Ride safely - Wisconsin Department of Tourism

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the trail is the 440-foot trestle that spans
the Pecatonica River just west of
Browntown.
Many ATVers begin their journey in
historic Mineral Point. One of the oldest
communities in Wisconsin, it was founded
in 1827 by coal miners from Cornwall,
England sent to mine lead for bullets and
musket balls. This corner of Wisconsin,
where it meets Iowa and Illinois, was lousy
with surface lead deposits. The miners dug
shallow mines, often living in their holes
leading to Wisconsin’s nickname as the
“Badger State.” For more mining history,
visit Pendarvis, a Wisconsin Historical
Society site that preserves many of the
homes of the city’s original Cornish miners
(608/987-2122,
www.wisconsinhistory.org).
Leaving Mineral Point, you’ll follow
Brewery Creek south about three miles to
the county line, then jump a valley to
Furnace Creek and the Pecatonica River at
Slateford. For the next 35 miles, you’ll
trace the Pecatonica’s tortured route
through Lafayette County, all the way to
Browntown.
Calamine is an old mining town. Like
many in the area, its name reflects its mining
past; towns like Swindlers Ridge, New
Diggings, and Lead Mine. About halfway
between Calamine and Darlington you
Lamont
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Yellowstone
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Argyle
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have the option to check out some club
trails that spur to the east. On those trails,
you can head to Fayette, Blanchardville,
Lamont or Wiota.
Next comes Darlington, the county
seat. Darlington was once known as the
“Pearl of the Pecatonica” because people
harvested clams from the river to produce
pearl button blanks. Here you can refuel,
eat and check out the historic downtown.
The county courthouse is an architectural
treasure. Built in 1905, this sandstone
beauty includes marble walls, tiled floors
and a Tiffany glass rotunda.
From Darlington the trail winds southeast
through another pair of mining towns,
Gratiot and South Wayne, on its way to
Green County. Just across the county line,
the trail bridges the Pecatonica River as it
turns south to Illinois, then passes south of
the Browntown-Cadiz Springs State
Recreation Area (608/966-3777,
wiparks.net). This 644-acre day-use park
features a pair of spring-fed lakes and a
wildlife refuge. From the park it’s just a
short five miles to Monroe and the end of
the trail.
Monroe, of course, put the cheese in
the Cheese Country Trail. The art and business
of making cheese has kept the city
thriving for more than a century.
Downtown, the Historic Cheesemaking
Center tells that story (608/325-4636,
www.greencounty.org). The city is also the
home of the Minhas Craft Brewery
(608/325-3191, www.minhasbrewery.com).
Founded in 1845, it is the oldest continually
operated brewery in the Midwest producing
the award-winning lagers, ales and
bock beers of the Berghoff label as well as
Blumer’s old-fashioned sodas. Tours and
tastings are offered.
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Wiota
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Monroe
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Gratiot
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Browntown
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Wisconsin ATV Guide 47