 months
Trail Ridden Direction
The intended direction a trail should be ridden.
- Downhill Only
- Downhill Primary
- Both Directions
- Uphill Primary
- Uphill Only
- One Direction
Contribute Details
Colors indicate trail is missing specified detail.
- Description
- Photos
- Description & Photos
- Videos
Trail Popularity ?
Trailforks scans activity logs to determine which trails are ridden the most in the last 9 months.
Trails are compared with nearby trails in the same city region with a possible 25 colour shades.
Think of this as a heatmap, more activities = more kinetic energy = warmer colors.
- most popular
- popular
- less popular
- not popular
ATV/ORV/OHV Filter
Max Vehicle Width
inches
US Cell Coverage
Legend
Radar Time
Activity Recordings
Trailforks uses anonymized public activity data.
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Activity Recordings
Trailforks uses anonymized public activity data.
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Winter Trails
Warning
A routing network for winter maps does not exist. Selecting trails using the winter trails layer has been disabled.
Missing Trails
Most Popular
Least Popular
Trails are colored based on popularity. The more popular a trail is, the more red. Less popular trails trend towards green.
Jump Magnitude Heatmap
Heatmap of where users jump on trails. Zoom in to see individual jumps, click circles to view jump details.
BC Backroad Status
![map legend]()
Service Road Atlas is a free to use, community-driven service for viewing and creating reports on the numerous back-country service roads around B.C. and Alberta.
Slope Aspect
Direction the slope faces
Trails Deemphasized
Trails are shown in grey.
Only show trails with no bike usage.
Suggested Layers
Based on selected activity type
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Snow & Rain 3D forecastPRO
See where it will snow, sleet or rain on Dane County hour by hour, on 3D terrain.
View 3D snow forecast
Dane County trails and routes are listed on Trailforks with interactive trail maps, difficulty ratings, photos, and user-reported trail conditions. The Trailforks community has mapped hundreds of trails and shared hundreds of photos in this region. Supported activity types include Hiking, Trail Running, Mountain Biking, E-Biking, Nordic Skiing, Snowshoeing, Horseback and Skiing. Trails here are often faint trail, flowy and machine-built. Scenery includes meadows, lakes and views. Common trail features include berms, jumps and bridges. Many trails are family friendly. Amenities include huts. Popular destinations include Madison, University of Wisconsin–Madison Arboretum and Middleton.
This is an auto-generated description of Dane County.
Login or register to submit a custom description.
Trail info last updated
Activities Click to view
- Mountain Bike
211 trails
- E-Bike
149 trails
- Horse
41 trails
- Hike
341 trails
- Trail Running
330 trails
- Snowshoe
65 trails
- Downhill Ski
9 trails
- Nordic Ski
72 trails
Stats
- Avg Trail Rating
- Trails (view details)
- 522
- Trails Mountain Bike
- 211
- Trails E-Bike
- 149
- Trails Gravel Bike
- 53
- Trails Adaptive Bike
- 26
- Trails Winter Fat Bike
- 18
- Trails Horse
- 41
- Trails Hike
- 341
- Trails Trail Running
- 330
- Trails Snowmobile
- 2
- Trails Snowshoe
- 65
- Trails Downhill Ski
- 9
- Trails Nordic Ski
- 72
- Total Distance
- 288 miles
- Total Descent
- 17,322 ft
- Total Vertical
- 498 ft
- Highest Trailhead
- 1,308 ft
- Reports
- 1,749
- Photos
- 585
- Completed Counter
- 47,564
Sub Regions
- Cambridge (29)
- CamRock County Park (29)
- Cross Plains (8)
- Fitchburg (35)
- Quarry Ridge Recreation Area (25)
- Saris Trails (5)
- Seminole (3)
- Madison (33)
- Middleton (68)
- Mount Horeb (0)
- Donald County Park (0)
- Stewart Park (0)
- Oregon (19)
- Sun Prairie (8)
- Sheehan Park (6)
- Verona (8)
Popular Dane County Mountain Biking Trails
• 100 ★ 4.4 • 778 ft • 0 ft • 905 • • mtb
AREA 51 is a short technical trail that is full of bridges, drops, berms, rollers and a jump for good measure. The 2017 addition of an elevated "Split" ladder bridge that passed through the tree canopy brings this trail to a double...
• 80 ★ 4.3 • 2,589 ft • 31 ft • 859 • • mtb
Highly rated popular green difficulty singletrack. This mountain bike primary trail can be used one direction and has a moderate overall physical rating with a 31 ft blue climb. It features berm, bridge and skinny. Trail visibility is always easy to follow. On average it takes 2 minutes to complete this trail.
• 70 ★ 4.5 • 2,648 ft • 86 ft • 835 • • mtb
Turn It Up is good "Old Skool" technical single track with rocks, roots, climbs, descents and lot of dirt goodness.
• 65 ★ 4.0 • 3,350 ft • 24 ft • 825 • • mtb
Gettin' Started is the beginner friendly start to the trail system. It's all downhill from here :)
• 60 ★ 3.9 • 2,297 ft • 33 ft • 775 • • mtb
Rattle Snake is more old skool goodness with an extra dose of rocks as this section traverses the 1800's quarry.
• 100 ★ 4.3 • 2,306 ft • 113 ft • 762 • • mtb
Rewind is a moderate climb to the top of the Ridge which leads you to many choices of downhill goodness!
• 75 ★ 4.4 • 3,031 ft • 90 ft • 761 • • mtb
Corkscrew as the name would have it is a twisty, turny, old skool singletrack with lots of roots and some tight squeezes.
Dane County Mountain Bike Routes
7 miles • 669 ft • 14 • Loop •
If you are ready to let loose and go all out on your bike then this is the perfect route! It hits all the...
11 miles • 769 ft • 31 •
While the trails at CamRock have many twists and turns, this route is what the regular riders call the...
5,036 ft • 52 ft • 13 • Loop •
This quick loop makes for a fun section to run laps around. It connects all of the medium sized jump...
2 miles • 199 ft • 6 • Loop •
If you like getting 2 wheels off of the ground this is the Cross Plains loop for you. It doesn't include...
1 mile • 308 ft • 27 • Loop •
This route offers the kind of terrain that isn't often found in the mid-west, sand and rock! It's perfect...
Photos of Dane County Mountain Bike
Videos of Dane County Mountain Bike
Recent Trail Reports
Activity Feed
| username | action | type | title | date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| darkins44 | add | photo | activity #107595818 and 1 more | Nov 11, 2026 @ 7:30am 2 days |
| darkins44 | add | photo | activity #107595733 and 1 more | Nov 11, 2026 @ 7:28am 2 days |
| rjohnson815 | ridden | trail | activity #107461708 and 5 more | Nov 8, 2026 @ 3:02pm Nov 8, 2026 |
| rjohnson815 | ridden | trail | activity #107461637 and 2 more | Nov 8, 2026 @ 3:01pm Nov 8, 2026 |
| rjohnson815 | ridden | trail | activity #107461585 and 2 more | Nov 8, 2026 @ 3:00pm Nov 8, 2026 |
Recent Comments
| username | type | title | comment | date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| trail | 17 September 2026. 11:00. Walked it. Trail... | Sep 17, 2026 @ 9:09am Sep 17, 2026 | ||
| trail | Actually, they’re blackberries. Tasty, worth... | Jul 22, 2025 @ 9:36pm Jul 22, 2025 | ||
| trail | Fun beginner trail, some nice roller, jumps... | Nov 17, 2024 @ 9:29am Nov 17, 2024 | ||
| trail | Great section. Not to be missed. | Aug 7, 2024 @ 9:41pm Aug 7, 2024 | ||
| trail | This trail has really changed a lot and now is... | Aug 7, 2024 @ 9:39pm Aug 7, 2024 |
Local Badges
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Climbing 10k Badge0 awarded -
Descent 100k Badge0 awarded -
Epic Mountain Bike Climb 2k0 awarded -
Epic Mountain Bike Climb 2k0 awarded -
Mountain Biking 100k Badge0 awarded -
Mountain Biking 100k Badge0 awarded
Bike & Skill Parks
| name | type | city | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middleton Bike Park | skill park | Middleton | |
| CamRock Bike Park | skill park | Cambridge | |
| Saris Foundation Bike Park | skill park | Madison |
Upcoming Local Events
Activity Type Stats
| activitytype | trails | distance | descent | descent distance | total vertical | rating | global rank | state rank | photos | reports | routes | activity logs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain Bike | 211 | 162 miles | 8,310 ft | 52 miles | 499 ft | 497 | 1,749 | 9 | 69,580 | |||
| E-Bike | 149 | 109 miles | 6,493 ft | 38 miles | 361 ft | 1,627 | 1 | 1,985 | ||||
| Gravel Bike | 53 | 109 miles | 2,438 ft | 34 miles | 499 ft | 11 | 313 | |||||
| Adaptive Bike | 26 | 40 miles | 1,411 ft | 16 miles | 318 ft | 31 | ||||||
| Winter Fat Bike | 18 | 18 miles | 656 ft | 6 miles | 285 ft | 1 | 20 | 99 | ||||
| Horse | 41 | 35 miles | 3,130 ft | 14 miles | 338 ft | 145 | 4 | |||||
| Hike | 341 | 219 miles | 10,656 ft | 72 miles | 499 ft | 83 | 1,665 | 1,621 | ||||
| Trail Running | 330 | 212 miles | 10,397 ft | 70 miles | 499 ft | 4 | 1,665 | 2,098 | ||||
| Snowmobile | 2 | 19 miles | 105 ft | 3 miles | 377 ft | |||||||
| Snowshoe | 65 | 59 miles | 2,910 ft | 18 miles | 453 ft | 12 | 139 | |||||
| Downhill Ski | 9 | 4,557 ft | 335 ft | 2,959 ft | 174 ft | 50 | ||||||
| Nordic Ski | 72 | 43 miles | 2,438 ft | 16 miles | 299 ft | 8 | 703 |
Frequently Asked Questions
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What are the best places to ride in Dane County?
Dane County has 39 areas to explore for mountain biking. The top rated areas are:
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What are the highest rated mountain biking trails in Dane County?
The highest rated mountain biking trails in Dane County are:
- Pork Chop (4.7/5)
- Slice (4.4/5)
- Three Sisters (4.4/5)
- Howling Wolff (4.4/5)
- Bottoms Up (4.4/5)
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What is the longest trail in Dane County?
The longest trail in Dane County is Military Ridge State Trail (Dane County Section) at 18.8 miles. View all trails sorted by distance.
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What are the best & highest rated hiking trails in Dane County?
The best hiking trails in Dane County are: View all hiking trails sorted by popularity score.
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What are the best & highest rated trail running trails in Dane County?
The best trail running trails in Dane County are:
- Connector
- Frederick's Hill Trail
- Fireman's Park Bike Path
- Campus Drive Cycle Path
- Pheasant Branch West Trail
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How many trails are in Dane County?
Dane County has a total of 522 trails. Of those, 211 are designated for mountain biking. Browse top mountain biking trails in Dane County to find detailed information including difficulty ratings, distances, and trail conditions.
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Which trail has the most elevation gain in Dane County?
The trail with the most elevation gain in Dane County is North Loop with 485 ft of elevation gain. View all trails sorted by elevation gain.
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Which trail has the most elevation descent in Dane County?
The trail with the most elevation descent in Dane County is North Loop with 489 ft of elevation descent. View all trails sorted by elevation descent.
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What activities are most popular in Dane County?
Dane County supports the following activities: Mountain Biking, E-Biking, Horseback, Hiking, Trail Running, Snowshoeing, Skiing, Nordic Skiing.
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What bike services are there in Dane County?
The following bike services are available in Dane County:
- Bike Shop (16)
- Other (3)
- Trail Association (1)
- Trail Builders (1)
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What are the steepest mountain biking trails in Dane County?
The steepest mountain biking trail in Dane County is Ambulance Climb with an average grade of 13%. View all trails sorted by grade.
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Are there any trails with scenic viewpoints in Dane County?
Yes, there are 9 scenic viewpoints marked along trails in Dane County. Some popular viewpoints include: Explore more points of interest to find trails with the best views.
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What trails have the biggest jumps in Dane County?
The trails with the biggest jumps in Dane County are: Browse all mountain bike trails to find trails with jumps and technical features.
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Are the trails open in Dane County?
The overall region status for Dane County is Clear / Green. Out of 136 trails:
- Clear / Green: 126
- Minor Issue / Yellow: 7
- Significant Issue / Amber: 1
- Closed: 2
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Can I ride an ebike in Dane County?
Yes, Dane County supports e-bike riding. There are 107 trails in Dane County that allow e-bikes. Check the e-bike trails listing for specific trail access details and any local regulations.
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What are the most popular mountain biking routes in Dane County?
The most popular mountain biking routes in Dane County are: View all mountain biking routes in Dane County.
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What are the most popular Strava Segments in Dane County?
The most popular Strava segments in Dane County are:
- Sewage Sprint Reverse (16,361 athletes)
- Quick Little Diddy EB (16,055 athletes)
- SW Path - Beltline to Golf Course (14,904 athletes)
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What are some popular technical trail features in Dane County?
There are 1 technical trail features (TTFs) in Dane County. Some popular features include: View all technical trail features in Dane County.
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What trails are closed in Dane County?
There are currently 2 closed trails in Dane County. The breakdown of all trail statuses is:
- Clear / Green: 126
- Minor Issue / Yellow: 7
- Significant Issue / Amber: 1
- Closed: 2
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Are there local clubs or events in Dane County?
There are 1 upcoming events in Dane County. View upcoming events. There are 2 local clubs or associations listed in the Dane County directory. Browse the local directory for details.
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What are the most popular mountain biking trails in Dane County?
The most popular mountain biking trails in Dane County are: View all mountain biking trails sorted by popularity.
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What are the best beginner ride trails in Dane County?
The best beginner mountain biking trails in Dane County are:
- Sheehan (Field) (4/5)
- Kick Butt Trail (4.5/5)
- Connector - Entrance (3/5)
Activities
Trails
- By brenthillier
NSMBA TRAILFORKS & contributors - Admins: MW HIKING, feardabeast
- #10951 - 7,430 views
- dane county activity log | embed map of Dane County mountain bike trails | dane county mountain biking points of interest polygons
Downloading of trail gps tracks in kml & gpx formats is enabled for Dane County.
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