Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The farm grounds up top, with a few assorted gardens, also make for great walking and
picnicking.
Bleu Mont Dairy
A few miles south of Blue Mounds,
Bleu Mont Dairy
(3840 Hwy. F, 608/767-2875) has
become one of the best-known of the back-to-the-land cheesemakers. Solar-and-all-else-
sustainable-powered, and of course only organic, the operation is absolutely artisanal and
the quality shows it. (One has to love how the owner, master Willi, only deals with one
farmer's cows at a time to maximize consistency.) It's open by appointment only, generally
Saturday mornings. If you can't make it, you can get some at the Dane County Farmer's
Market in Madison on Saturday mornings.
The name “Dodge” is big in these parts—all thanks to one seemingly omnipresent man,
Henry Dodge. A miner, Dodge became a leading figure in the Black Hawk War, which
thrust him into regional prominence. Capitalizing on his fame, he was elected Wisconsin's
first territorial governor. Dodgeville today is a bit somnolent but not forlorn—the down-
town district has been touted for its careful balance of historic preservation.
Sights
Thesecond-largeststateparkinWisconsinanddefinitelyworthanysweat-or-scenerybuff's
time, massive 5,000-acre
Governor Dodge State Park
has just about everything a visit-
or could want, including some noticeable examples of Driftless Area terrain in the form of
awesome bluffs. Naturalist-led hikes are scheduled during summers. Otherwise, 35 miles
of multipurpose trails wind throughout the woodlands, open meadows, and around the two
lakes; one short trail even leads to a pretty waterfall.
Two trails, totaling 10 miles, are also open to mountain biking. The shorter, three-mile
Mill Creek Trail
is more popular, mostly owing to the fact that it hooks up with the popu-
lar
Military Ridge State Trail.
There are 39 miles total from Dodgeville east to Fitchburg,
which in turn has lovely trails into Madison. The trail is wide and easy, passing primarily
throughbucoliccowranges.Butthere'replentyofwoods,prairies,wetlands,andtheSugar
River Valley—and almost 50 bridges. One problem: there's little camping along the way.
Governor Dodge as a whole has over 250 campsites.
