The crest of the hill is 1,716 feet above sea level, making it the seventh tallest elevation spot in Wisconsin.
Blue Mound State Park offers a collection of trails ranging from easy woodland portions to more difficult but pretty journeys into uneven terrain along a woodland spring creek. The park has a total of 5.6 miles in trails, from moderate to difficult, through mixed woods, some prairie, scattered boulders, small streams, and a pair of scenic overlooks. Spanning 1,153 acres, the park is a scenic destination for swimming, jogging, hiking, camping, picnicking, cross-country skiing and both double and single track mountain biking.
Blue Mound Hiking Trails and Observatories
Don't pass on the chance to check out the observatories with their remarkable views on clear, bright days of more than 50 miles of spacious horizon, stretching from the Baraboo Range to the undulating pastures of Green County. The observatories offers splendid views as well as a chance to see unique geological features, as Blue Mounds straddles the interface of Southwest Savanna and Western Coulee and Ridges. Observation towers are located at the farthest east and west ends of the picnic quarter. Both lookouts are 40 feet in height and are equipped with a landmark locator to help identify the location of different cities and geologic qualities.
From there the loop hikes – trail surfaces of crushed rock, loose rock, and packed dirt – begin to the left of the tower on Flint Rock Trail. The loop configuration allows for many shorter alternatives. Pathways are mostly shaded with some open prairie segments and shallow gullies.
Trail traffic is generally pretty light. A crushed-rock trail with wood-beam steps descends through scattered rocks and boulders and crisscrosses through mixed forest. Interpretive signs reveal that warm shallow seas covered this area millions of years ago, leaving evidence in fossils in some of the rocks.
Hiking the Trails at Blue Mound
The Holy Schist Trail, the Willow Springs Trail, and the John Minix Trail each offer a relaxed 3-mile roundtrip saunter. Pleasant Valley Hiking Trail meanders over bridges and culverts and makes for a less traveled, longer adventure of nearly six miles.
Facilities available at Blue Mound include restrooms, water, a playground and swimming pool, showers and pay phones. All vehicles require a park sticker ($7 daily, $25 annual for vehicles with Wisconsin plates. The park is 24.8 miles west of Madison from the Beltline Highway (US 12/18) and Verona Road/US 18/151.
Brian D'Ambrosio - Brian D'Ambrosio is the author of more than 500 published articles and seven books, including From Haikus to Hatmaking: A Year in the Life ...
