Summer is my busy time of year. As a tourism director, I’m covering over 100 events, and organizing and marketing Watertown Riverfest as my volunteer project. It can be a challenge to decompress. Well, it WAS a challenge to decompress until I started a daily visit to the Interurban Trail. I found my Zen and I found moments to blow off steam on the 7+ miles of paved, off-road trail.
Early mornings
As the days grew more packed with activity, I found the early mornings to be ideal to find stillness and fresh air as I started my day on the trail. I was very grateful that my busy schedule pushed me out the door in the early hours to experience the trail with cooler temps, a little fog, morning dew, and lots of wildlife.
Evening hikes
As much as I needed those early morning Zen moments, I also highly recommend an evening hike, bike, or run on the trail. The views and wildlife are completely different.
Different seasons
Changes in weather create another adventure on the trail. From colorful, falling leaves to silence in the snow, you’ll want to see the trail through its seasonal perspectives.
Even though snow accumulates on the trail, it doesn’t spend much of the winter snow-covered. It seems to melt fairly quickly in the direct sun.
Sections of the trail
The trail is over seven miles long, with roads intersecting throughout. It seems that each “section” between the roads has its own personality. Some are straight, some are marshy, some more woods, some are winding, some up or downhill. All are appropriate for leisure or fast-pace exercise.
High adventure
Not everyone is using the trail for a leisure walk. I myself will do some speed work on the trail in my running plan or on my bike. My son is a cross country runner on the Watertown High School team, and we can credit the trail with keeping him in top-top shape during the off-season. The straight sections are ideal for speed work, and the off-road aspect is ideal for safety. We’ve even experimented with some senior pics on the trail.
Visit the trail
Winter, spring, summer, or fall. Morning, noon, or night. The Interurban Trail will provide the leisure or adrenaline you crave. Visitors from out of town are encouraged to start at the trailhead, located at Humboldt and Clark Streets. You’ll find restrooms, a water fountain/bottle filling station (ahem…bubbler for Wisconsinites), a bike repair station, a map of the trail and community, and most importantly, bikes for rent! A simple self-serve system is in place with bikes and helmets for kids and adults.
Dogs are welcome! Please, please, please clean up after your pet so that the trail can remain dog-friendly.
About the Author: Robin Kaufmann
