In the heart of Wisconsin’s Driftless Area, there’s a hiking trail that has been named among the nation’s best. The Old Highway 131 Trail is located in the heart of the Kickapoo Valley Reserve. It’s an awesome Wisconsin trail with an incredible story, and it’s a gateway to exploring this rich landscape. It was recently designated a National Recreation Trail by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior. Here’s what you need to know about the Old Highway 131 Trail.

Every year, trail groups across the country apply to have their trails designated as official National Recreation Trails. It’s a designation that recognizes exemplary trails that have local and regional significance. National Recreation Trails include hiking trails, biking trails, and rivers that are marked as paddling trails.
Alltrails / Mike Ritter
Trails that receive the designation are listed in a special database, and they can be marked with signs that identify them as national trails. Most years, the Secretary of the Interior announces the new trail designations in conjunction with National Trails Day and Great Outdoors Month in June.
Alltrails / Mike Ritter
In 2023, the office announced nine new designations, and the Old Highway 131 Trail was on the list. It has a fascinating story. The route of the trail was once used by Native Americans to traverse the valley, and later, by European settlers. In 1923, it became a state highway.
Alltrails / Mike Ritter

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The land, and the highway, was threatened in the 1960s by a move to turn the valley into a 1,700-acre reservoir. The highway was moved, but the project was halted in 1973 for environmental and economic reasons.
Alltrails / Bethanie Anderson
The land sat idle and vacant for many years, and the highway's bridge trusses slowly rusted away.
Alltrails / Mike Ritter
Eventually, the land became parkland. In 2000, the federal government transferred the land that’s now the Kickapoo Valley Reserve to the Ho-Chunk Nation and the state of Wisconsin. The property covers over 8,000 acres of Crawford and Vernon counties. Today, it’s a place that draws people who love the outdoors.
Alltrails / Mike Ritter

And that old abandoned highway? It’s now a 4.5 mile green-way for non-motorized public use. It’s used by hikers and bikers, and it connects to many more miles of scenic trails. It’s a wonderful historic trail, and now it’s a National Recreation Trail.

The Old Highway 131 Trail  is a beautiful gateway to the Kickapoo Valley Reserve. I’ve been involved in other Wisconsin trail projects and the National Recreation Trails program, and this is a very deserving national trail. Learn more about the Old Highway 131 Trail on the NRT database. Once you’ve explored the Kickapoo Valley, here’s where to find some other top Wisconsin attractions.

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Old Highway 131 Trail, Old Hwy 131 Trail, Wisconsin 54639, USA