WI Rustic Roads: Oneida County, R58, R59

Published Thursday, January 19, 2023 by Bryan

People familiar with Northwoods lore have been expecting today's Rustic Roads video for a while. The creature grinning behind me in video logo is the Hodag, a mythical creature first photographed in near Rhinelander in 1896.

A man in motorcycle gear approaches a statue of a toothy, red-eyed, green-firred, long-tailed, horned and spiked beast.
Me (right), visiting the Hodag (left) at the Rhinelander Chamber of Commerce.

The rides in today's video happen on the other side of Oneida County, near Minocqua. I think the nordic skiing heritage of the area had a strong influence on the design of these roads. R58 is fully paved, and is a pleasant ride with some nice curves, like a beginner/intermediate "blue" ski trail. About a third of the way into it, though, you find the entrance to R59. That road is almost all gravel, with some decent climbs and narrow stretches, like a more advanced "black" ski trail. Both routes dump you on the highway, so you can take 70 and 51 - the "base loop" - back to the start and ride them again.

Categories: Motorcycle Travel WIRR