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Delavan hosting bike ride along scenic White River Trail

Members of the White River Cycle Club ride the trail near Lyons last summer. The club will host a guided tour of the trail in conjunction with the Delavan Parks and Recreation Department on May 15. The event is a great way to kick off National Bike Month. File photo/Terry Mayer.

ELKHORN -- When you want to get away from it all but don’t want to go very far, think trail trip instead of road trip. This journey requires you, a bicycle and the White River State Trail.

One of the best kept secrets in Walworth County, the White River State Trail spans 11 miles between Elkhorn and Spring Valley Road in Burlington. A two-mile stretch between Springfield and Lyons is open not only to bike riders and hikers, but also to horseback riding.

Jeff Ozimek is a graduate assistant with the Delavan Parks and Recreation Department and is organizing a guided bike ride for May 15, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., which will start at the Elkhorn trailhead off of Highway H. Ozimek says Walworth County abounds with outdoor opportunities if people would only avail themselves.

“The whole point of the trip is to get people acquainted with the resources in their backyard,” said Ozimek “This is a leisurely bike trip.”

Don Anderson, a member of the White River Cycle Club, enjoys the White River State Trail for a couple of reasons.

“The variety of the scenery that you have, plus it’s fairly leveled and is an easy ride for most everybody,” said Anderson. “And you have Peddle and Cup as a half-way point. You can stop and have some coffee and then ride some more.”

Officially opened in 2003, the White River Trail features a crushed limestone surface. This surface, Anderson explains, makes a fairly smooth for hikers, bikers or horses. Currently, the trail goes through the historic village of Lyons and is within five miles of Lake Geneva and Big Foot Beach State Park. In Burlington, the trail ends a few miles west of the downtown.

Those participating in the May 15 ride with the Delavan Parks and Recreation Department will be assessed a fee of $4 per rider. That includes a guided tour of the trail by members of the White River Bike Trail, who have significant knowledge of the trail’s culture and history.

Read the full story in the e-edition of Weekender HERE.