After opening the re-routed Weaver Road Segment of the Driftless Trail last year, just north of Governor Dodge State Park, we are excited to announce great progress on two additional pieces of the Driftless Trail. The Knobs Road Segment, north of Ridgeway, is now in the “trial run” phase, open to a limited group who will provide feedback. In October, the Phoebe Point Trail on the Taliesin property, near Spring Green, will open to the general public.
The 2.7-mile Knobs Road Segment can stretch to a four-mile loop by walking Knobs Road in between the trail ends. This trail crosses a property where Dave and Ann Zimrin raise grass-fed beef, sold under the Butler Family Farm label. Hikers will pass through an old orchard, woods, prairies, a wide valley where cows are rotationally grazed, and a mile-long ridge with impressive views and perennial crops. The relatively short hike offers a lot of variety. Stay tuned for the official opening date.
Last year, Driftless Area Land Conservancy and the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation agreed to co-brand the Phoebe Point and Welsh Hills trails on the Taliesin property as part of the Driftless Trail. Natural landscapes were integral to Mr. Wright’s designs, and from both of these trails, you get sweeping views of the landscape that, in his words, “picks you up in its arms and so gently, almost lovingly, cradles you.”
The 1.1-mile Phoebe Point Trail will be opened in October. It will traverse a slope where prairie and savanna restoration is in progress, then follow a ridge with views up and down the Wisconsin River and across much of the Lowery Creek watershed, including the Welsh Hills. This fall, we will also begin to construct an extension of the Welsh Hills Trail, which has been open to the public for several years.
By the end of 2025, we hope to complete the Driftless Trail from Tower Hill State Park through the Taliesin property. From there, we will route the trail south through the Lowery Creek watershed and begin trail construction on the Blue Mound State Park end of the project area.
As this project evolves, its value for educating people about nature and land management, protecting and stewarding a long conservation corridor, building community, and simply connecting people to this amazing landscape is becoming abundantly clear. We are immensely grateful to landowners who are making this possible by hosting the trail on their property and to volunteers who help on multiple fronts.
Enjoy hiking the Weaver Road Segment and (soon) Phoebe Point Trail by finding trail guides at driftlessconservancy.org/driftless-trail.
Written by Barb Barzen, Community Conservation Specialist