PEDAL OUR TRAILS

- Presque Isle & Winchester, WI -

WILDERNESS PEDALERS

The Wilderness Pedalers established as a 501c3 nonprofit organization in 2015. Our purpose is to develop safe bike trails that connect the communities of Presque Isle and Winchester to the Heart of the Vilas County Bike Trail, a 45-mile off-road paved trail system linking multiple Northwoods' communities. Currently, Winchester is connected to the trail via a new connector on Highway W to the WinMan Trails, located at the junction of Hwys W and J. The Pedalers are guided by a master plan that further develops looped trails and routes within Presque Isle and Winchester. Contact Us to Learn More.

- Wilderness Pedalers -
TRAIL SYSTEMS

Presque Isle Bike Trail

miles

Designated bike route on public roads. Mostly flat with a few hills. Route is signed.

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WinMan Trails

miles

Hilly trails with fast and flowy single-track, technical downhills, berms and bridges.

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Northwoods Road Routes

miles

County highways, paved bike trail, and secondary low-traffic roads.

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- Wilderness Pedalers -
DONATE

The Wilderness Pedalers are dedicated to connecting Presque Isle and Winchester to the Heart of Vilas County Bike Trail System. Phase 1 is to begin the connection to Presque Isle from the North Lakeland School. It includes a trail along Hwy P and Big Lake Campground, and to the junction of Hwy P and Crab Lake Road.  Additional connector trails the Pedalers have feasibility/design plans for include: Crab Lake Road to Hwys P and W and into Town, as well as all along Hwy W to the current trail junction at Hwys W/J (Winman Trails).  We remain committed to primarily black-topped, off-road trails, utilizing elevated boardwalks to avoid wetlands impact. Sections of the trail deemed feasible, will be shared with our area SnoBunnies Snowmobile Trail Club.  In the Winter of 2017, we mailed informational brochures seeking donations. To date, you have donated over $60,000. These monies have enabled our Club to secure professionally engineered feasibility studies (Summer 2018-present). Such studies are especially necessary for our region's trails due to narrow right-of-ways and to the plethora of waters and wetlands present. Funds are needed on a continual basis, with a large giving campaign to kick off trail construction in the near future (date TBD).

- Wilderness Pedalers -
EVENTS

The Wilderness Pedalers annually support events, including the Solstice Festival and Presque Isle Days. Additional group rides are scheduled throughout the season. Contact the Presque Isle Chamber for More Information.

Solstice Festival : June 18-19, 2021

29-Mile, plus Century and Half-Century Riders start their ride in Manitowish Waters and travel  Winchester and Presque Isle roads. Visit the Pedalers for your 1st rest stop the Pipke Park Pavilion where we will have food, drinks, and bathrooms too!

Presque Isle Days : TBD 2021

Events for 2020 are cancelled but please check back for new plans for 2021. In the meantime, we hope you are finding time to ride and enjoy "Wisconsin's Last Wilderess".

- Presque Isle, WI -
COMMUNITY

Presque Isle's rich history includes booming logging days, vacation resorts, sportsman's traditions and more. History reports that nearly 300 years ago, two French priests, leading a missionary expedition through unchartered waters, were shipwrecked and marooned on the shores of Lake Superior. The party pitched their camp at the mouth of a river and survived the winter. During the spring thaw and high water, they found themselves on "Almost an Island." They christened the river "Presque Isle." In later years, peoples traveled upstream to the headwaters and found our largest lake, beautiful Presque Isle Lake, and soon the whole area became known as Presque Isle.

As it is today, our township, with 77 square-miles and over 80 lakes, translated from the French words is truly "Almost an Island." With over 21 islands, our second largest lake, Crab Lake, is acclaimed by many to be the most beautiful in the state. The Presque Isle area is on top of the watershed - high on the divide - and with our elevation up to over 1800 feet, we enjoy many of Nature's privileges.

- Winchester, WI -
COMMUNITY

Winchester is located in the northwest corner of Vilas County, bounded by Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to the north, Iron County to the west, the Town of Presque Isle to the east and the Town of Manitowish Waters to the south.

Winchester covers over 34,000 acres and is covered by lakes, with 34 named and 29 unnamed. Almost 80% of the town’s area is wooded, and we have more than 6,000 acres of public land as part of the Northern-Highland American Legion State Forest.

Winchester is a small community most of the year, with approximately 400-500 permanent residents. Like many towns in the Northwoods, the summer population rises to approximately 3000 seasonal residents. The area is perfect for summer activities like fishing, boating, biking and hiking.

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CONTACT US

Board Members 

Denny Breitholtz  ~ President

Paul Specht ~ Vice President

Marjean Schuelke ~ Secretary

Al Drum ~ Treasurer

Board Members 

Dick Hemming ~ Member

Bob Horswill ~ Member

Sarah Johnson ~ Member

Bob Twelmeyer ~ Member