Ripon
Ripon is a town of about 7,000 people in the Fox Valley, and for that size, it really has a decent amount of trails. They are varied too, from rails to trails, to woodsy area, to more open prairies…
Mascoutin Trail
The Mascoutin Trail is a ‘rails to trails” type of trail, so almost flat for its 11 miles between Ripon and Berlin. One end of the trail is on County Road E right on the edge of Ripon, but you can get easily get to it from town.
It crosses several roads, especially closer to Ripon, but not many are very busy roads. The trail has a good mix of shaded and exposed sections, and by Meadow Brook Road, it goes by a gorgeous body of water where you’re likely to see many egrets, herons, pelicans, and smaller birds in the Spring/Summer/Fall.
There are a couple of boardwalks close to the Berlin end of the trail, but everything else is pure trail.
To see a video of me biking the whole trail and birding, click here.
For an official map of this western section of the trail, click here.
Northwestern Trail
Starting right by the Public Library, this linear 2.8 mile trail is easy and mostly flat. It crosses a few roads, only one of them busy (County Road FF).
The trail is mostly in the shade, and goes over a river, then by a lake made by a quarry before ending on County Road PP, where if you are biking and take a left, you can join Lauree’s Trail all the way to Green Lake.
If you’d like to watch a hyperlapse video of me biking the whole trail, click here.
South Woods in the Fall
South Woods
It’s a small forest, and a really a small parking lot on Union Street, but South Woods is really pretty. Don’t hesitate to go snowshoe there in the winter!
There are several trails, a big escarpment which makes for a couple of hills, a couple of them steeper than the others, and if it’s been raining, you might need to cross a stream (there usually are rocks or branches to help) on the yellow trail. To avoid this, use the boardwalk on the blue trail.
The yellow and red trails go up and down and are quite dramatic, the blue trail stays low but can get really muddy. The green trail veers away from the escarpment and stays deeper in the woods.
To see a video of what it looks like in the Fall, click here.
You can also access South Woods from the Prairie.
The Prairie
The Prairie is a delight to explore in all seasons! You can see many flowers in the Spring and summer, nice colors in the Fall, and enjoy the shimmering snow on a sunny winter day. The prairie is a great place to snowshoe! Check out this video of a snowshoeing excursion on the mountain bike trails. The chances of seeing deer are high!
The lower area can get a little swampy when wet, so wear proper footwear. The mountain bike trails link the lower and upper area, but be careful about possible bikes there on a nice day. The upper prairie is almost entirely flat, and the trail follows the outer edges of the property.
Foggy Fall morning on Riggs Park.
Riggs Park
On the outskirts of town, Riggs Park offers several short trails, as well as a disc golf course and a splash pad for children.
The longest trail is the red one and is about 2.2 miles. Please note it is mostly out in the open with very little shade. The section of the red trail that is between the two parking lots (one on highway 23 and the other on Douglas Street) is wide and mostly gravel, but the rest of it is narrower, and includes some boardwalks. There is also a wooden observation deck where you can get some elevation and look around.
It’s a great place to go for a walk at sunset!
And if you’re looking for a place to eat to refuel after your trail adventures, check out this page with my recommendations for food while in town!