Town of Verona Natural Areas Tour
In partnership with the Verona Area Chamber of Commerce, the Town has created a Natural Areas Tour. Visit all 10 of the Town's natural areas and receive a patch and a commemorative certificate. More details about this program can be found here.
#1. Badger Prairie Park is a 317-acre park located just east of the intersection of CTH PB & US Hwy 18/151 in the center of the Town. The park has a shelter, athletic fields, mountain bike trails, a playground, an 11- acre dog park and an aeromodelling field. Walking trails through restored prairie are accessible from the Verona Public Library on the west, the main entrance on the southeast, and the soccer fields on the north. A paved walking/biking path provides access to the Military Ridge State Trail and the Verona segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail.
More information and a detailed map can be found on the Dane County Parks website
#2 The Military Ridge State Trail is 40 miles long and connects Dodgeville to Madison. A large portion of the trail is wooded, with many openings of beautiful views of the countryside. The section from Verona to Riley is 6 miles long and winds through the Sugar River Valley. A state trail pass is required for users aged 16 and older for biking or in-line skating. No pass is required for walking, hiking, or cross-country skiing. Dogs must be on a leash.
More information and detailed map can be found on the DNR website
3. Moraine Kettles Preserve is a 20-acre property in the central area of the Town. It features about 1.5 miles of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, two restored prairies, oak woods and savanna, several kettle ponds, and a section of the terminal moraine. The restored prairies have several dozen species of native grasses and wildflowers - a haven for birds and pollinators. There’s a small 10 car parking lot on County M, just south of the 18-151 bypass.
More information and detailed map can be found on the IAT Alliance website: https://www.iceagetrail.org
#4. Prairie Moraine Park is a 160-acre property in the central area of the Town. It features about 2 miles of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail with interpretive signage regarding the story of the Ice Age and the park’s geology. The park has been restored into 3 natural areas - tall grass prairie, oak woodland, and oak savanna. A 91-acre portion is a popular off-leash dog park. There are two parking lots off Hwy PB - one close to the dog park; the other at the entrance to the Ice Age Trail. A Dane County dog park pass is required for the off-leash area. Dogs must be on leash on the Ice Age Trail.
More information and detailed map can be found on the Dane County Parks website.
#5. Scheidegger Forest is an 80-acre park at the corner of Range Trail & Sunset Drive in the Southeast quadrant of the Town. The entrance is located off Range Trail. There is a good-size parking lot, a reservable shelter, and a restroom. The park is a managed forest of mostly oak and hickory trees. There is a one mile loop hiking trail within the forest.
More information and detailed map can be found on the Dane County Parks website.
#6. The Sugar River is 90 miles long originating just west of Verona. There are a number of access points in the Town. Highway 69, just south of Sunset Drive, has a large parking lot in the Falk/Wells Sugar River Wildlife Area. The trip from the Hwy 69 landing to Paoli is 3.37 miles. Another parking lot and access point is on Valley Road just east of the bridge. The trip from this lot to Paoli is 5.89 miles.
Detailed map on the Upper Sugar River Watershed website
https://www.wisconsinrivertrips.com/segments/sugar-river
#7. The Sugar River Davidson Unit is a 169-acre park in the south-central area of the Town. The park has a canoe landing, historic house, and effigy mounds. A small parking lot is located at the end of the driveway off Hwy 69. There is an easy access landing to the Sugar River for canoeing/kayaking.
More information and detailed map can be found on the Dane County Parks website
#8. The Madison School Forest is a 307-acre forest in the Southwest portion of the Town. It has a 2.4 mile hiking loop through hilly terrain of the unglaciated Driftless Area. The park is open daily to the public and the parking lot is located on Fritz Rd. A short drive down the road is “Friends’ Prairie” a 72-acre farm used for student educational experiences.
More information and detailed map can be found on the Alltrails.com website
#9. The Town Hall Prairie is a 4-acre restored prairie surrounding Town Hall. There are several dozen species of native plants that bloom all summer and attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Trails loop through the prairie for a short walk.
#10. The Sugar River Savanna is a 9-acre restored preserve in the northwest corner of the Town. This is a high-quality, rich example of Wisconsin’s original oak savannas, which covered over 70% of Dane County in 1935. Please stay on the trails to protect the vegetation. Parking and the entrance are along Hwy PD about 100 yards west of Timber Lane.