New Glarus-Mineral Point Pasty Loop

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New Glarus, WI, US

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Route Overview

BetweenRides

Midwest Routemeister

77 mi.

3,684 ft.

A hilly ride out to Mineral Point, West of New Glarus. Lunch (pasties of course) at the Red Rooster Cafe at the 33 mile mark. Return trip is through the rustic area just South of Yellowstone Lake, with a water stop in Argyle at 56 miles before returning to New Glarus. This is a long ride, but all on good highways. It includes several challenging climbs and long sections of ridge riding with spectacular panoramic views of the Wisconsin countryside and Driftless Region.

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Route Details

This ride begins and ends at @point[The Chalet Landhaus](d,123501.53) in New Glarus, Wisconsin, on Hwy 69 just South of 6th Ave/Hwy 39. Make sure to let the hotel know you are parking and riding from their lot. There is a short access path behind the hotel which leads right to the Sugar River Trail (paved), the start of the ride. There is a restroom by the lobby in the hotel. If you are going to be in New Glarus for a few days, this is a really nice place to stay.

New Glarus is a village in Green County, Wisconsin, about 45 minutes SSW of the state capital in Madison. The village and the town that surrounds it, 
was named after the Canton of Glarus in eastern Switzerland.  The community
was founded in 1845 by immigrants from Glarus, Switzerland and was 
incorporated in 1901. New Glarus is a popular tourist destination best known 
for its Swiss heritage, old world architecture, ethnic dining, a small independently
owned craft brewery, and outdoor festivals.

New Glaris is a fantastic area for biking, with hard, rustic climbs to the South, West and North and more genteel rolling hills to the East. It is also located by two great trails: The Sugar River (Trailhead just north of the hotel) and the Badger State Trail, just East of town. The Pasty Loop is a long road ride out to Mineral Point, returning through the rolling hills South of Yellowstone Lake and through the town of Argyle.

Located in Iowa County and Wisconsin's third oldest city, Mineral Point was settled in the early 1800's, becoming a lead and zinc mining center during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Today the city's historical character has made it a regional tourist destination. The first European settlement at Mineral Point began in 1827. One of the first settlers to the area was Henry Dodge and his family who settled a few miles away from Mineral Point. During the following year, large quantities of galena, or lead ore, were discovered around the settlement in shallow deposits. Lead had many uses at the time, and settlers began to flock to the region hoping to make a living by extracting the easily accessible mineral. Today, Mineral Point is known for charming Bed & Breakfast Inns, restaurants and a thriving artist community. It's a favorite for me and my cycling buddies to stay in when we're riding the [Dairyland Dare](https://www.dairylanddare.com/) ride out of Dodgeville, just a quick 15 minutes North.

**Now on to the ride:**

The warmup portion takes you through the neighborhoods just South of town and up Legler Valley Rd heading West. You'll hit your @slice[first hill](d,4909.16,6595.7) at about the 3 mile mark and it's a real wake up climb, about a mile in length culminating at @point[Rustic Rd 81](d,6660.82) for a long section of ridge riding with gorgeous views. A *rustic road* in Wisconsin means there's no grading - the roads follow the existing terrain - and generally with chip seal surface, although usually in pretty good condition.

Your next turn will take you onto @point[Wisconsin Hwy 39](d,8746.35), which will take you West all the way to the outskirts of Mineral Point. Even though it's a highway, traffic is light and the road surface is in great condition. For the next 26 miles, you'll be treated to spectacular scenic views, a few challenging climbs and some phenomenal high speed descents. If you need it, there's a @poi[water stop in Hollandale](2444447) at the Sunoco. On the edge of Mineral Point, you'll take a right on Wisconsin Hwy 23, then another right on @point[Merry Christmas Ln](d,51865.82) for a quick history tour of the area. Short, steep rollers take you to Copper St by Soldiers Memorial Park, then a left onto historic Shakerag St.

Straight ahead at the intersection is Pendarvis, a Wisconsin state historic site and museum, including a 43 acre prairie restoration project. Continuing down @slice[Shakerag St](d,52882.06,53342.85), you'll see many other historic dwellings and the site of the original lead mines. In case you were wondering, Shake Rag Street was named for the dishrags the wives supposedly waved to tell miners up on Merry Christmas Mine hill their dinner was ready.

As you exit Shake Rag into town, you'll have one more climb up Doty St and Chestnut St before arriving at the Red Rooster Cafe on High St. The Red Rooster has been making traditional pasty, figgyhobbin and other Cornish specialties for over 40 years. If you've made this trip before or want lighter fare than pasties, try out the Gray Dog Deli just up the street. Just look for the zinc Gray Dog over the cafe - the town's mascot.

Leaving the Red Rooster, you'll wind your way through this historic town on Front St, @point[Commerce St](d,54250.07) and Old Darlington Rd back out to Hwy 23, heading South for about 7 miles along another ridge with some nice views of the Driftless Region of Southwestern Wisconsin. From there you'll head @point[East on County Hwy G](d,66183.34) with more of the same terrain.

No Wisconsin ride is complete without a stop at a country cheese shop. On your right at the corner of County G and F is the @point[Brunkow Cheese Co-Op](d,73644.48). Stop in to refill your water bottles, watch them making cheese and be sure to try their Fried Cheese.

From there, you'll be riding mostly through the ridges and rolling hills leading up to area South of Yellowstone Lake State Park. Just past the Lake turnoff, County G features an @slice[incredible downhill section](d,82935.96,84085.14) with spectacular views, but you'll be going so fast you should probably just focus on the road ahead.

County G leads you to Wisconsin Hwy 81, which takes you into the town of Argyle. There's a @point[Cenex convenience store](d,90096.42) just before the river if you want a snack or need to top off your water bottles. Make sure to stop and take some pictures as you cross the @point[Pecatonica River](d,90282.59) just before town.

A mix of state highway and county alphabet roads await you for the trip back East and North. Several hard climbs, ridge rides and culminating with an @slice[awesome long descent](d,118954.81,121711.82) on County Hwy H into New Glarus. Before you head North into town on 2nd St, look off to the Southeast for a view of the New Glarus Brewery up on the hill overlooking the valley.

The ride ends at the Chalet on the Suger River Trail. Pop into the hotel bar for a quick Spotted Cow. If you're really thirsty, head over to Puempel's Olde Tavern on 6th Ave just a short 2 block walk North. Puempel's is a historic pub featuring a full selection of New Glarus beers and a great cheese plate stocked with local fare. You also may have noticed Sugar River Pizza on the trail heading up to Puempel's. Fantastic pizza, pleasent outdoor seating and a craft beer selection with over 100 choices. The owner Larry is a real character too.

# Links to Points of Interest
* [Chalet Landhaus Hotel](http://www.chaletlandhaus.com/)
* [Mineral Point, Wisconsin](http://mineralpoint.com/)
* [Pendarvis Historic Site](http://pendarvis.wisconsinhistory.org/)
* [New Glarus, Wisconsin](http://www.swisstown.com/)
* [The Sugar River Trail](http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/parks/name/sugarriver/)
* [The Badger State Trail](http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/parks/name/badger/)
* [The Driftless Region of Wisconsin](http://driftlesswisconsin.com/)

# More resources

Interested in more rides in the New Glarus area? I've led two week long cycling tours in the area. Feel free to peruse my RwGPS events or borrow my other routes:

* [2014 New Glarus Tour](https://ridewithgps.com/events/2021-new-glarus-tour-june-2014)
* [2016 New Glarus Tour](https://ridewithgps.com/events/15790-3d-new-glarus-tour-june-2016)

# Important Reminders

This ride takes you though low traffic areas on country highways with very few population centers. There are no bike shops, so carry at least two water bottles, gels or snacks, a cell phone, tools and spare tubes in the event you have mechanical issues. In my experience, this area is good for riding any day of the week. Don't forget your camera!

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New Glarus-Mineral Point Pasty Loop

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