Today was one of my favorite days so far. It was my favorite kind of fall day, frosty and crisp in the morning, with warm sun and a bright blue sky. I began today’s ride on the Glacial Drumlin State Trail, which took me to the K. Redmond Family Preserve. The Redmond Preserve is located in Delafield and protected through Tall Pines Conservancy. The land was donated by the Redmond and Bugbee families to ensure its conservation, and the donors are now looking to share the land with the public. Tall Pines is planning for public access by building a sustainable trail system throughout Redmond. The system will feature beautiful hiking and mountain biking routes, plus an Ice Age Trail spur route.
The Glacial Drumlin also passed by many lakes, as well as right through the Zeloski March unit of the Lake Mills Wildlife Area, which is also a Knowles-Nelson beneficiary. The Zeloski Marsh unit, which is part of the former, larger London Marsh, is comprised of restored wetlands with impoundments that provide opportunities to manage water levels for migrating and nesting waterfowl, shorebirds, and other wetland species, as well as providing excellent opportunities for walking, wildlife watching, and hunting. The Zeloski Unit was acquired by the Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance (formerly Madison Audubon) with Knowles-Nelson funding.
The Glacial Drumlin almost connects to the Capital City State Trail in Madison, and then winds through the city, including a nice detour around Brittingham Bay to accommodate the extensive construction occurring on John Nolen, which will vastly improve the Monona lake front, including expanding the bike and pedestrian paths (separate paths!), a living edge shoreline park, and traffic calming measures.
While Madison has MANY bike paths throughout the city, I decided to continue on the detour all the way back to the Capital City trail and follow it all the way south through a network of nature preserves, some of which are open to public hunting, and all the way out past Fitchburg where it connects directly with the Badger State Trail. I’m so glad I did! I’ve ridden the bike paths in Madison a lot, but never taken the Capital City all the way to the Southwestern terminus and it was so worth it! It was a beautiful paved path that rolls through the countryside and was so fun to ride.
I saw so many other folks out enjoying the trails today, on this beautiful Saturday! Group walkers, solo walkers, dog walkers, hikers, skateboarders, roller skiers, runners, other cyclists – including electric and recumbent bikes, and even a guy laying duck decoys in the river (at least I think that’s what he was doing)! It was truly a great day to be outside and seeing everyone enjoying the trail reminded me what a resource trails and natural spaces are for the community.
I continued my journey south on the Badger State Trail, which intersects with the Ice Age Trail in two sections. The Ice Age Trail, WI’s longest footpath, follows the edge of the last glaciation, offering an adventure in history and geology as well as another fun and accessible way to explore WI’s landscape and small towns. I loved completing it in segments over the course of ~10 years. The Ice Age Trail is another great resource that has benefited substantially from Knowles-Nelson funding for trail maintenance, as well as acquiring new properties to make the trail more continuous. More than 500 miles of the trail still needs to be completed, a big reason we need to get back to funding Knowles-Nelson! Learn more about volunteer and donation opportunities here: https://www.iceagetrail.org/get-involved/
I finished my ride today on the Sugar River State Trail, which intersects the Badger State Trail near Monticello and finished in Brodhead at the Southern terminus. What a glorious day to be outside – I’m so grateful for all the amazing recreation opportunities WI already has and hope we can prioritize maintaining and growing this amazing resource in the future!
– Sarah
Today at a glance
Day 17 | Waukesha to Monroe
Mileage: 117
Explore Nearby
Greenfield, WI | Managed by: Milwaukee County Parks
Root River Parkway is an urban trail following the Root River. Trail corridors like this one help animals safely move between fragmented habitat in developed areas, in addition to offering recreation for people.
Eau Claire, WI | Managed by: City of Eau Claire
Eau Claire's Pheonix Park boasts a walking labyrinth, an outdoor amphitheater, the Eau Claire Farmers Market, and the Chippewa River State Trail trailhead. Knowles-Nelson funds allowed for Phoenix Park’s development and expansion.
Chippewa County, WI | Managed by: WI DNR
Tom Lawin Wildlife Area is a 2,282-acre public hunting and wildlife preserve. It's also a birding hotspot, with visitors frequently spotting waterfowl, shorebirds, American bitterns, harriers, and short-eared owls. Knowles-Nelson funded land purchases for the preserve’s expansion.
