Sparta once had a Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road) mainline and a pair of Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW) mainlines. Today, the former Milwaukee Road is owned by CPKC, while the C&NW lines have been abandoned. South of the city, the former C&NW is used by the Elroy-Sparta State Trail, while west of the city, it is used as part of the La Crosse River State Trail.