Fort McCoy Garrison commander joins community leaders for Sparta-Elroy Trail Opening Celebration

Fort McCoy Garrison Commander Col. Sheyla Baez Ramirez joined community leaders, local officials, tourism representatives, and outdoor enthusiasts May 2, 2026, for the annual Sparta-Elroy State Trail Opening Tunnels Celebration hosted by the Sparta (Wis.) Area Chamber of Commerce.

Baez Ramirez participated in a ceremonial ribbon cutting at the Sparta Depot that officially marked the opening of the trail tunnels for the 2026 season. Sparta Mayor Kristen Riley and representatives from the Monroe County Butterfest organization also took part in the ceremony as community members gathered to celebrate the return of one of Wisconsin's most popular outdoor recreation destinations.

The event served as both a celebration and community gathering for residents and visitors eager to begin another season on the historic Sparta-Elroy State Trail, recognized as the nation's first rail-to-trail conversion.

According to information shared by the Sparta Area Chamber of Commerce during a Facebook video from the event, activities included opportunities to tour a Western Technical College fire truck, participate in a bicycle swap organized by the Wisconsin Friends of the Sparta-Elroy State Trail, purchase food from Chugging Good Eats, and enter a bicycle decoration contest later in the day.

“We had a ribbon cutting already,” a chamber representative said in the video. “Mayor Riley was right there just doing the ribbon cutting along with the Butterfest gals.”

The chamber also encouraged visitors to take advantage of the trail opening despite a temporary bridge closure requiring a detour of approximately 3.5 miles.

The annual celebration highlights the importance of outdoor recreation and tourism to Sparta and Monroe County. Thousands of visitors travel to the area each year to experience the trail's three historic railroad tunnels, scenic countryside, and connection to Wisconsin's bicycling heritage.

For Fort McCoy, participation in the event reflects the installation’s commitment to community engagement and partnership throughout western Wisconsin. The installation regularly collaborates with local governments, chambers of commerce, schools, veterans organizations, and community groups in support of economic development, education, recreation, and public service initiatives.

The relationship between Sparta and Fort McCoy dates back more than a century to Maj. Gen. Robert Bruce McCoy, the Sparta civic leader and military officer whose efforts helped establish the military training grounds that eventually became Fort McCoy. Today, that partnership continues through participation in community events such as Memorial Day observances, educational programs, civic celebrations, and tourism initiatives.

By joining local leaders for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Baez helped celebrate an attraction that serves as an important economic and recreational asset for the region while reinforcing the strong ties between Fort McCoy and the communities it serves.

As cyclists began heading out onto the trail following the ceremony, the event marked the official start of another season on one of Wisconsin's most historic and recognizable outdoor destinations.

Fort McCoy’s motto beginning in 2026 is “Training the Total Force and Shaping the Future since 1909.”

The installation’s mission: “Fort McCoy strengthens Total Force Readiness by serving as a training center, Mobilization Force Generation Installation, and Strategic Support Area enabling warfighter lethality to deploy, fight, and win our nation’s wars.”

And Fort McCoy’s vision is, “To be the premier training center supporting the most capable, combat-ready, and lethal armed forces.”

Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin. The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984.

Learn more about Fort McCoy online at\[c\]\(https://home\.army\.mil/mccoy\)\, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy\,” on Flickr at https://www\.flickr\.com/photos/fortmccoywi\, and on X \(formerly Twitter\) by searching “usagmccoy\.” Also try downloading the My Army Post app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base\. Fort McCoy is also part of Army’s Installation Management Command where “We Are The Army’s Home\.”