Craving a summer adventure? Our 2026 national rally, June 18-21, drops you into Wisconsin’s Driftless Area—where nearly every mile stacks sweepers, switchbacks, ridge climbs, and valley drops into rides packed with fun!
There’s a version of the Midwest your brain expects: flattened by ice, squared off by surveyors, roads laid down like graph paper.
The Driftless Area refuses all of that.
During the last Ice Age, massive glaciers moved across most of North America, grinding down hills, filling valleys, and leaving behind the kind of terrain that makes straight roads easy and inevitable. But for reasons still debated—ice flow patterns, underlying topography, timing—this pocket of southwestern Wisconsin (and parts of Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois) was simply… missed.
No glacial drift. No leveling. No reset.
What’s left is a landscape that predates the smoothing. Deeply cut river valleys. Narrow ridgelines. Elevation changes that stack quickly and unpredictably. A terrain that looks—and rides—more like something you’d expect in a different country entirely.
And because the land was never simplified, the roads weren’t either. They don’t straighten the land—they negotiate with it. They climb, tighten, crest, and drop with very little warning. Corners link into corners. Sightlines shift. Surfaces change just enough to keep you honest. Pavement where it makes sense, gravel where it doesn’t.
This is not passive riding.
This is a place where line choice matters, where suspension earns its keep, where braking and throttle actually mean something. The rhythm is continuous and physical—closer to European B-roads than anything you’d expect within a day’s ride of Chippewa Falls.
If you ride a machine built for movement—something with real suspension, real brakes, real intent—this is where the map stops being theoretical and starts becoming tactile.
The Experience: What Makes the Driftless Different
The Driftless exists because glaciers never touched it. Which means:
- No flattened farmland grid
- No predictable road geometry
- No mercy in elevation
Instead, you get tight coulees, blind ridgelines, and roads that refuse to run straight for long.
One moment you’re carving along a ridgeline with horizon-for-days visibility. The next, you’ve dropped into a shaded valley with a decreasing-radius corner that demands your full attention.
It’s not dramatic in a postcard way. It’s dramatic in a riding way.
The Roads: Perfect for Riders Who Love Surprises
Unpredictability is the point—in most places you plan a route, but, here, you plan a direction.
Every turn onto a county road carries a question:
- Is this going to open up…
- Or tighten into something technical…
- Or dissolve into gravel that keeps going longer than expected…
And the answer is usually yes.
That variability is exactly what makes the region addictive. Even seasoned riders can’t fully “solve” it.The Driftless doesn’t hand you a single iconic road. It hands you a network.
- State routes roll and sweep
- County roads tighten and surprise
- Gravel connectors quietly invite ADV bikes deeper
A short stretch like Wisconsin Route 39 delivers continuous curves, elevation changes, and layered farm-and-valley scenery—the kind of road where you stop checking your mirrors and start reading the terrain.
And there’s the real secret: Turn off the obvious road, and it gets better. Locals and riders consistently point to miles of scenic gravel and lightly traveled backroads threading the region—rideable, flowing, and often empty. This is not a “destination road.” It’s an in-the-moment, choose-your-own-adventure environment.
The Rhythm: Why It Favors European Touring + ADV Bikes
This is where the Driftless quietly filters its audience.
Cruiser riders can pass through.
But machines designed for precision, suspension travel, and all-day ergonomics actually belong here.
Because the rhythm looks like this:
- Brake → tip in → climb → crest → adjust → descend → repeat
- Surface shifts from flawless pavement to imperfect reality
- Sightlines change constantly
You need:
- Chassis feedback
- Confident braking
- The ability to transition quickly
In other words, this terrain rewards bikes built for the Alps more than bikes built for straight lines.
Your Orbit: Within 200 Miles of Chippewa Falls
Using Chippewa Falls as your launch point, the Driftless unfolds to the south and west in three distinct riding zones—each with its own rhythm, terrain, and reasons to linger.
La Crosse + Mississippi River Bluffs
Fast sweepers, dramatic elevation, and long sightlines. This is where you calibrate—eyes up, pace smooth, bike settled—before the terrain tightens elsewhere.
Anchor this zone along the Great River Road, where the road tracks the Mississippi with a mix of flowing curves and bluffside elevation changes.
Work in:
- Ferryville — a quiet stretch of river road with less traffic and uninterrupted rhythm
- Prairie du Chien — near the southern edge of your range, useful as a turnaround or overnight anchor
Ride character: Open, fast, and visually expansive—but still engaged enough to keep you honest.
Kickapoo Valley / Vernon County
The heart of the Driftless. Remote, technical, and quietly addictive. This is where roads stop pretending to go anywhere.
Center your riding around:
- Viroqua — a practical base with access to dense networks of county roads
- Kickapoo Valley Reserve — terrain that folds in on itself, producing constant elevation shifts
- Soldiers Grove — another gateway into less-traveled, high-quality routes
This is also where the region’s geology shows up most clearly:
- Karst features (springs, sinkholes, hidden water systems)
- Narrow coulees with tight transitions
- Ridge roads separated by deep, winding valleys
You’ll also find gravel connectors and lightly maintained roads that make this zone especially rewarding for ADV setups.
Ride character: Tight, technical, and continuous. Minimal straightaways. Maximum engagement.
Wildcat Mountain + Ontario area
Ridge riding, valley drops, and terrain that feels carved rather than planned.
Focus on:
- Wildcat Mountain State Park — some of the best elevated views in the region, paired with roads that climb and fall in quick succession
- Ontario and surrounding ridge systems — where roads trace the tops before dropping sharply into the valleys
Optionally, if you want to extend eastward, the terrain gradually opens while still holding onto that Driftless irregularity. This is where you fold in:
- Spring Green — a natural waypoint as the ridges begin to stretch and soften
- Taliesin — set directly into the landscape, designed to mirror the same ridgelines you’ve been riding
- Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center — a structured stop if you want to get off the bike and reset
- Devil’s Lake State Park — near the outer edge of your 200-mile range, with more dramatic rock formations and a slightly more trafficked but still worthwhile road network
Ride character: Rhythmic elevation changes, cresting transitions, and a constant push-pull between exposure and enclosure. In the extended zone, the aggression softens slightly, but the flow remains—longer sweepers, broader valleys, and a chance to transition from technical riding into something more reflective without losing terrain interest.
The Season: June Days Are Long, Lush, and Energizing
June lands in a narrow sweet spot where the Driftless feels fully awake—but not yet crowded or punishing.
- Long daylight windows mean you can string together serious mileage without rushing. Early starts and late finishes both work.
- Temperatures are cooperative, typically warm without the peak-summer humidity that dulls focus and drains stamina.
- Road conditions are reliable—winter damage has been addressed, and you’re less likely to encounter the loose debris and runoff that can linger earlier in spring.
- The landscape is fully green but still readable. You get the visual depth of the valleys without everything being overgrown to the point of obscuring sightlines.
- Traffic is manageable. Schools are just letting out, but you’re ahead of the heaviest vacation flow, especially midweek.
- Gravel and secondary roads are in good shape, making it an ideal window for ADV riders to push beyond pavement without fighting mud or washouts.
June doesn’t just make the Driftless rideable—it makes it flow.
The Bottom Line: Go, Go, GO!
The Driftless Area isn’t trying to impress you. It’s just there—folded, irregular, and unconcerned with being famous.
And if you ride something designed for precision and distance, it will meet you exactly where you are…
and then keep asking a little more of you with every mile.
You don’t come to the Driftless to check a box. You come because…
- The roads are engaging, not performative
- The terrain forces active riding, not passive cruising
- The experience is earned, not curated
There’s no single famous stretch, but there are hundreds of miles that quietly outperform expectations, especially if your bike—and your mindset—are built for it.
ABOUT THE RALLY
The BMWRA’s flagship national rally will take place in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, June 18-21, 2026 at the Northern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds.
- Thursday night dogs and beer sponsored by Bob’s Motorcycles
- Music both Friday and Saturday nights
- Ride routes available
- FREE primitive camping
- Affordable RV sites with electric & water hookups
- Discounted hotel options
- Moto Games, a crowd favorite whether competing or cheering
- Women Who Ride meetup
- Engaging speaker sessions filled with inspiring stories, practical skills, and real-world riding insights
DEADLINES
- Guarantee your rally t-shirt by selecting the shirt pre-order option by May 18 while registering online
- Register on or before June 1 to receive a FREE brat supper at the rally
- Arrange new tire installation while attending the rally—by June 11, call Matt Schultz, Zacho Sports Center, 715-382-1171