Wisconsin Advocate to Bike Every State Trail in October, Spotlighting What’s at Stake for Wisconsin’s Public Lands

This October, Sarah Widder will bike every state trail in Wisconsin in a single month, drawing attention to the growing need for investment in the state’s bike trails and outdoor recreation infrastructure, including the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program that has funded much of it over the past four decades. Widder will document each day of her ride with a blog post.

Sarah’s ride, called the Great State Trails Adventure, is getting a visibility boost from Gathering Waters: Wisconsin’s Alliance for Land Trusts. Gathering Waters is the organization behind Team Knowles Nelson, a coalition working to restore the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program after it lapsed on June 30, 2026.

The ride is meant to spotlight a bigger conversation about how Wisconsin funds and maintains its bike trails and outdoor recreation infrastructure going forward.

“Land stewardship is such an important part of what makes Wisconsin such a great place to live, work, and play. I hope this ride can help raise awareness about the importance of sustainable funding for outdoor infrastructure and the amazing groups of people that are active around the state making that a reality. Whether you love riding, conservation, ATV-ing, or fishing and hunting, opportunities to be outside benefit all of us and I hope we can make renewing Knowles-Nelson a bipartisan priority this legislative session,” said Widder.

Widder’s route begins October 1 on the Red Cedar State Trail. Over the following weeks, Widder will pass through trail systems around the state, supported by local Friends groups, land trusts, and other trail advocates. Along the way, these partners will help tell the story of what these trails mean to their communities, and what it will take to secure the future of bike trails and outdoor recreation infrastructure across Wisconsin.

The Great State Trails Adventure concludes with a Finish Line Celebration on October 22 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at Lucette Brewing Company, 910 Hudson Rd, Menomonie, WI 54751. Open to all, this social event will mark the end of Widder’s ride and bring Team Knowles Nelson supporters together for an evening of camaraderie.

“Every mile of trail Sarah rides during October was built because someone decided it was worth investing in,” said Charlie Carlin, Chief Strategy Officer at Gathering Waters. “Wisconsin has an opportunity to keep building that kind of infrastructure, and we want people to see what’s possible when we do.”

Throughout the month, supporters are welcome to meet up with her to ride along for a few miles at various points on the route. A full schedule of ride events, meetups, her blog, and other ways to follow along can be found at knowlesnelson.org/great-state-trails-adventure.