West Salem: Trails, Motorsport and Literary History

The La Crosse River State Trail, a speedway and a literary connection dating from before 1916 give West Salem several different facets. Here, you can enjoy cycling and hiking, motorsport or local history—and, when choosing where to stay, consider which of these interests matters most for your trip.

Landscape and Trails

West Salem is located within Wisconsin’s Western Upland, an area that is part of the Driftless Area. The town is also situated along Interstate 90. These geographic features can help you consider West Salem as a possible starting point for your trip, without letting any single attraction define your stay.

The La Crosse River State Trail is an unpaved, 21.5-mile trail. It runs east from La Crosse through West Salem and beyond the town to Sparta. Cyclists and hikers use it for recreation. So, if you enjoy spending time outdoors, the trail offers both a clearly identified route and two described recreational activities. Its unpaved surface, route through West Salem and total length are concrete points of reference if you’re considering including it in your trip.

The West Salem Veteran’s Park Trail offers a different kind of route: It is 8 feet wide, paved and connects Veteran’s Park with the street network at Heritage Lane. This distinguishes two different trail descriptions: the longer, unpaved La Crosse River State Trail and a paved connection between the park and the street network. Downtown West Salem also has a bicycle shelter and kiosk. They provide cyclists with a shaded place to rest and access to water.

Motorsport in West Salem

The LaCrosse Speedway adds another, distinctly different motorsport focus. The speedway has two paved oval tracks for stock-car racing, as well as a dragstrip for the Friday night Street Drags. Motorsport and trails for cyclists and hikers are therefore different interests to consider. If you’re looking for a vacation rental in West Salem, you can consider whether the speedway, activities on the trails or a mix of interests should shape your stay.

The LaCrosse Speedway is also the venue for the historic short-track Oktoberfest Race Weekend. The connection to a historic race adds a distinct event tradition to the description of the racing facility. If you’re interested in motorsport, you can consider both the different types of tracks and this race when planning your trip.

Literary History and Choosing Where to Stay

West Salem also has a literary connection: During Garland’s summer stays in a house in town, much of the first draft of the Middle Border series was written before 1916. This story offers a different way to experience West Salem than its trails and racing facility. A house in West Salem was designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior in 1973.

When looking for a vacation rental, you can first decide which aspect of the town interests you most: its recreational trails, motorsport facilities or literary history. West Salem’s location in the Western Upland, within the Driftless Area and along Interstate 90 provides additional geographic context.

Discover Nearby Places

You can also explore the destinations of La Crosse, Bangor and Onalaska.

Go to the main travel overview: La Crosse.