Gateway to The Driftless

  • Home
  • Gateway to The Driftless

Gateway to The Driftless A meeting place for the NW Dane County outdoor recreation community.

ALMOST DONEThe new pedestrian recreational bridge across the Wisconsin River at Sauk City is on schedule for completion ...
23/01/2026

ALMOST DONE
The new pedestrian recreational bridge across the Wisconsin River at Sauk City is on schedule for completion by mid-May, 2026!! Construction of the new bridge began in early 2025 in tandem with repurposing of a short bridge over a second channel of the river in Dane County as the first development Phase of the Walking Iron Trail to link with the Great Sauk State Trail. Both projects share the same completion date.

Dane County will begin Phase 2 of the Walking Iron Trail as a 3-mile Rails-to-Trails conversion project from the second channel bridge south along Highway 78.

This connection will provide a recreational, scenic gateway over the Wisconsin River and make it possible to hop on a bicycle in Dane County and pedal all the way to Devils Lake State Park and even farther as the Great Sauk State Trail is eventually extended to Reedsburg.

Funding for the bridge project came from commitments from the two counties, federal funds from the 2022 Omnibus Spending Plan, a sizeable federal Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant awarded to Sauk City and a substantial contribution from the Wisconsin Snowmobile Trail Aids program. The Rails-to-Trails project also received a TAP grant awarded to Dane County.
As the Great Sauk State Trail expands northward toward Reedsburg, Dane County has plans to eventually develop the Black Earth Creek Trail from Middleton through the villages of Cross Plains, Black Earth and Mazomanie linking to Walking Iron Trail. When completed, this two-county recreational trail will be part of the Gateway to the Driftless Trail System and is expected to be the busiest trail in the state.

https://gatewaytothedriftless.com

Groundswell Looking for Prairie Planting Help Groundswell is planting ~5 acres of prairie on Saturday, January 18th from...
05/01/2025

Groundswell Looking for Prairie Planting Help

Groundswell is planting ~5 acres of prairie on Saturday, January 18th from 9am-11am at Westport Prairie (5208 B**g Road, Waunakee) and we'd love for you to join.

Starting in the late spring and continuing through the fall of 2024, we collected 60 different species of prairie plant seed totaling over 115 lbs! All of the seed was collected from either Westport Prairie or nearby remnant prairies. Species like spiderwort, prairie dock, and silky aster all made their way into our seed collection bags and we're finally ready to plant them! Many thanks to our dedicated volunteers and Kaylee who helped make it happen.

The agricultural field that we are planting to prairie is 7.5 acres total. Before the holidays, students from Waunakee High School helped us plant 2.5 of those acres. This means we have 5 acres left to plant!
All materials and seed will be provided. Please dress for the weather (winter hat, gloves, & comfortable hiking boots are recommended) and get ready to do some walking! If you've never planted a prairie in the winter before, you can expect to have a bucket full of seed that you will sprinkle around while walking in straight lines. Once the buckets are empty we'll refill and repeat until the whole area is covered with seed. After the planting, stick around for some refreshments!

*Please note that there is no restroom for this event.*

If you would like to be a part of this planting, PLEASE RSVP BY CLICKING THIS LINK AND SIGNING UP: https://groundswellconservancy.org/event/january-2025-seed-planting-at-westport-prairie/ We are capping this event at 30 volunteers and encourage you to carpool. Your RSVP will also allow me to email you in case there are last-minute changes to the event. There is no requirement to stay for the entire time.
Cheers,


BJ Byers
Land Management Director
Groundswell Conservancy

MARK YOUR CALENDAR Dane and Sauk Counties announced that the new pedestrian recreational bridge across the Wisconsin Riv...
08/12/2024

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Dane and Sauk Counties announced that the new pedestrian recreational bridge across the Wisconsin River at Sauk City is scheduled for completion by mid-May, 2026!! Construction of the new bridge will begin in early 2025 in tandem with development of a 3-mile Rails-to-Trails conversion in Dane County as the first segment of the Walking Iron Trail to link with the Great Sauk State Trail. Both projects share the same completion date.

This connection will provide a recreational, scenic gateway over the Wisconsin River and make it possible to hop on a bicycle in Dane County and pedal all the way to Devils Lake State Park and even farther as the Great Sauk State Trail is eventually extended to Reedsburg.

Funding for the bridge project came from commitments from the two counties, federal funds from the 2022 Omnibus Spending Plan and a sizeable federal Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant awarded to Sauk City. The Rails-to-Trails project also received a TAP grant awarded to Dane County.
As the Great Sauk State Trail expands northward toward Reedsburg, Dane County has plans to eventually develop the Black Earth Creek Trail from Middleton through the villages of Cross Plains, Black Earth and Mazomanie linking to Walking Iron Trail. When completed, this two-county recreational trail will be part of the Gateway to the Driftless Trail System and is expected to be the busiest trail in the state.

DNR Seeking Public Comment On The Draft Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation PlanWritten Comments Accepted Through...
22/11/2024

DNR Seeking Public Comment On The Draft Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan
Written Comments Accepted Through Dec. 15


The public is encouraged to provide their input on the draft Wisconsin Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan by Dec. 15, 2024. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is seeking public input on the draft Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP). https://widnr.widen.net/s/xnlzqbpzzr/fl_mp_scorp_2024_2028_document_and_appendices

The public is encouraged to submit comments using the online public input form, https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZMG3KLT on the DNR’s Wisconsin Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan webpage, https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/fl/PropertyPlanning/Scorp . Comments may also be sent via U.S. mail, phone or email.

PHASE I: WALKING IRON RAILS-TO-TRAILS PROJECTThis picture shows the work that was done recently to remove rail road trac...
18/10/2024

PHASE I: WALKING IRON RAILS-TO-TRAILS PROJECT

This picture shows the work that was done recently to remove rail road tracks representing Phase I of the Walking Iron Rails-to-Trails project along Highway 78.

Last year, the Wisconsin and Southern Railroad agreed to abandon about 3 miles of tracks in Dane County extending south from the Wisconsin River, at Sauk City, to a DNR parking lot adjacent to Highway 78. Dane County took over this corridor and began undertaking a Rails-to-Trails conversion that will connect to the Great Sauk State Trail via the new pedestrian bridge the two counties have partnered to construct across the Wisconsin River.

Development of this 3-mile trail segment is expected to be completed in 2026.

Dane County was awarded a Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant request to fund the project. The Gateway to The Driftless fully supports this project and helped to gather letters of support from our partners and local businesses for submission with the grant request.

Phase I of this Rails-to-Trails project is the first step in developing the Walking Iron Trail from the River to Mazomanie where connection to the existing Wolf Run Trail can be made.
The Gateway to The Driftless will continue to work diligently with our partner Villages of Cross Plains, Black Earth and Mazomanie, surrounding Townships, Dane County, and Groundswell Conservancy to complete the year-round multi-use Black Earth Creek Trail that is envisioned from Middleton to the Wisconsin River.

UPDATE: WALKING IRON RAILS-TO- TRAILS PROJECTDane County Executive Joe Parisi has included $11 Million for the Walking I...
05/10/2023

UPDATE: WALKING IRON RAILS-TO- TRAILS PROJECT

Dane County Executive Joe Parisi has included $11 Million for the Walking Iron Rails-to-Trails conversion project in the County’s 2024 budget. The full press release highlighting the budget can be found here: Press Releases | Office of the County Executive (countyofdane.com)

Last March, the Wisconsin and Southern Railroad agreed to abandon about 3 miles of tracks in Dane County extending south from the Wisconsin River, at Sauk City, to a DNR parking lot adjacent to Highway 78. Dane County will take over this corridor and undertake a Rails-to-Trails conversion starting next spring that will connect to the Great Sauk State Trail via the new pedestrian bridge the two counties have partnered to construct across the Wisconsin River. Completion of both projects is expected by late-2025.

This Rails-to-Trails project is the first step in developing the Walking Iron Trail from the River to Mazomanie where connection to the existing Wolf Run Trail can be made.

The Gateway to The Driftless will continue to work diligently with our partner Villages of Cross Plains, Black Earth and Mazomanie, surrounding Townships, Dane County, and Groundswell Conservancy to complete the year-round multi-use Black Earth Creek Trail that is envisioned from Middleton to the Wisconsin River.

Hey Kids, Becoming a Driftless Explorer Starts at Your Library!The Gateway to The Driftless organization and the Cross P...
29/08/2023

Hey Kids, Becoming a Driftless Explorer Starts at Your Library!

The Gateway to The Driftless organization and the Cross Plains, Black Earth and Mazomanie Libraries have partnered on an activity to get area kids out and exploring the many natural resources (parks, conservancies, etc.) in the Black Earth Creek watershed.

"Become a Driftless Explorer" is open to kids through age 14 and their assisting adults/caregivers (Guides) to earn "treasure" by visiting at least 4 of the sites contained in their Driftless Explorer Passport by October 15th. At each site, kids will be asked to record various activities they did, such as walk on a trail, look for butterflies, find some yellow flowers and/or take pictures to post on the Gateway's Face Book or Instagram accounts.

Explorers can pick up their "Passport" to fun and adventure anytime at their local library to record any of the area parks, trails or conservancies visited. Turn your passport in to your local Library on or before October 15th to receive your TREASURE:


-- Kids Adventurer Treasure - 4 or more sites explored – a Kwik Trip Fresh Blends drink coupon and Library treasure
-- Kids Explorer Treasure - 9 or more sites explored – a Cross Plains Culver's Kid's Meal & Kwik Trip drink coupons and Library treasure
-- Guides Assisting Kids – Free used book from the Library and entry into a drawing for a certificate from a local establishment.

The organizers wish to thank the local Kwip Trip Stores and Cross Plains Culver's for their generous donations toward this program.

Address

WI

Telephone

+16086587901

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Gateway to The Driftless posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

  • Want your organization to be the top-listed Non Profit Organization?

Share