Nature Preserve
Bloomfield Prairie
Dodgeville, Wisconsin
Difficulty: Mowed fire breaks allow easy access throughout the prairie
Preserve Size: 630 acres
Owned by Iowa County, 430 acres of Bloomfield Prairie are being actively managed for prairie diversity with help from Driftless Area Land Conservancy, Iowa County Prairie Recreation and Prairie Restoration, and Iowa County Land and Water Conservation. The extensive, decades-old prairies aren’t the only draw to this property, which also hosts a fishing pond and a picnic shelter.
Explore the Preserve!
Features
- This is a foot traffic-only preserve, to be used for hiking, running, or snowshoeing.
- Cross-country skiing is permited, but trails are not groomed.
- 6 miles of mowed fire breaks allow easy access throughout the prairie.
- Prairie
- Picnic shelter (First-come, first-serve. No reservations.)
- Fishing pond with pier
- Hunting permitted
Accessibility
- The parking lot is made of crushed gravel, and is fairly large but does not have defined accessible spaces.
- A picnic shelter and porta-potty are available.
- The trails consist of mowed fire breaks and the grass may be thick, tall, and/or uneven. Beware of hazardous wild parsnip along burn break edges. The Conservancy is working with site partners to increase seasonal mowing of this invasive weed that can cause burns if its sap contacts the skin.”
- Please note trails are not groomed in the winter.
Location & Parking
- Bloomfield Prairie is located west of Dodgeville on County Farm Road.
- A parking lot is available at the end of the access road into the preserve, next to the picnic shelter. There are also 4 mowed pull-off areas that are accessible from the road with level access.
Preserve Rules
- Preserve hours are dawn to dusk. Camping and building campfires are not allowed.
- Foot traffic only. Horseback riding, bicycles, and motorized equipment are not permitted on the preserve.
- Keep dogs on a leash at all times. Off-leash dogs can stress, injure, or kill wildlife, and may create an unpleasant experience for other visitors.
- Leave no trace. Carry out everything that you carry in, including garbage and pet waste. A garbage can is available at the picnic shelter.
- Bloomfield Prairie is open for public hunting. DALC does not require permits for hunting or trapping at this site.
Explore Our Other Nature Preserves
Argyle, WI
Mineral Point, WI
Belleville, WI
Highland, WI
Volunteer with Us!
Join us for monthly workdays to steward our beautiful nature preserves and trail systems. New volunteers are always welcome – no experience necessary!
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