Aldo Leopold Legacy Trail System
Military Ridge State Trail

The 40-mile Military Ridge State Trail, in Iowa and Dane counties, connects Dodgeville and Madison, Wisconsin, by way of the communities of Ridgeway, Barneveld, Blue Mounds, Mount Horeb, Riley, Klevenville, and Verona.

Military Ridge State Trail Map [PDF 73KB]

The trail follows an 1855 military road between Verona and Dodgeville.
DNR Photo by Bob Queen

The trail runs along the southern borders of Governor Dodge and Blue Mound state parks. The land around the trail is primarily agricultural, but also includes woods, wetlands, prairies, villages, and small cities.

The limestone-surfaced trail is open to walkers, bicyclists, and wheelchair users in late spring, summer, and fall and snowmobilers and cross-country skiers in the winter. The segment between Verona and Madison is blacktopped and also usable by in-line skaters.

Most of the trail follows the former Chicago and North Western Railroad corridor, which has a gentle grade of only 2 to 5 percent. Between Dodgeville and Mount Horeb it runs along the top of the Military Ridge, the divide between the Wisconsin River watershed to the north and the Pecatonica and Rock River watershed to the south. Between Mount Horeb and Fitchburg, the trail goes through the Sugar River Valley where it intersects with the Ice Age National Scenic Trail.

Several long stretches of trees provide shade along the trail.
DNR Photo

There are several observation platforms adjacent to the trail for viewing wetlands, wildlife, and other natural features. In Ridgeway, the trail passes by a historic railroad depot.

The access to Governor Dodge State Park is about 2.3 miles east of Dodgeville. The paved access parallels Highway Z and then leads walkers and bikers to the Cox Hollow beach and picnic area. The Blue Mound State Park access trail is about .75 miles west of the Village of Blue Mounds and enters the park near the campground.

There's a new 6-mile trail, the Shake Rag Trail, along US Highway 151 between Dodgeville and Mineral Point. Mineral Point is a historic lead-mining town and site of Pendarvis [exit DNR], a Cornish miners' colony and restoration operated by the Wisconsin Historical Society.

How to Get There

Vehicle parking lots for the trail are at Highway PB east of Verona, Mount Horeb, Blue Mounds, Barneveld, Riley, and Highway YZ .2 mile east of Highway 23 near Dodgeville. The trail office is in Blue Mound State Park, 4350 Mounds Park Rd., P.O. Box 98, Blue Mounds WI 53517.

More Information

For more information about communities along the trail, camping and accommodations, restaurants and services, trail history, events and trail pass vendors, please visit:

Friends of Military Ridge State Trail [exit DNR]
Blue Mounds [exit DNR]
Fitchburg [exit DNR]
Madison [exit DNR]
Mount Horeb [exit DNR]
Verona [exit DNR]

For more information, ask:

Military Ridge State Trail
P.O. Box 98
Blue Mounds, WI 53517
(608) 437-7393