Norwalk is a village of about 650 people in the hills of Monroe County, and on a summer weekend a good share of the people in town are on bicycles. The things to do in Norwalk, Wisconsin almost all start at the trailhead on Railroad Street, where the Elroy-Sparta State Trail passes the village park on its way north to Tunnel 3.
The village is small and it does not pretend otherwise. Moore Creek runs along one side of it and Highway 71 runs through the middle, and inside a few blocks you find a campground with free showers, two Mexican kitchens, a tavern on Main Street and the trail itself. For riders that is a full day's worth of reasons to stop, and the climb to the longest tunnel on the trail starts right here.
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This page covers what Norwalk has, where it is, what it costs and when it closes, plus the towns within about 25 miles worth a detour.
Why people come to Norwalk
People come to Norwalk for the Elroy-Sparta State Trail, a 32.5-mile path of crushed limestone on the old Chicago and North Western rail line between Sparta and Elroy. It opened in 1967 and is widely considered the first rail trail in the United States. Norwalk sits in the western half of it, between Tunnel 2 and Tunnel 3.
The village took its name from Norwalk, Ohio, where the Monroe County pioneer Selium McGary had lived before he came west. That explains why a search for Norwalk mostly turns up Connecticut and Ohio. This Norwalk grew up on the main line of the Chicago and North Western, and when the railroad left in the 1960s, the trail took its place.
Riding the Elroy-Sparta Trail from Norwalk means a climb whichever way you turn, because the tunnels sit at the high points and the village sits in the valley between them. The good news is the return. You earn the grade on the way out and coast back to lunch.
Riding to Tunnel 3 from the village
Tunnel 3 is about four trail miles northwest of the trailhead, roughly 3.5 miles in a straight line, and the ride there is a steady climb of about 3 percent.
Just east of the tunnel there is a rest area with restrooms, a hand pump for drinking water and a restored watchman's shack. That makes a natural turnaround for a short out-and-back from Norwalk, about eight trail miles in all, with the downhill saved for the end.
Where to eat and drink in Norwalk
Norwalk has three places to sit down and eat, and all three are within two blocks of the trailhead. Two are Mexican kitchens and one is the village bar.
Bailey's Diner, at 104 Railroad Street, sits right beside the trail, and bikes parked out front are a normal sight on a summer weekend. The kitchen does burritos, tamales, sopes, gorditas, tacos de asada and steak fajitas, and the large outdoor eating area is where riders end up on a warm day. Order an agua fresca after the climb. Hours shift with the season, so check them before you plan the ride around lunch.
La Esperanza Mexican Store & Restaurant, a block west at 205 Railroad Street, is a family-run grocery and kitchen under one roof. The carne asada plate comes with grilled onions, avocado, rice and beans, and the kitchen will work around food sensitivities if you ask. It is open every day from 10 am to 9 pm, which makes it the dependable dinner option on a weeknight.
The Place Cunitz Tavern on Main Street is the village bar, with a grill that runs until 9:30 pm every day and breakfast on Saturday and Sunday from 6 to 11 am. The menu is cheese curds, bacon double cheeseburgers, loaded tater tots, jalapeño poppers and a Bloody Mary, and it calls itself a family bar. If you are camping in the park, this is where the evening goes.
Camping in the village park
The Village of Norwalk Campground sits on Mill Street right on the trail, next door to Bailey's, with eight RV sites and a free tent area.
The restrooms and showers are free for campers, with donations welcome, and the park also has two covered shelters, a playground and a drinking fountain. Book through the village clerk at 608-823-7760, pay when you reserve, and know that a $20 fee applies if you cancel.
The rules are short and enforced: fires in the rings only, dogs on a leash of 6 feet or less, and no sleeping in vehicles in the parking lot. The clerk's office keeps short summer hours and is closed on Wednesdays and weekends, so call on a weekday morning.
Amish quilts outside the village
Amish families live in the hills around Norwalk, and riders have written about passing them on the trail, sometimes inside the tunnels. Amish Quilts & Crafts, about 3.6 miles southwest of the village, sells handmade quilts and other Amish-made goods for the home.
It lists no phone or website, and its posted hours are Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 5 pm. Do not count on Sunday, and bring cash in case cards are not taken. A quilt is a big thing to carry on a bike, so this is a stop for the drive home.
The Rails to Trails Marathon
Since 2007, Norwalk has hosted the Rails to Trails Marathon, a Boston Marathon qualifier that runs on the trail and through the three-quarter-mile tunnel. Race day also carries a half marathon, a 5K and a 1-mile fun run, all starting from 120 Mill Street by the village park.
In 2023 and 2024 it ran on the first Sunday in October. The organizers give the proceeds after expenses back to the surrounding communities. Check railstotrailsnorwalk.com for this year's date. If you want the tunnel to yourself, pick a different weekend.
Getting to Norwalk
Norwalk is on Highway 71, the road that follows the trail between Sparta and Elroy through Wilton and Kendall. Interstate 90 passes about 12 miles to the northwest at Sparta, and Tomah is about 12 miles to the northeast.
In straight lines, La Crosse is about 31 miles west, Madison about 81 miles southeast and Milwaukee about 147 miles east. The nearest commercial airport is in La Crosse, about 32 miles west. Plan on a car, a bike or a shuttle from Sparta to get here.
Norwalk with kids
Norwalk works well for a family day if you plan around the tunnel. The village park has a playground, two covered shelters and free restrooms, and the campground is a few steps from the trail. Tunnel 3 is a different matter: it is three-quarters of a mile of wet, dark walking, and some parents find it too long for small children.
A shorter option is to ride east toward Tunnel 2, which is about 1,700 feet long, and turn back after it. Give every child their own light, put the youngest in the middle of the group, and keep everyone walking in the center of the floor, away from the drainage gutters along the walls.
When to come
Come between May and October, when the tunnels are open; the trail itself stays open all year, but the tunnel doors are shut from November through April. July is the warmest month, with average highs around 81°F, and June is the wettest, with about 5 inches of rain.
In winter the trail belongs to snowmobiles, and cross-country skiers can use it without a pass, but it is not groomed for skiing.
Each of Norwalk's seasons changes the ride: soft trail in spring, storms in June, cool clear days and fall color in late September and October. Weekdays in September and October are the quiet ones.
Nearby: Sparta, Cashton and Viroqua
Sparta, about 11 miles northwest, is the western end of the trail and a good place to rent a bike or book a shuttle. Speed's Bicycle Shop on John Street there rents bikes and runs trail shuttles, so you can ride one way to Norwalk and get a lift back.
Cashton is 9.9 miles southwest, and Local Buzz Coffee House on its Main Street makes a good coffee stop, open Wednesday to Sunday from 6:30 am.
Viroqua, 23 miles southwest, is the bigger meal. The Driftless Cafe on Court Street cooks from Vernon County organic farms and takes dinner reservations. A few doors down, Noble Rind Cheese Company cuts cheese and charcuterie to order inside the Hotel Fortney.
For coffee in Viroqua, Wonderstate Coffee roasts its own beans and runs its Main Street cafe out of a converted 1940s gas station.
Frequently asked questions
Published October 5, 2026
