Attractions & Events

Governor Dodge State Park: Governor Dodge State Park is one of the state’s largest parks, with 5,350 acres of steep hills, bluffs and deep valleys plus two lakes and a waterfall. Located in Wisconsin’s scenic driftless area, Governor Dodge offers camping, picnicking, hiking, canoeing, biking, hunting, fishing, off-road biking, cross-country skiing and horseback riding opportunities. https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/parks/name/govdodge/

Tower Hill State Park: Visit Tower Hill State Park to see how lead shot was made in the mid-1800s, hike challenging bluff trails and enjoy panoramic views. Tower Hill is a seasonal park open from mid-May through Columbus Day weekend each year. The wooden shaft and the smelter house at the top originally built in 1831, have been rebuilt and displays show how shot was made when the tower was in operation. A picnic area, hiking trails, canoe landing and a small campground are also available. https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/parks/name/towerhill/

Spring Green Nature Preserve: Spring Green Preserve, known as the ‘Wisconsin Desert’, features a rolling sand prairie on an old Wisconsin River terrace and harbors a unique flora and fauna that are adapted to the hot, droughty environment. The dry sandy soils contain many desert-like plants such as false heather, three-awn grass, and prickly pear cactus. Nearly 40 species of annuals and biennials thrive here, a high number for a prairie, including plains snake-cotton, Venus’-looking-glass, and dwarf dandelion. Several sand blows, with shifting dunes and open sand, are scattered throughout. Bird life is diverse and includes large numbers of rare open country birds such as the dickcissel. The invertebrates, however, are the most unusual of the Spring Green fauna. Several of the spiders and insects are not known from any other site in Wisconsin. Of special interest are the black widow and several wolf spiders, five species of cicada, eight species of tiger beetles, and predatory wasps. A large pocket gopher population has created patches of open ground where short-lived plants grow. https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Lands/naturalareas/index.asp?SNA=102

Military Ridge Trail: The 40-mile Military Ridge State Trail, in Iowa and Dane counties, connects Dodgeville and Madison by way of an 1855 military route between Verona and Dodgeville. The trail runs along the southern borders of Governor Dodge and Blue Mound state parks passing by agricultural lands, woods, wetlands, and prairies. There are several observation platforms adjacent to the trail for viewing wildlife and other natural features. In Ridgeway, the trail passes by a historic railroad depot. https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/parks/name/militaryridge/

The Taliesin Bike Loop: Cycling Wisconsin, you’ll see incredible views, spectacular rolling hills and rural farmsteads. Glide between beautiful river valleys. Pass through Historic Communities. Regardless of your bicycling abilities, the Cycle Southwest Wisconsin bike trail map has bike loops for every level of bicyclist, one of which goes right past the Silver Star!  http://www.cyclesouthwestwisconsin.com/csww-bike-loops-landing.php

Lower Wisconsin State Riverway: The 92 miles of the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway, from Sauk Prairie to the Mississippi River confluence, is one of the most popular flatwater paddling rivers in Wisconsin, next to the St Croix and Namekagon Rivers. On the LWSR, canoers and kayakers will find a wonderful, flatwater paddling experience; with no dams and no rapids, this is one of the longest free-flowing, navigable stretches of river in the upper Midwest.

This entire reach flows through the ‘Driftless Region’, where the surrounding area was untouched by glaciers during the Ice Ages. Tall bluffs and steep hills with canopies of dense forests often overlook the riverway providing gorgeous scenery. However, the vegetation immediately surrounding the river can vary greatly; paddlers will float by dry sand barrens, high sandy banks, open prairie, oak savannah, hardwood forests, bottomland forests with dense underbrush, numerous sloughs, and occasional areas of open marsh.