Pedaling through the hard rain visibility was next to zero but we made it to the New Glarus State park and took refuge under a picnic shelter. Ringing out wet clothes we waited for the storm to abate before venturing on further to get dinner in the town of New Glarus.

In the early 1840s, after several years of failed crops and as food became scarce, much of the canton of Glarus in Switzerland found itself deep in poverty. With more workers than available jobs, the Glarus Emigration Society was established in 1844 and offered loans to help residents purchase land in America. 193 volunteers decided to leave their homelands to start anew, founding the town of New Glarus.

Fast forward to 1993 Deborah and Dan Carey founded the New Glarus Brewing Company. The brewery grew quickly and in 2004 they broke ground on a $20 million brewery to handle increased demand for their beer. Long ago deciding to sell their beer exclusively in Wisconsin, today the New Glarus Brewing Company is the 25th largest overall brewing company in the United States.

Enter Covid. The original plan was to pair my love for bikes and my love for beer with a trip to the brewery but due to the ongoing pandemic the brewery is closed for the summer. Instead we ventured into town and were able to get a great meal at the outside patio at the Sugar River Pizza Company. Established in 2013 they are are a family run business with a made from scratch menu serving up pizza, calzones, salads and a vast bottle list of local and regional beers.

After we had filled our bellies we sought out the local liquor store for a small bottle of bourbon before making a stop across the street at the laundromat to dry our wet clothes and shoes. All the creature comforts of the modern world on a bikepacking trip.

Camping at New Glarus State park there are two sections to camp in. One is directly off the bike path coming back from town. These sites are only accessible by bicycle or hiking but are also the closest to the highway with lots of truck traffic. The other section is farther away from the highway but also accessible by vehicle so expect to see more camper trailers. Though the park offices were closed firewood was available on the honor system.

Share this Story