Winnebago County has miles of recreation trails throughout the county. The two most popular trails include the WIOUWASH State Trail and Mascoutin Valley State Trail. Both trails stretch for a combined 27 miles through Winnebago County. Use the information on this page to prepare for your next adventure on Winnebago County’s recreation trails.
Winnebago County Virtual Trail Map
Find all the best routes for walking and bicycling on the Winnebago County Virtual Trail Map. This online map shows paved and unpaved routes, trails and facilities, along with important amenities and features such as public restrooms, points of interest, pet-friendly areas, and fix-it stations.
Trail Info
The WIOUWASH and Mascoutin Valley Trails both run on abandoned railroad corridors (Rails-to-Trails). These multi-use trails are long, flat and mostly covered with crushed limestone. Both trails have beautiful scenery for activities such as walking, hiking, biking, and horseback riding in the summer months with cross-country skiing, fat-tire biking, and snowmobiling in the winter months.
The Tribal Heritage Crossing of the WIOUWASH State Trail is a one-mile, paved causeway spanning across Lake Butte des Morts. It features informational kiosks for all 11 of Wisconsin's Native American Tribes.
Most of Winnebago County’s nature preserves have great walking and biking trails as well. Check out the Nature Preserves section of the website to learn more about these unique natural areas. You will also find two miles of paved trails at Winnebago County Community Park.
Winter on the Trail
Winter is a great time to explore Winnebago County recreation trails. A wide range of activities are available during the winter such as cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, fat-tire biking and snowmobiling.
Trail etiquette is always important on the trail during winter. Snowmobiling is a popular activity on some of the trails and trail users should yield to snowmobilers. In the same regard, snowmobilers must always slow down when approaching other trail users. Check out these Wisconsin Trail Etiquette and Safety Guidelines before heading out on your next winter adventure.
WIOUWASH STATE TRAIL
The WIOUWASH State Trail, built on a former railroad corridor, gets its unique name from the four counties it runs through: Winnebago, Outagamie, Waupaca and Shawano. It is a relatively smooth and flat trail with a crushed limestone base. The Fox River and Lake Butte des Morts, along with numerous grassland prairies, wooded areas and farmland, offer beautiful views of diverse landscapes and a variety of wildlife.
The Winnebago County portion of the WIOUWASH Trail starts in Downtown Oshkosh along the Fox River (near the university and Riverwalk) and runs north through Winnebago and Outagamie counties until ending in Hortonville. This southern section is 21.8 miles long and crosses the Friendship State Trail near Hwy 10.
Walking, hiking, biking and horseback riding are popular activities on the WIOUWASH Trail during the summer. The soft surface and flat terrain of the trail make it an excellent place to train for an upcoming 5k or marathon. In the winter, the trail is used for snowmobiling, fat-tire biking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
Trail Overview
View a map of the Wiouwash trail overview. Please keep in mind that the map is not to scale.
MASCOUTIN VALLEY STATE TRAIL
The Mascoutin Valley State Trail is 5.3 miles and runs through the southwest corner of Winnebago County and continues on into both Green Lake and Fond du Lac Counties. The trail base is crushed limestone. Hiking, biking and horseback riding (approximately May to October) take place seasonally. During winter months, the trail is part of the countywide snowmobile trail system. The Rush Lake Marsh area offers wildlife viewing opportunities.
One trailhead is located on Locust Road near the junction of Locust and Hwy E north of Ripon in Fond du Lac County. It continues north into Winnebago County and west into Green Lake County then ends in Berlin. The trail passes west of the Rush Lake Marsh and through the Berlin Fen State Natural Area.
Parking is available at the junction of Locust Road and Hwy E north of Ripon, at Vines & Rushes Winery, and by Rush Lake Loop Road off of Hwy E by Rush Lake.
View the Mascoutin Valley State Trail map.
TRIBAL HERITAGE CROSSING
The Tribal Heritage Crossing offers runners, walkers, bikers and in-line skaters the ability to cross Lake Butte Des Morts on a paved trail, which connects to the WIOUWASH State Trail on the north end and the Oshkosh Riverwalk on the south end. The trail provides access to fishing and info kiosks for all 11 of Wisconsin's Native American Tribes including the history of those tribes.
The info kiosk overlooks an open window to the water system with a remarkable history. It is the ancestral home of Native Americans who have been here forever. Lake Butte Des Morts is described as a vibrant river channel winding through a vast expanse of wild rice with fish, fur-bearing animals and waterfowl. In the 1850's the waterway changed dramatically with an influx of new settlers and industry, including two dams on the twin lower Fox River outlets of Lake Winnebago.
View the Tribal Heritage Crossing Trail Map.
Trail Ambassador
Become a trail ambassador for the Winnebago County Parks Department. Ambassadors help provide for the safety and well-being of users, by preserving and protecting trail resources, in order to promote an enjoyable experience for all trail users. If you are interested, please fill out our Trail Ambassador application.
ATV/UTV Routes & Regulations
Routes and regulations for ATVs/UTVs can be found on the Winnebago County Highway Department website.
Other Info
Check out our Trail Etiquette Quick Tips and help make trails enjoyable for everyone. Download the WIOUWASH Trail Brochure. Learn more about the Winnebago County Bike/Ped Plan.
