Before jet airliners and divided highways, riding the 400 was the fast way from Chicago to the Twin Cities. The streamlined train made the trip in under 400 minutes, at times hitting 100 miles per hour. Today, the 400 is one of four interconnected rail bed trails that form a virtually continuous route more than 100 miles in length. From the 400 trailhead in Reedsburg, you can connect with the Elroy-Sparta, the La Crosse River and the Great River State Trails, ending near Marshland on the Mississippi River. That's 101 miles of rail/trail cruisin'.

The scenic 400 route is sprinkled with frequent small town rest stops. If you like to camp, you'll find campgrounds at Legion Park in Wonewoc, and at Schultz Park south of Elroy. At Union Center, you can turn west on the Hillsboro State Trail 4.3 miles of more easy riding.As you pedal the 400 you'll cross the sinuous Baraboo River eleven times. In places you'll travel through a micro-climate of white pines that cling to rocky bluffs. Over the babble of the river and the wind in the pines, some say you can still hear the rush of the 400 clattering northwest to Minnesota. All aboard!