There may be no better feeling than taking that first sip of a craft beverage after covering some ground by pedal. And there’s no better place to do it than Madison, as Wisconsin’s capital is known for being one of the most bikeable cities in the country.
Madison was recertified as a platinum-level bicycle-friendly community by the League of American Cyclists in 2024. With more than 200 miles of biking and hiking trails, there’s no shortage of opportunities to explore. Sign up for Madison by Bike to pedal across four unique Madison bike trails while making stops along the way to redeem exclusive discounts and earn prizes. While you’re at it, you can take your bike to one, or multiple, of the 32 stops on the Madison on Tap Craft Beverage Trail. It’s a free roadmap to breweries, cideries, distilleries and wineries in the area with discounts and prizes along the way, so be sure to sign up before visiting or rolling out on your bike.
Pour Another Round put together our recommendations for how best to combine Madison by Bike with Madison on Tap.
CAPITAL CITY TRAIL
The Capital City Trail is a 17-mile route that is a joint venture between Madison, Fitchburg, Dane County and the Department of Natural Resources. The trail links the Military Ridge State Trail and Badger State trail, with nine miles of it going through the Capital Springs State Recreation Area just south of Madison. A portion includes the Lewis Nine Springs E-way, a seven-mile environmental corridor envisioned by UW-Madison Professor of Landscape Architecture Phil Lewis, which requires a state trail pass for those ages 16 or older who are biking or in-line skating.
The asphalt-surfaced trail is great not just for cyclists, but wheelchair users, walkers, joggers, strollers and skaters. The trail will take you to the west side of Lake Monona, where you can find distilleries State Line, Old Sugar and Imaginary Factory. You’ll also find a collection of breweries along and just a short ways off the trail including Working Draft Beer Company, Giant Jones Brewing Company, two Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company locations, Starkweather Brewing Company and Delta Beer Lab.
CANNONBALL PATH
Built on the abandoned Union Pacific Railroad corridor, the Cannonball Path is a paved, 10-mile trail that goes through the Dawley Conservancy and UW-Madison Arboretum. For true biking enthusiasts, passing through the Velo Underround, a two-level bike roundabout and interchange for five regional trails, is a must. If you’re bringing your own bike, you can start at the Dawley Bike Hub, which offers easy trail access as well as air pumps and parking. You can also rent a B-Cycle e-bike at the Wyndham Garden Hotel located in Fitchburg.
From the Cannonball Path, you can easily get to one of the Great Dane taprooms as well Hop Haus Brewing Co.’s Fitchburg location, which is about a mile-and-a-half off the loop. Or take a detour about 4.5 miles round trip to Yahara Bay Distillers, Inc. Grabbing a beer and some food at Thirsty Goat in Fitchburg is a must!
LAKESHORE PATH
The Lakeshore Path is actually two trails: the Howard Temin Path and the Lake Mendota Path. Biking is only permitted on the Howard Temin Path, which starts south of Bill’s Woods along Oxford Road and extends to North Park Street on the UW-Madison campus. This portion of the path was named after the late professor of oncology and Nobel Prize winner who often biked this route. Take time to reflect along the shoreline, as Temin did, and throw in a stop at the Hilldale Great Dane location before hopping on the path. Keep cruising after it ends past the Capitol for a number of breweries and distilleries.
SOUTHWEST COMMUTER PATH
The Southwest Commuter Path connects to the Velo Underround, where the Capital City, Cannonball and Badger State trails converge. The path goes by Camp Randall Stadium, providing a great photo opportunity, and connects again with the Capital City Trail near Monona Bay. You can take a break from pedaling and rent a watercraft near the bay or from Wingra Boats on Lake Wingra, which the path also goes by. Connect to one of the other trails to easily access a number of the locations on Madison On Tap.
And stop by along the way to see our friend Garth at Garth’s Brew Bar where you can sample a host of Independent Craft Brewery beer offerings.
Head to pouranotherround.com or wherever you do your very best podcast listening and browse through our 100+ episodes where Derrick and Jonathan talk directly to the beverage makers and founders and understand what’s behind the drinks in our glasses. Send us a note on Facebook or Instagram and share with us your explorations on the Madison On Tap Craft Beverage Trail to earn points and prizes, all while sipping on some delicious beers, ciders, wines and cocktails.
