224 Ice Age Trail Guidebook 2014
Verona Segment (Atlas Map 66f)
SNAPSHOT
6.4 miles: CTH-PD (McKee Rd.) to Prairie Moraine County Park at Wesner Rd.
3
2
is suburban segment makes good use of three county parks and links
up to a variety of additional hiking and biking trails.
TRAIL ACCESS AND PARKING
CTH-PD (McKee Rd.): From Verona, at the intersection of Verona Ave. (Bus. Rt. USH-18/151) and
CTH-M (Main St./Pleasant View Rd.), take CTH-M (Main St./Pleasant View Rd.) north 1.7 mi. At CTH-
PD (McKee Rd.) turn right and go east 0.6 mi to the parking area on the south side of CTH-PD.
Prairie Moraine County Park at Wesner Rd.: From USH-18/151 south of Verona take Exit 79 onto
CTH-PB and drive south 1.0 mi. At Wesner Rd. turn left to enter the Prairie Moraine County Park
parking area.
Additional Parking: (i) Reddan Soccer Park parking area on Cross Country Rd. (No parking during
tournaments.) (ii) Verona Public Library. (iii) Badger Prairie County Park (Exit 81 from USH 18/151).
(iv) Military Ridge State Trail/Ice Age Trail access on Old PB Rd. just south of Verona Ave. (Exit 81 from
USH 18/151). (v) Ceniti Park Sports Complex on the south side of E. Verona Ave. (vi) Lincoln St. foot/
bike bridge parking at end of street.
THE HIKE
I
e Verona Segment travels through several park areas including the Ice Age
Junction Area, Badger Prairie County Park and Prairie Moraine County Park.
Hikers will encounter a number of spur/side trails and bike trails in these
parks and therefore should pay close a ention to Trail signage as only some of
these trails are noted below.
e segment starts from the Ice Age Junction Area Trail access parking area
on the south side of CTH-PD and makes its way west parallel to the road before
bending south and traversing a prairie. e green space from CTH-PD south to
Cross Country Road is the Ice Age Junction Area, an open space managed by
the Dane County Parks Department that visually and physically separates Verona
from southwest Madison. It hosts the Ice Age Trail and a paved bike trail. About
200 acres is restored prairie.
As the segment makes its way south through the prairie, it begins a slight
descent toward a wooded area. A look to the south o ers a ne overview of
features hikers will encounter—the old water tower at Badger Prairie and the
moraine on the horizon at the end of the segment, with CTH-PB’s cut through it.
At Reddan Soccer Park parking area
(seasonal), Verona Public Library,
Badger Prairie County Park main
shelter (seasonal) and Ceniti Park
Baseball Complex (seasonal).
At the Dispersed Camping Area
(
DA21) in Badger Prairie County
Park.
In Badger Prairie County Park.
At Reddan Soccer Park, Badger
Prairie County Park and Ceniti Park
Baseball Complex.
other uses
Portions overlap with multi-use paths,
town sidewalks and roads and the
Military Ridge State Trail (MRST).
MRST continues east and west from
IAT; also numerous bike trails and
spur trails.
Dane County 225
e segment enters the wooded
area and follows to the le at a fork.
e segment travels south through
another prairie before reaching a
short spur trail (near a maintenance
shed) that leads west to picnic tables
and a kiosk display explaining the
Dane County Parks Department’s
prairie restoration and seed collec-
tion program. Additional displays
about the Upper Sugar River Valley
and the Ice Age Trail are located on
the kiosk or nearby. Just beyond the
kiosk is the northeast corner of the
Reddan Soccer Park parking area.
e segment continues south
and reaches Cross Country Road.
e Trail runs west along a fence
on the north side of Cross County
Road to the entrance of the soc-
cer park and crosses the road at a
marked pedestrian crossing. Hik-
ers can nd several restaurants 0.3
miles west on Cross Country Road.
A er crossing the road the segment
enters Badger Prairie County Park
and continues southward. e Trail
quickly intersects with a mowed
park path and brie y follows it west
before turning south and ascend-
ing a ridge. Hikers can look to the
southwest to see the prominent
red-orange roof of the Verona Pub-
lic Library, which is accessible via a
spur trail that runs south to the park
road or by a mowed bike path.
e segment crosses the top of the ridge and begins its descent rst on a gravel
road then on a mowed path. Just before reaching the park’s main shelter, the seg-
ment passes by a Dispersed Camping Area (
DA21) in the restored prairie that
dominates the park. Here multi-day long-distance hikers can camp legally in a
minimally developed area. e site is NOT intended for those doing a one-night
out-and-back hike.
A er passing by the DCA and the main park shelter and parking area, the seg-
ment continues south, hooking up with a bike trail as it makes its way to Verona
Avenue (CTH-MV). To access town services, hikers can head west on Verona
Avenue 0.4 miles to a motel and another 0.5 miles to the town center.
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
DCA
Morse
Pond
S
u
g
a
r
B
a
d
g
e
r
M
i
l
l
C
r
e
e
k
B
a
d
g
e
r
R
i
v
e
r
Creek
Mill
Prairie
Moraine
Park
Badger Prairie
County Park
Badger
Prairie
County
Park
Reddan
Soccer
Park
Ice Age
Junction
Area
University
Ridge
Golf Course
Hawks
Landing
Golf
Course
Elver
Park
Prairie
Ridge
Park
Military
Ridge
State
Trail
Main
Main
Woods
Rd.
Verona
Whalen
Wesner
Rd.
Sunset
Dr.
Range
Lincoln St.
Tr.
Ave.
St.
St.
Rd.
Rd.
Rd.
Rd.
Rd.
Country
McKee
Cross
View
Rd.
Mid Town
Pleasant View Rd.
Flagstone
Dr.
Rd.
Verona
Madison
69
PB
PB
M
M
M
MV
PD
18
151
18
151
BUS
18
BUS
151
DA6
DA21
Segment 59 Verona
page 251
01/30/14
Range
2.9-mi CR to Montrose
Segment. West on
Wesner Rd., south
on CTH-PB, east on
Sunset Dr., south on
Borchert Rd., east on
Purcell Rd.
Creek
Creek
Creek
Madison
Segment
0 1
miles
½
226 Ice Age Trail Guidebook 2014
e segment goes under Verona Avenue (CTH-MV) via a tunnel and contin-
ues southeast on the bike path to the Military Ridge State Trail (MRST) Park
& Ride parking area. e multi-use MRST, connecting Madison to Dodgeville,
is located on a railroad grade abandoned in the 1970s that once extended to
Galena, IL.
e segment heads west on the MRST for approximately a quarter-mile, then
just past the “3 Mile” marker departs from the MRST and makes its way south
along the west side of Badger Mill Creek, which ows through a meltwater gap in
the moraine. e segment passes a spur trail with a bike/pedestrian bridge over
the creek with trails heading east and south to a residential neighborhood.
Continuing southwest the segment passes through a wetland area, running
on top of a berm for part of the route. Aer dropping o the berm, the Trail
meanders through a wooded creek boom and a pine grove to a bridge where
it crosses over to the east side of the creek, crosses a swampy area on a 275-foot
boardwalk/puncheon span and eventually intersects with a paved spur trail that
connects two residential neighborhoods. To the west, the spur trail leads across
the creek on the Lincoln Street footbridge and connects with the street’s dead
end. Lincoln Street provides access to Verona’s city center less than a mile away.
To reach several restaurants, a supermarket and a hardware store, hikers can walk
northwest via Lincoln Street, le on Valley View Street and right on South Main
Street.
e segment moves south through woods in the meltwater gap, makes a steep
ascent from the creek and heads around the east side of a quarry before reach-
ing CTH-M. e Trail then continues southeast near or along CTH-M, crosses
US Highway 18/151 and soon departs CTH-M making its way south along the
edge of a eld before entering woods and passing by several kele ponds. e
Trail continues eastward mostly through woods to CTH-PB. Hikers will see an
oak and hickory restoration in progress. At the intersection with CTH-PB, hikers
will need to briey walk north to cautiously cross the road at the end of a median
(
DA6). Hikers can continue less than a quarter mile north on CTH-PB to a con-
venience store.
Upon crossing CTH-PB the segment enters a wooded area of the 160-acre
Prairie Moraine County Park, which features a 0.8-mile-long stretch of the termi-
nal moraine on St. Peter sandstone bedrock. e segment briey makes its way
south before heading southeastward, gently ascending along the north-northeast
side of the terminal moraine through restored prairie and savanna. At the top of
the moraine, a spur trail heads east to a viewing platform that oers views of a
ravine cut in the moraine by meltwater and of the upper Sugar River Valley in the
Driless Area to the south.
From a saddle on the moraine, the segment descends westward using several
short switchbacks, then curls southward to reach the Trail access at a gate in the
northwestern corner of the park’s parking area near CTH-PB. e moraine and
the Ice Age Trail are fenced o from a heavily used dog exercise area located in
the southeastern area of Prairie Moraine Park.
