Driftless Trail Archives

From Aerospace to Oak Savannas

by Katie Cervenka | Jun 1, 2026 | Connect with Nature, Driftless Trail, Volunteer

For most of his professional life, Dan Roth worked in aerospace engineering, focusing primarily on modern rocketry and on creating sophisticated defense products for the free world. Attention to detail was critical. It was demanding work, requiring precision, patience, and the ability to see how many interrelated parts in motion all worked together.

But as retirement approached and family demands increased, Dan pivoted to a full-time faculty role at Northwestern University before being drawn back to something closer to home.

Growing up with family involvement in farming and intrigued by his mother’s love for gardening, he had always carried an appreciation for the natural world. After stepping away from his engineering and academia careers, he decided to follow that interest more intentionally. He completed Master Gardener and Master Naturalist trainings and began learning more about plants, ecosystems, and how people can care for the land. “There was a lot to absorb. Five years ago, I didn’t know how to spell nature,” Dan joked.

He immersed himself in the attraction, gathering knowledge fast. “I took every course, I listened to everybody, and I got every certification I could,” Dan reflected. Slowly, the pieces began to come together.

Dan began to see the landscape as an interconnected system where soil, water, plants, and wildlife all interact. Understanding those relationships became part of the appeal. As a result, Dan became deeply involved in volunteering with multiple conservation organizations, focusing on habitat improvement and ecological restoration.

While searching for diversity in his volunteer activities, he found DALC’s Driftless Trail project through an online search. “The Driftless landscapes and natural areas hooked me. It was the intrigue of the unknown, a place shaped without glaciers.” Dan shared. He began devoting more of his volunteer efforts to support the construction of trails in the Driftless Area and relocated, committed in the belief that “being in nature is the best medicine ever”.

Dan has contributed by helping build and review trail segments, offering feedback, and then following up on trail maintenance. His attention to detail and willingness to help have proven valuable in thinking through how trails move through the landscape and how they will hold up over time.

What keeps him coming back is the experience of being out on the land and the diverse community of people he meets. “The people are amazingly unique. This work draws like-minded individuals. People show up because they value it and genuinely want to be here. I’m especially amazed by the younger people trail building attracts.”

Today, Dan remains deeply engaged in learning and volunteering. His journey from aerospace engineering to land stewardship may seem unlikely, but both require curiosity, patience, and understanding how complex systems work together. Through people like Dan, the beauty of the Driftless Area continues to be cared for, explored, and passed on to future generations. Thank you, Dan, for your generosity, your passion for learning, and your commitment to the Driftless Trail and the landscapes we all cherish!

If you are interested in volunteering with DALC, please click here for more information.

Plan Your Adventure in the Driftless

by Katie Cervenka | May 29, 2026 | Connect with Nature, Driftless Trail, Events, Preserves

There is no better way to celebrate National Trails Day (first Saturday in June) than by getting outside in the Driftless Area. Whether you are looking for a peaceful walk, a prairie overlook, or a longer hike, southwest Wisconsin offers trails that connect people to the land and each other.

At DALC, we believe trails are about more than recreation. They create opportunities for conservation, care, and connection by helping people build lasting relationships with the landscapes that make this region so special. As you plan your National Trails Day adventure, we invite you to explore a few of our favorite places across the Driftless Area.

Explore Erickson Conservation Area

Located in Argyle, WI, Erickson is a true community treasure. This 220-acre preserves features relatively flat trails that wind through wetlands, prairie, and oak savanna. Today, the preserve serves as a place for exploration, restoration, and reflection.

Explore Erickson

Hike Sardeson Forest Preserve

Located near Mineral Point, WI, Sardeson features rocky trails that pass through woodlands, prairie remnants, and sandstone bluffs. Red trail blazes guide visitors along loops ranging from shorter woodland walks to longer hikes that circle the property.

Hike Sardeson

Discover Driftless Trail Segments

The Driftless Trail is a growing vision for connection across the Driftless region. Designed to link communities, natural areas, and outdoor recreation opportunities, each segment offers a unique way to experience the Driftless. Planning your National Trails Day hike is also a great opportunity to explore a new section of trail you haven’t visited before. No matter the hike, every mile offers opportunities for discovery.

Explore the Driftless Trail

Tips for Planning Your National Trails Day Hike

Before heading out, a little preparation can help you make your adventure safe and enjoyable:

Bring lots of water and snacks
Wear sturdy shoes or hiking boots
Plan your hike using DALC’s website guides!
Leave no trace by staying on designated trails and packing out trash
Take time to pause, observe, and appreciate the wonderful land around you!

National Trails Day is also a reminder that access to trails depends on ongoing stewardship, restoration, and conservation efforts. By visiting protected lands and supporting conservation organizations, you help ensure these places remain healthy and accessible for future generations.

This National Trails Day, explore, reflect, and reconnect with nature. Every hike is a chance to experience the Driftless. We’ll see you on the trails!

A Morning on the Ridge: Celebrating the Welsh Hills Segment

by Katie Cervenka | Apr 20, 2026 | Connect with Nature, Driftless Trail, Monthly Updates, Volunteer

Hikers along the Welsh Hills Segment of the Driftless Trail.

Last Saturday, April 18th, 2026, neighbors, partners, and supporters gathered at the Welsh Hills trailhead to celebrate the official opening of the full Welsh Hills Segment of the Driftless Trail. While parts of this trail have been open, the completion of the full ridge route marks something new, a fully connected experience across a remarkable landscape in the Driftless Area.

It was a simple morning. Attendees pulled on their jackets against the spring breeze and set out along the trail together. Conversation carried easily across the hills. There was a shared sense of appreciation, not just for the trail itself, but for everything it represents.

The Welsh Hills hold stories that stretch far beyond this moment. Named by Frank Lloyd Wright’s grandparents, the name reflects the Welsh roots of the families who settled here in the mid 1800s. Wright himself, wandered there ridgelines as a boy, shaped by the same views that visitors experience today. The land tells an even older story. Rock outcrops reveal layers of sediment laid down by an ancient sea, later carved by meltwater into the valleys that define the Driftless Area.

After decades of care and restoration, these hills support native plants, pollinators, and migrating birds. Life continues to return and to adapt, shaped by both natural processes and the steady commitment of people who care for this place.

To walk this trail is to move through all of these layers at once, human and natural history woven together under your feet. The Welsh Hills segment is part of something much larger taking shape across this region. The Driftless Trail Corridor is the emerging vision for nearly 100 miles of connected conservation land and public access across southwest Wisconsin. Seventeen landowners have stepped forward to host trail segments, adding to 10 miles of continuous protected lands stretching from the Lower Wisconsin River down to Knobs Road. Beginning at Wintergreen, the trail connects people directly to the landscape.

Trails like this do more than guide our footsteps. They connect people to land, offering space to walk, reflect, and experience the beauty of the Driftless Area. They connect habitats, allowing wildlife to move, adapt, and thrive across a changing landscape. They connect communities, bringing together neighbors, conservation partners, and volunteers around a shared vision of care.

In a time that can often feel uncertain, this work offers something steady. Resilience is not built all at once. It grows over time through protected acres, restored habitats, and relationships rooted in trust. It takes shape each time a landowner says yes, each time a trail segment is completed, and each time someone steps onto the land and feels a sense of connection.

The Welsh Hills Trail is a reflection of that shared effort. What began as an idea is now something people can experience firsthand, step by step, along the ridge.

If you have not yet visited, this is an invitation. From the trailhead near the Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center, you can explore a 2-mile Unity Chapel Loop, a 2.6-mile Ridge Loop, or a 2.8-mile Perimeter Loop. Along the way, the trail offers sweeping views, restored prairie, wooded ridgelines, and glimpses into both the history and future of this landscape.

As you walk, you become part of that story. This growing network of trails, protected lands, and restored habitats exists because people continue to show up for it. Together, we are caring for this place in a way that will last. Across the Driftless Area, that care is building something enduring, rooted in conservation, connection, and a deep respect for the land we share.

We want to thank Taliesin Preservation and the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation for their continued partnership and care in stewarding this landscape and helping make the Welsh Hills Trail possible. We would also like to extend our gratitude to the many partners and volunteers who contributed their time, energy, and expertise to bring this trail to life.

A Fresh Start on the Land: Where to Hike This New Year’s Day

by Katie Cervenka | Dec 22, 2025 | Connect with Nature, Driftless Trail, Preserves

For many, a New Year’s Day hike is a way to reset. It is a way to step outside, breathe deeply, and begin the year grounded in the places that matter most. Across southwest Wisconsin, Driftless Area Land Conservancy offers a growing network of preserved lands and open trail segments where that radiation can take root.

Whether you’re looking for a quiet walk or a more adventurous climb, these places invite reflection, movement, and connection as the new year begins.

Driftless Trail Segments Open for Hiking

The Driftless Trail winds through conserved lands, working farms, woodlands, and ridgelines, offering hikers a chance to experience the Driftless Area as a living, working landscape. Open segments provide meaningful ways to explore the land while honoring the people who care for it.

Knobs Road Segment – 3.9 mile loop

Explore 3.9 miles of rolling oak woods, open pastures, and a working grass-fed beef farm. Hike past hayfields, an orchard, and along a Mill Creek tributary, then climb to the ridge for a breathtaking 360-degree view of the Driftless hills. Perfect for spotting wildlife and enjoying wide-open vistas, this trail combines farmland charm with forested beauty.

Weaver Road Segment – 1.2 mile loop

Take a short but unforgettable 1.2-mile loop north of Governor Dodge State Park, featuring fascinating rock formations and a large, ancient pine relict. The trail opens to spectacular, windswept vistas, perfect for a quick hike that feels bigger than its distance. A great spot for nature lovers who enjoy geology, forest beauty, and dramatic Driftless scenery.

Phoebe Point Segment – 1.1 mile loop

Discover sweeping views of the Wisconsin River, Taliesin, and the Lowery Creek watershed on this 1.1-mile “lollipop loop.” Wander through peaceful forests, pause at scenic overlooks, and experience a trail shaped by a unique collaboration with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and Taliesin Preservation. Ideal for photographers and anyone who loves dramatic river valley panoramas.

DALC Preserves to Explore

DALC preserves are protected forever, offering spaces where people can experience the Driftless while ensuring these lands remain healthy and resilient for generations to come.

Erickson Conservation Area – 220 acres

Erickson Conservation Area spans 220 acres with easy, relatively flat trails winding through woodlands, open fields, and diverse habitats. Wildlife is abundant, and scenic vistas offer peaceful moments along the way. The preserve is open year-round and accessible from Argyle Legion Park, making it a great spot to explore on foot.

Sardeson Forest Preserve – 12 acres

Sardeson Forest Preserve offers hilly, rocky trails through woodlands, prairie remnants, and along sandstone bluffs. Hikers can explore a small northern loop or a longer trail circling the property, with red trail blazes guiding the way. A short side trail leads to Roland’s Rock, a scenic overlook with sweeping views of the valley and surrounding hills. Foot traffic only, the preserve is ideal for hiking, running, or snowshoeing.

Please follow all trail rules and respect the land. For detailed maps, trail conditions, and access information, please visit preserve and trail pages on our website.

A New Chapter for Wintergreen

by Katie Cervenka | Dec 19, 2025 | Conservation, Driftless Trail, Land Protection

Wintergreen property closing. Pictured from left to right: Danni Niles, DALC Board President; Stephanie Judge, Conservation Director; Terry and Susanne Shifflet, Wintergreen property owners; Jennifer Filipiak, Executive Director; and Angie Buelow, Development Director

We are thrilled to share some joyful, long-awaited news! Driftless Area Land Conservancy (DALC) has officially closed on the iconic Wintergreen property in Spring Green, Wisconsin.

This remarkable place encompasses 245 acres and a 15,000-square foot, Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired event center perched high above the Lower Wisconsin Riverway. With this milestone, Wintergreen is now protected forever, joining the growing network of lands DALC stewards across southwest Wisconsin.

Overlooking the longest-free flowing stretch of river in the Midwest, nestled beside Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin Estate, itself a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Wintergreen holds ecological, cultural, and community significance that is difficult to capture in words. For generations, it has been a place of gathering and joy. Once a working ski hill and lodge, Wintergreen welcomed families, students, and visitors who came for snowy winters, sweeping summer views, and a sense of belonging rooted in the land.

Wintergreen lies within the 95,000-acre Lower Wisconsin State Riverway, a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance recognized globally for its ecological value. The Riverway supports many critical habitats and provides habitat for 121 rare animal species, including 17 species listed as glocally threatened with extinction on the IUCN Red List.

Wintergreen also serves as a gateway to something larger.

As the future anchor of the emerging Driftless Trail, the property connects people to a growing regional recreation corridor and responds directly to what the community has asked for: greater access to the Riverway and meaningful ways to experience the Driftless landscape.

Looking ahead, Wintergreen has the potential to become a trailhead, a retreat and visitor center, a conservation-focused community hub, and a year-round destination for environmental education, gatherings, and low-cost recreation. It is a rare opportunity to preserve one of the last large-scale community spaces in the Driftless Area and to ensure it remains accessible to all.

For now, Wintergreen will not be open to the public as we take the time to carefully plan for safe public access and recreation. DALC is working with the land itself and with community and business leaders to envision what the event center can become.

The land and the people who care for it are at the forefront of every decision. We will continue to share updates through our website and social media as plans unfold, and we invite you to stay connected by signing up for DALC newsletters to learn about opportunities for public input.

Subscribe to DALC’s newsletter to stay in the know!

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This achievement would not have been possible without extraordinary community support. Many people made their first-ever gift to DALC to help protect Wintergreen. Others stepped forward with their most generous contribution to date. In fact, private donations made up half of the funding needed to protect Wintergreen. Together, you carried this project across the finish line and demonstrated what is possible when a community shows up for the land it loves. We are deeply thankful and truly humbled by the trust you placed in DALC.

DALC staff with Terry & Susanne Shifflet

DALC staff with Terry and Susanne Shifflet (bottom row, fourth and fifth from the left).

We extend heartfelt thanks to Terry and Suzanne Shifflet for their vision, stewardship, and willingness to permanently conserve this incredible property. Their care and collaboration laid the groundwork for everything that comes next.

We are also grateful for critical funding support from partners including the State of Wisconsin’s Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, administered by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, as well as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service North American Wetlands Conservation Act, Ducks Unlimited, and the Schlect Family Foundation. Their commitment to conservation in Wisconsin made this milestone possible.

Wintergreen is now protected forever–a place shaped by memory, grounded in community, and open to possibility. Together, we are caring for the Driftless Area and carrying its story forward for generations to come.

For press related matters, please contact Jennifer Filipiak, Executive Director, at jennifer@driftlessconservancy.org, (608) 930-3252

If you feel inspired to be a part of Wintergreen’s next chapter, we invite you to support the revitalization of this special place. Your gift will help ensure the land remains healthy, the building remains a community asset, and Wintergreen continues to connect people to the Driftless.

Support Wintergreen's Future

Hike Safely in the Driftless This Season

by Katie Cervenka | Nov 10, 2025 | Connect with Nature, Driftless Trail

There is nothing quite like hiking in the Driftless. Crisp mornings, bright light filtering through oak leaves, it is one of the best times of the year to get out and explore this incredible landscape.

As you plan your hikes this season, we encourage you to enjoy the open trail segments and properties cared for by Driftless Area Land Conservancy. These protected lands offer plenty of opportunities to connect with nature and enjoy this crisp weather.

But as fall gives way to winter, it is also the hunting season. To keep everyone safe and ensure a positive experience for all, here are a few tips to keep in mind when hiking during hunting season: wear bright colors, stay on designated trails, keep pets leashed, be mindful of time, and plan ahead.

You can safely enjoy the Phoebe Point and Welsh Hills segments of the Driftless Trail currently! We encourage you to head out, explore a new place, and take in this remarkable region as the seasons change.

For future trail alerts and updates, please visit our Facebook.