After roughly 3.0 more miles (4.8 km) the highway reaches its junction with the northern end of WIS 162 in the unincorporated community of Four Corners.

[a] About 1.8 miles (2.9 km) south-southeast into the Town of Wells, WIS 71 reaches its junction with the southern end of County Trunk Highway AA (CTH-AA) at a T intersection.

From this first crossing, the paths of the highway and rail trail diverge such that are separated by just over 1.6 miles (2.6 km) before converging again in the Village of Norwalk.

Just under a mile (1.6 km) south-southeast of the rail trail, WIS 71 reaches its junction with the northern end of CTH-XU.

[2] Just prior to entering the Village of Wilton, WIS 71 turns east along Walker Street to pass through the community.

Heading southeast for about another 2.6 miles (4.2 km), WIS 71 very briefly passes through the southwest corner of the Town of Clifton.

Just under a mile (1.6 km) further southeast, the highway crosses the Elroy-Sparta State Trail (at an at-grade intersection) as it enters the Village of Kendall.

Two blocks further southeast, WIS 71 reaches is eastern junction with CTH-P and its western junction with CTH-W. WIS 71/CTH-W continues southeastward along East Railroad Street for just over a half-mile (0.8 km) before leaving the Village of Kendall and re-entering the Town of Glendale; crossing over the Baraboo River for a second time.

The highway quickly reaches is eastern junction at a, just after crossing over the Baraboo River for the third time, and CTH-W heads southerly to end in Union Center.

[2] WIS 71, as originally laid out in 1917, ran from Elroy easterly to Mauston and was at one time extended to a terminus near the Wisconsin River.

A short stub of the old roadway between Mauston and the Wisconsin River remains designated as "Old Hwy 71", now under local control.