I know it is still summer, but I am a fall girl at heart. So once August comes, I start getting giddy about what is to come. Fall is also a time where I start to feel nostalgic about all the wonderful memories I made while living in Madison. Many of those memories were made pounding the pavement of the many available trails in Madison.
When I look back to the endless hours I spent clocking miles on the trails in Madison, I think of the first few years of dating my husband. We used the hours of running as uninterrupted time together to talk and learn everything about one another. I learned he has unique choices of fuel he chose to pack along (like a cadbury egg or an eggroll). He learned I was scared of geese when we had to talk an alternate route due to a family of stubborn geese who wouldn’t get off the path.
We learned how to support one another in times of struggle and how to celebrate one another in times of success. I know that sounds serious in the context of just running on trails in Madison. But ingraining those qualities into our relationship so early on has allowed us to get through seriously tough times.
Appreciating the Availability of Trails in Madison
Now that I live away from Madison, I realize how special it is that Madison provides all of these long, well maintained available trails to the public. Unfortunately, a lot of the trails in Madison don’t get the use they deserve simply because they are not publicized, so no one knows about them.
Well, look no further! I have put together a comprehensive list of many of the trails in Madison that I have utilized and loved.
My Favorites:
Trail: Badger State Trail
Location: Dawley Conservancy Bike Hub in Fitchburg. This trail runs all the way from the Dane County to the Illinois border
Length: 40 miles
Path type: Paved for the first 6 miles, after that mostly crushed limestone
Trail: Capital City trail
Location: Olin Park (Madison), William G. Lunney Lake Farm County Park (Fitchburg) or Syene Rd Trail Lot (Fitchburg). This trail is a gateway to lots of other trails in Madison such as Badger State trail and Cannonball path
Length: 17 miles
Path type: asphalt
Trail: Ice age trail (Dane County segment)
Location: Ice Age Junction Trail area located off McKee Road (County Highway PD) and S. Pleasant View Road
Length: 6.4 miles (for this segment). The entire Ice Age Trails is 1,200 miles!
Path type: some asphalt, otherwise natural dirt / grass
Trail: Military Ridge State trail
Location: Badger Prairie County Park. This trail starts in Fitchburg and goes into Dodgeville
Length: 40 miles
Path type: mostly crushed limestone
Trail: Glacier Drumlin State trail
Location: Easily accessed in Cottage Grove on S. Main Street. The trail goes toward the suburbs near Milwaukee area.
Length: 52 miles
Path type: some asphalt, mostly crushed limestone
Appreciating the Diversity of Trails in Madison
Running, trail biking, mountain biking, hiking, snow shoeing, cross country skiing. Any time, any month, any weather condition. There is a trail in Madison for you!
Whether you are local to Madison, or maybe new or traveling, try to carve out some time to explore the various trails in Madison. Maybe you’ll end up making a memory that you look back on with nostalgia, just like I did.
What are some of your favorite trails in your area? What fun memories have you made while exploring?