Wisconsin's Governor Dodge State Park is extensive, with over 35 miles of trails to choose from. The longest uninterrupted trail is the Driftless Horse Trail that circumnavigates the park property. This trail travels between some of the highest points of the park down to some of the lowest. The trail contains continuous rolling hills in typical Wisconsin fashion, and provides spectacular views of parts of the park that you would not be able to see unless when on this trail, including rocky outcroppings, lake views, streams and more. The loop is runnable throughout, with some larger hill climbs and a few areas of loose rock and sand. Plus, keep an eye out for the horse pies.
The trail is well marked, but is marked mostly for the clockwise direction and some caution should be taken when going counter-clockwise. One of the most unique parts of this route is that this state park went untouched by the glaciers, and thus provides a spectacular glimpse into what Wisconsin may have looked like before the glacial area. With the views and amount of elevation gain, the Driftless Horse Trail provides a unique experience that is otherwise difficult to find in southern Wisconsin.
Comments
I'm heading out to give this one a go tomorrow (Saturday 10/10) morning. Conditions look ripe for running!
So that didn't go great. I was not prepared for how rugged the horse trail is. Jack, you have a very impressive time. I'll be back soon to take a bigger bite here.
Giving the two loop a go tomorrow, just to get down a time. Looks like a lovely day, barring getting lost for my first time out there!
This went well, a bit warm, just how I like it. Way more horses than expected based off of everyone else's experiences! GREAT training route for Wisconsin.