Today, Elroy serves as the junction of three rail-trails converted from Chicago & North Western corridors: the 400 Trail, the Elroy-Sparta State Trail, and the Omaha Trail.

The most famous of the three trails in Elroy is the Elroy-Sparta State Trail, which, in 1967, became the first rail-trail in the country.

The Wisconsin Conservation Commission—the precursor of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources—was quick to note the value of the property and purchased the land from the Chicago & North Western for $12,000. The trail inspired a new era of rail-to-trail conversations. It became the first rail-trail designated a National Recreation Trail by the United States Department of the Interior in 1971. In 2008, it was added to the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Hall of Fame.

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The Chicago & North Western's Rochester 400 passenger train enters the tunnel just north of Elroy, in December 1960. This line is now the Omaha Trail.

Trail: Omaha Trail
Trail length: 12.5 miles
Location: Fountain, Wisconsin
Date: April 28, 2023
Credit: Hailey Paige

Trail: Elroy-Sparta State Trail Rails-to-Trails Marathon
Trail length: 32.5 miles
Location: Norwalk, Wisconsin
Date: October 2, 2022
Credit: Hailey Paige

Trail: 400 State Trail Elroy Commons
Trail length: 22 miles
Location: Elroy, Wisconsin
Date: August 24, 2022
Credit: Hailey Paige

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Caption: Elroy Commons, a restored C&NW depot (detail), August 24, 2022. Photograph by Hailey Paige