Trails and Taprooms Adventure in Verona, Wisconsin

Pedaling bikes and cheersing pints over a fall weekend around Verona

One of the best parts of adventuring around Verona is its access to an abundance of trails. From biking and hiking to straight-up exploring, you can make your way along paved pathways and gravel greenways through rolling farmland, vast woodlands, and boundless prairie. Especially during peak fall season, an adventure in this nature-surrounded slice of Wisconsin doesn’t disappoint. And beyond the region’s pristine trails, travelers can also find their fair share of watering holes for craft beer and local wine, book shops and boutique stores, and cozy coffee shops with homemade pastries.

Our crew – four bright-eyed bicyclers and close friends from Chicago – were excited to spend a weekend charting our own course in Verona and the neighboring cities of Paoli, Mount Horeb, and New Glarus. Our goal: travel along as many trails as possible, connecting small towns, unique taprooms, and local tastes along the way.

We went out to ride the Military Ridge State Trail, a 40-mile paved and gravel pathway connecting Dodgeville and Madison, the Badger State Trail, a 40-mile gravel rail train running from Madison to the Wisconsin-Illinois border, and a mix of local roadways with safe shoulders for bikers.

Here’s a peek into our trail to taproom adventure in and around Verona, Wisconsin.

Bikes in tow, we headed north from Chicago with our sight set on downtown Verona. With rain in the forecast, we decided to make a pit stop for an indoor adventure at Epic Systems. Little did we know just how much art and eclectic exploration was in store.

The health technology company, known for its invention of the widely-used electronic health records platform, MyChart, is an outrageously creative and quirky campus on the outskirts of downtown. At the “Intergalactic Headquarters,” we embarked on a free, self-guided tour through a mix of extraterrestrial, magical, fairytale, and storybook-inspired buildings on the massive 1,100-acre campus.

The scavenger hunt-like experience sent us through two of five buildings as we peeked into art-covered conference rooms, walked through elaborately adorned hallways, slid down a spiral staircase, and quite frankly, transported us into whole new worlds with every turn. We hardly had time to scratch the surface of all there is to see at Epic. If you make the journey, plan on seeing 2 – 3 buildings within 2 – 4 hours, starting at the main entrance to register and grab a visitor map. For more interesting facts on Epic, click here.

Exploring a self-guided tour of an interstellar-themed conference room at Epic Systems in Verona.

Our first stop in downtown Verona was Hop Haus Brewing Company for some craft beer, fried pickles, and a warm pretzel. The Beat Drop, a refreshing hoppy wheat ale, and Yardwork, a lightly bitter and crushable IPA, didn’t disappoint. Post-drinks we walked around town exploring local shops, including a bookstore and a café and yarn shop.

Hand-battered fried pickles, a warm pretzel, and a cold pint at Hop Haus Brewing Co.

At The Sow’s Ear, we took in the colors and textures of hundreds of bundles yarn. Three of us grabbed a coffee and tea at the café counter while Courtney, the weaver in our group, chose some unique thread to bring home for future projects. A couple blocks further, we ducked into Kismet Books, quite possibly the cutest bookstore we’ve ever wandered through. The vibe was warm and welcoming. This indie bookshop prides itself on inviting all into its space, and each walked away with a book in hand and gifts from local artists.

Browsing endless colors of yarn at The Sow’s Ear in downtown Verona.

Kismet Books, a welcoming and charming bookstore and community gathering space in downtown Verona.

For dinner, we grabbed takeout from the newly opened Stone Porch Ale House to scarf down with more local beer at Lake Louie Brewing (formerly Wisconsin Brewing Company). We were able to snag a private back table and spread out our feast of chicken wings, mushroom burgers, crispy cauliflower, and heaping sides of fries. Can’t decide on which beer to try? Choose any four off the menu and build your own sample flight. The 5-ounce pours come on a wooden Wisconsin-shaped tasting board too.

Pro Tip: Lake Louie Brewing has a room full of board games, a big patio, and outdoor fire pits – perfect for the winter and summer months.

Build your own flight at Lake Louie Brewing, formerly known as Wisconsin Brewing Company.

In the morning, a short five-minute drive from the Fairfield Inn & Suites Verona landed us back downtown. We ate breakfast at Alice Good, a specialty café serving Columbian roast coffees and a variety of homemade pastries. The owners pointed us out back to view a stunning mural painted by Columbian artist and social justice activist, Tavo Garavato. Using paper 3D glasses you can borrow from the register, the mural is meant to be viewed using one eye at a time. Multiple images pop from the white brick wall, offering a different commentary and design depending on which color lens you look through.

You can’t go wrong with a croissant and coffee at Alice Good, and make sure to stop to see the mural out back.

Bellies full, we embarked on our 20-mile biking adventure with plans to explore local towns and trails – with stops at taprooms and tasting rooms along the way. Our bike journey began at Quarry Ridge Recreation Area on the Northeast edge of Verona. Here you’ll find single-track mountain biking trails and the trailhead for Military Ridge State Trail. The first half of the morning ride traveled 4 miles on mostly paved path through nature area to ROCKET vélocafé before continuing another 4 miles on the roadway to The Hop Garden in Paoli.

Biking along fall foliage on the way to Historic Mill Park and The Hop Garden’s weekend Farmer’s Market.

We refueled with beers, BBQ, and stories with locals at The Hop Garden’s weekend Farmer’s Market, which runs from June to October (9 a.m. – 1 p.m.). We met long-time Paoli residents and vendors who gave us their local perspectives and shared their talents with us. We listened to live music pour from the wooden stage across the Historic Mill Park grounds and no one left empty-handed (or with empty stomachs).

The Farmer’s Market at The Hop Garden in Paoli.

Our second leg of the bike trip traveled 14.5 miles on the Badger State Trail, a former railroad track converted to gravel pathway in 2007, and back roads. The smooth and tree-filled bike route offered views of farmlands framed by vibrant fall foliage. We saw only a few other riders on the route, which meant more solitude and serenity for us.

The last mile of our ride took us along the Sugar River State Trail, a 24-mile crushed limestone and partially paved path that runs from New Glarus to Brodhead. The two non-bikers spent a couple of hours in the afternoon shopping at small boutiques in downtown New Glarus before reconvening for a short 10-minute drive to Baileys Run Vineyard by car.

We sipped rosé and snacked on a charcuterie board and pretzel with beer cheese while watching live music and the sun set over the vineyard. Views here are stunning: a large green space in the foreground of vine-filled rolling hills that extend to the horizon. The wrap-around deck at Bailey’s Run dazzles not only with views but charming twinkle lights too. The newly opened Whiskey Run Distilling Co. on the backside of the building offers whiskey tastings and handcrafted cocktails.

Views at the vineyard at Bailey’s Run on the outskirts of downtown New Glarus.

Pro Tip: Nature lovers can also check out the nearby New Glarus Woods State Park for hiking and biking before or after a visit to downtown New Glarus or the winery.

Our last day started with coffee and breakfast at Grace Coffee Co. in Verona. Breakfast sandwiches with a side of homestyle potatoes and pastries to split made the perfect meal before our 2.4-mile loop hike at the Olson Oak Wood State Natural Area. The 35-acre hilly forest area overflows with black cherry, oak, hickory, and elm trees that popped with a kaleidoscope of color during our October wander.

We couldn’t come to the region without stopping for an underground hike at Cave of the Mounds. This amazing natural wonder shows off geologic formations, like towering stalagmites rising from the cave floor, sheets of flowstone spilling down the walls, and stalactites hanging from the ceiling. The hour-long guided tour taught us about the 400 million-year-old history that can be found within the limestone walls deep within the cave.

Pro Tip: Bikers can connect downtown Verona and downtown Mt. Horeb via the Military Ridge State Trail – and continue even further to Cave of the Mounds.

Underground view of the caves at Cave of the Mounds in Mount Horeb.

To end our trip, we grabbed lunch in downtown Mount Horeb at Sunn Cafe. You can also stop at Brix Cider or Grumpy Troll Brewing just down the street from Sunn Cafe before or after lunch for a drink or two. Over toasty sandwiches, cold drinks, and homemade cookies, we reminiscent about our time in and around Verona – from biking on seemingly untouched trails to meeting friendly locals to clicking craft drinks. As much as we each had our favorite experiences, we all came to one common conclusion: Verona is truly a vibe.