A drive through northeastern Iowa County serves up incredible vistas, bucolic farm scenes, roller coaster topography, historic treasures, and a taste of rural life. We all love what we see out the window. Now stop and think what a hike through this same landscape would give you. Not only could you soak in all of the above up close and at your own pace, you could learn more, get exercise, enjoy quality time alone or with friends and family, and even take it all in on snowshoes or cross country skis.
What started as our executive director’s daydream about a looped hike from Tower Hill to Governor Dodge to Blue Mound state park through the amazing hills and valleys in between has, over the past three years, become a full-fledged proposal and community conservation strategy that DALC is now rolling out.
When completed some 15-20 years from now, the Driftless Trail will be a trail network that connect the three state parks, Trout Creek and Love-Strutt Creek Fishery Areas, Ridgeway Pine Relict State Natural Area, and many beautiful private conservation lands in between. A couple of campsites will allow people to do overnight hikes of 50 miles or more, and multiple small loops will allow for the 1-2 hour hikes many people prefer.
Indeed, wherever the trail wanders, DALC will ensure those areas are managed well. The long-term impact will be an extensive corridor of good-quality woodland, savanna, prairie, and wetland habitat that will allow for movement of wildlife, improve resiliency to climate change, and model land management techniques that trail users can learn from and apply elsewhere.
In addition to involving landowners, the Driftless Trail will engage and energize educators, businesses, youth organizations, health organizations, natural resource managers, and community leaders in the seven towns surrounding the project area: Dodgeville, Spring Green, Arena, Ridgeway, Barneveld, Blue Mounds, and Mount Horeb.
After developing a Concept Plan with assistance from the National Park Service and expertise of our planning and advisory teams, DALC is now incorporating input from landowners and the public into plans for moving forward. As momentum continues to build, more voices are adding their support for the trail:
“The Driftless Trail is exactly what visitors are looking for right now. They are looking for opportunities to get out in nature, to observe wildlife, but also at the end of the day be close to other amenities and attractions. The Driftless Trail makes all of that possible,” notes Anne Sayers, Deputy Secretary for the Wisconsin Department of Tourism.
If you’d like to support or learn more about the project, contact Barb Barzen at barb@driftlessconservancy.org