Baraboo Spur Resolution Final

BACKGROUND: The Sauk County Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted the Great Sauk 
State Trail Master Plan in July 2024 (Resolution No. 59-2024). The Plan identifies a preferred 
and alternate route that connects the built trail in the Sauk Prairie area to the 400 State Trail in 
Reedsburg. The Plan intends that the final construction of the trail will accommodate a 10-12 foot 
bituminous paved shared-use transportation facility that will be physically separated from 
vehicular traffic as much as possible. One of the project goals, as expressed in the plan, is to 
provide a regional recreational trail experience connecting multiple communities; however, where 
the trail is located in incorporated areas, it is anticipated that the trail will also serve as an 
alternative transportation option to traditional vehicular options to access local destination 
businesses and attractions by residents and recreational trail users alike. 

The planning process that led to the development of the Great Sauk State Trail Master Plan 
included a significant amount of involvement from the affected municipalities, state agencies, and 
other stakeholder groups to develop, review, and refine the plan. The plan identified Sauk County 
as the primary sponsor of the planning process and continued plan implementation through 
coordination with affected municipalities and state agencies, leading to a fully constructed trail. 

Specifically, the plan more particularly identifies a route and recommendations by segment. This 
agreement, more particularly, applies to the Baraboo Segment, attached in map form in Appendix 
A, which includes the Baraboo Spur, as shown in map form in Appendix A. 

The Intergovernmental Agreement outlines the Great Sauk State Trail's Baraboo spur, which 
spans parts of the City of Baraboo and Town of Baraboo, utilizing sections of the County Road 
DL right-of-way. Furthermore, it establishes a cooperative framework that defines municipal and 
county responsibilities regarding communication, funding, trail design, engineering, and ongoing 
maintenance.