Cost: $129 (includes lunch)
Level: Beginner
Maximum Size: 22 attendees

Description:

Visit and learn about two horse trail networks located in SW Wisconsin’s beautiful Driftless region. 

First, travel by van to Donald County Park in Mt. Vernon, Wisconsin. Beginning in the early 2000’s a local horse club (later the Friends of Donald Park) worked closely with Dane county to plan and build this unique 20+ mile network of equestrian trails. Centered on a trailhead in the park, multi-use trails traverse the park’s scenic 500 +acres, connecting with two “outside the park” trails on adjoining private land. The Donald Park trails were among the first in Wisconsin to use this model, where public parkland provided a trailhead and central core of trails, with connecting trails on private lands extending available riding miles. At Donald Park, participants will learn a bit about park history and take in beautiful views during a short hike on a horse trail by a burbling trout stream. Energetic and speedy hikers may continue on foot to the equestrian trailhead (an optional approximate half hour’s walk) to re-join the van group. Then drive about 30 minutes deeper into the Driftless region to visit Governor Dodge State Park, just north of Dodgeville, home to 25+ miles of horse trails and a beautiful 20 site equestrian campground that opened in 2022.

At Governor Dodge, participants will enjoy an overview of the park’s varied scenery, see three equestrian trailheads, and tour the landscape architect designed equestrian campground, planned, funded and constructed by the Friends of Governor Dodge in collaboration with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The talented landscape architects who designed the campground plan to be there to share how they dealt with the site’s design challenges. Lunch included via a locally-catered picnic-style lunch will be served in the campground’s open air pavilion. Park staff and Friends members may join the group to chat about public/private collaboration. If time allows, take a short walk along some of the park’s equestrian trails that have recently undergone grading/footing repairs before returning to Monona Terrace by 2:00pm.

PLEASE NOTE: Times noted included transportation to and from location noted above. Start time is when transportation intends to depart and the end time is when attendees are expected to arrive back by. Please arrive at requested location 15 minutes before start time to check-in.

Learning Objectives:

• TBD

Leaders:

Jean Warrior, Friends of Governor Dodge County Park and Friends of Donald County Park; Katie MacDonald and Blake Theisen, Landscape Architects, Parkitecture & Planning