Elroy, WI

Elroy is a Juneau County city on the Baraboo River where three state trails meet downtown. The Elroy-Sparta State Trail starts here and runs 32.5 miles through three rock tunnels, following a former railroad line that made Elroy a major hub before the rails were removed. The city’s history museum keeps that railroad era visible with photographs, a model railroad, and more than 400 exhibits. The post office began as Fowler’s Prairie in 1857, and the city’s trail map now includes the 400 and Omaha trails too. Elroy is central Wisconsin with a river, old rail lines, and a trailhead that turned yesterday’s tracks into today’s route.