FDL via Old Plank Road Trail to Plymouth & Kettle Moraine State Forest back to FDL

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Taycheedah, WI, US

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Scott Hostetter

A full time, year round cycling enthusist, a bike tourer and commuter who hasn't had a driver's license, by choice, since 2004

92 km

834 m

A day ride from Fond Du Lac eastbound on the Old Plank Rd. Trail to visit the quaint, historic town of Plymouth. Returning to Fond Du Lac through the scenic Kettle Moraine State Forest and the rolling hills of Wisconsin's dairy land.

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A fully paved route with a fair amount of short climbs and descents but mostly the rolling hills of the Ledge region between Lake Winnebago and Lake Michigan (Fond Du Lac to Sheboygan).  The ride begins in the free Winnebago Park and Ride which is trail head for the Prairie and Peebles trail.  This ride is about 60 miles in length, so plan on about 5 hours depending on how much off the bike time for site seeing, lunch, etc. This route is probably best suited for at least moderate level of cyclists, with nearly 3000 ft. of vertical gain over almost 60 miles riders that are not used to riding touring length segments, might find this route leaves them with some pretty rubbery legs at the end of the day.

The route starts off heading south on the paved Prairie Trail to where it intersects with the fully paved Old Plank Road Trail that parallels Wisconsin State Highway 23 between Fond Du Lac and Sheboygan. At the point the Prairie Trail interesects Hwy. 23 the route turns east onto the Old Plank Road Trail.  The route follows this paved rolling trail for 21.6 miles.  Once crossing into Sheboygan County on the Old Plank Road Trail, @photo[the asphalt is much older with more cracks and bumps](17345164), as well as some sharp turns, so use caution if this is your first time riding the Old Plank Road trail in Sheboygan County.  The route exits the trail at the intersection of County Rd. C which leads right into city of Plymouth.  This route obviously has a lot of scenic views of the@photo[ rolling hills](17345177) but the two highlights of this route is the @photo[city of Plymouth](17345165), @photo[the Cheese Capital of Wisconsin](17345167) (or that is what they claim) and the @photo[Kettle Morraine State Forest](17345180).  There are plenty of shops, restaurants, bar & grills, the local Plymouth Brewery and a local distillery, as well as several museums to learn about Plymouth's history and of course cheese.

The route out of Plymouth is when the rider will experience probably the hardest climb, but not the longest climb, of the route that begins on West Mill Street heading up towards Saint John the Baptist Church where the ride turns left onto Summit Street which continues up the hill where the steepest grade of 9.5% occurs before ever leaving the city limits of Plymouth.

After reaching the top of the hill County Rd Z offers rolling hills and great views of the Kettle Moraine State Forest.  Before entering Kettle Moraine State Forest there is a short segment on Summit road which is not often traveled and the asphalt is cracked and bumpy.  It may be best to not sit hard in the saddle, you're rear will thank you.  The road through the forest is @photo[windy and offers a pretty submersive forest experience](17345179), keep your eyes peeled for wildlife.  There are a couple of spots to stop along the road with @poi[picnic areas](152439373), pit toilets, @poi[water ](152438706)to refill bottles, and @photo[trails to hike (no charge), and designated mountain bike trails](17348021) that do @photo[require a trail pass](17348023) that can be purchsed at the @photo[Greenbush picnic area](17348022).
 
Riding out of the Kettle Morraine State forest will still be pretty wooded along County Rd. T for a few miles before giving way to more open farmland and pastures.@photo[enter label](17345185).  One last stop on the ride might be the @poi[Baker Country Cheese Store at Graham Corner's](152439818).  From Graham Corner's the ride rolls through the rolling farming area that sits up on the Ledge (Niagra Escarpment) and concludes with very nice and well deserved long descent that begins on County Rd. UU just after crossing over Hwy 23 through the @point[two roundabouts](d,86110.45) and the @point[decline increases on Golf Course Rd as it passes the water tower](d,88341.24) and the rider can enjoy the coast downhill all the way to the @point[stop sign at US Hwy 151](d,90367.19).  The finish is a flat cool down back to the Winnebago Park & Ride.
  
Here a few to main points of interest on this route that make the visit to Plymouth a lot of fun.

* @poi[Plymouth Historical Society](152438707)
* Plymouth Brewing Company @poi[Taproom](152438709) and @poi[production facility](152438710)
* There are a lot of great places to eat in Plymouth and I didn't list them all on the route map, but here are few that stand out for me: @poi[Antoinette's](152438713), @poi[Red Shorts Cafe (only open for breakfast and lunch)](152438715), @poi[Moxie's Cafe](152438716), @poi[The Depot](152438718) and @poi[Deo's Pizzeria](152438717).
* Walking the short @photo[Veterns Memorial Trail](17345173) that follows the Mullet River is a nice break from being in the saddle while in Plymouth. The trail starts at the @photo[dam](17345170) and @photo[follows the river](17345172) west to S. Milwaukee St. 
* If you have the time, the @photo[hiking trails](17348021) at Greenbush Picnic Area are nice break from the saddle,  There are several colored trails of varying lengths.

# Important Reminders

This is not a difficult ride, but it is fairly long for a day ride for some riders, and a couple of the hills could be a bit of a challenge for those that have not spent a lot of time riding and training for doing hilly rides.  Although if you're not planning on stopping a lot, this ride for a someone that bikes frequently, depending on fitness and bike type, can be ridden in 4-5 hours, but if you're wanting to stop and spend time in Plymouth and the State forest this would be whole day to really take it all in so plan accordingly.  The winds in this region will typically be somewhat in the direction of the route: east to west or west to east so expect a head and tail wind component on coming or going.  With all the rolling hills I make sure to have a water bottle and maybe a snack with me.  There is a lot of riding out in exposed areas so sunscreen, sunsleeves and lip balm are nice to have on hand.   Get out there and enjoy the ride.

FDL via Old Plank Road Trail to Plymouth & Kettle Moraine State Forest back to FDL

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