The Military Ridge State Trail is a 40-mile trail that connects the towns of Dodgeville and Madison in Wisconsin. It runs through various terrains like agricultural land, prairies, wetlands, and forests. It was originally used as a Native American foot trail and then a wagon trail to connect pioneer forts. In 1880 the trail became a railroad which ran all the way until 1979 when the DNR purchased it.
The seasonal changes are hard to miss. The once green and luscious corridors have turned sad and barren. It’s pretty hard for me to tell what kind of plants are here as they are all dead!
This trail is pretty meaningful to me. I spent a lot of my childhood on it as it was my walking route to school! I also have lots of memories of walking my dog with family, trail running with friends, and biking to and from a local ice cream shop in the town over.
It’s a place I often forgot I have such easy access to as a section opens right up the street from my house!