The Trans Wisconsin Adventure Trail

"An Unfortunate Acronym"

by Tim Matuszak

From Wyalusing State Park all the way to basically the northern most point in Wisconsin near the city of Cornucopia; the Trans Wisconsin Adventure Trail did not disappoint. The trail was put together piece by piece from citizen(s) who wanted to explore WI in a more rustic and scenic way Originally meant to be explored on a motorcycle, new overland routes have been developed to explore in a 4x4 truck/suv.

The route lead us through the driftless area of NE Iowa/ SW Wisconsin where we encountered various hilly roads, some of which were somewhat difficult to trek. In fact one portion of the trail lead us deep into the hills off-road where we encountered a “road closed” portion; deciding against our better judgement we went through it anyway and came out alive

After spending the night at the beautiful Wyalusing State Park, our adventure continued on to lead us through Amish country with many miles of unpaved and horseshit covered roads. The isolated rolling hills of Amish country was an enjoyable ride.

Furthering on northward the trail became narrower, the trees more coniferous, and the unpaved roads more like forest service/ATV trails. We stayed one night in the Black River State Forest at Pegeon Campground having but one other neighbor in the area. However the next night was so secluded we would have nothing but the stars and wildlife for company. In the Middle of the ChequamegonNicolet national forest was Stockfarm bridge campground where we would enjoy our dinner and night sans human civilization. The next stretches of the trail were quite sandy and lead us to our most technical and difficult path. Pictures and videos do not do it justice but it was pretty steep, very bumpy, and if either one of us were to make a mistake and slip to the right we would have been in a 2-3 foot deep crevice. The Land Rover Defender and 4Runner took it like champs This was the most fun off roading I’ve experienced in the truck thus far.

Almost to the top of Wisconsin we decided to make lunch in the very cute and nice town of Bayfield at Dalrymple Park and campground. Little did we know we’d be coming back to stay for our last night as we all decided the campgrounds further north were unsuitable for our boujee needs lol.

The ride home was about 5 hours obviously taking highways It’s crazy to think we made this trip last 4-5 days taking all back roads/atv trails/forest service pathways, enjoying the scenery, and making memories when you can easily skip it by taking the highway. The advantage to taking a 4x4 truck/suv is that you can explore these trails unlike towing an RV/trailer To me the experience is what it’s all about and towing a home just to find an area to park 10ft away from people just doesn’t do it for me, people suck lol

Before we set off I somewhat had ideas of who would play what role I didn’t mind meal prepping and being the cook/chef as I enjoy it. I had my trusty Coleman propane stove and cast iron skillet to cook everything from fajitas and stirfrys to brats and burgers. It was all delicious if I don’t say so myself.

Navigator and already a veteran of the trans wi adventure trail Spencer Faikel in his #landroverdefender lead the way and I couldn’t have been more thankful. He used the #gaiagps app and shared the file with me making me feel more comfortable as well seeing where we are going. It’s always comforting being with someone who has been on the route before and now that I have done it, I would love to be a guide for anyone else who wants to do the trail in the future.

Bartender and all around great travel buddy James Brown kept the adventure alive and full of spirit. He helped with watching the dogs and kept a watchful eye of any potential predator threats.

The #4runner did great and had zero issues along the way. I was a bit nervous something would rattle off but everything was tight and secure and nothing came loose. This was a good trial run for future treks out west. The entire trek clocked about 1200 miles and averaging 18.8mpg. Considering how much stuff I had in/on the vehicle isn’t that bad. With the roof top tent I was expecting the wind noise to become annoying but inside the 4Runner cabin it really isn’t that