Doing more together

Supporting your favorite Dane County dog park and Ice Age Trail hiking.
Supporting your favorite Dane County dog park and Ice Age Trail hiking.
Dane County Parks has just completed a clever solution to improve drainage in the Prairie Moraine parking lot. The middle strip between parking spaces is intended to catch water run-off, sediment, and even oil. Over time, and with people often driving through instead of backing out, the soil compacted until it could no longer drain. On August 29th, parks workers laid drainage tile down the median strip and covered it with rocks. Then, to encourage drivers always to back out of parking spaces instead of going forward across the rock strip, they placed sizable boulders down the middle of the strip.
This new, improved drainage arrangement will also help keep the lot surface free of ice in the winter after freeze-thaw-freeze cycles.
Thanks Dane County Parks!
Volunteers Steve and James were out this morning in the UTV, watering the oak saplings and native shrubs planted in the Oak Savanna last October. The UTV with a large plastic water tank in the back travels on the trails. The volunteers fill plastic jugs and set out into the field to water the young plants.
The area to the right is the 12-acre expansion area project, showing the work completed so far in clearing the underbrush -- mostly invasive bush honeysuckle. The private property on the left -- uncleared -- makes this a terrific before and after pic.
So much accomplished! So much fun!
Get an overview of park happenings in 2022.
Includes additional bluebird houses and purchase of two interpretive signs to support community education about the bluebirds that live in the park.
The 11-acre Oak Savanna restoration project of 2021-22 is the latest in 20 years ongoing work in the park.
The Trail Ambassador Program is a self-directed effort for volunteers who want to help at the park but have day-to-day scheduling conflicts. “Trail Ambassadors” clean park trails, learn about park resources, and share their knowledge with others.
At 80 acres, Prairie Moraine Park's off-leash dog exercise area is the largest in the county. An extensive network of trails allows for a variety of walks through woods and fields; rolling terrain and steeper hills; on a gravel road, wood-chipped trails, or grassy paths.
The northern half of the park features the Ice Age National Scenic Trail corridor.
Dogs are welcome in this portion of the park as well, but - as part of the Ice Age Trail - they must be kept on leash.
Added in the summer of 2020, it is an area planted with over 40 species of native Wisconsin prairie grasses and wildflowers. It will act as a second pollinator garden and as a preview for the prairie restoration work in the park.
Check out our pollinator garden, planted in spring of 2020, with over 30 species of Wisconsin wildflowers to support our native pollinators including butterflies, birds, and bees.
Created in 1994, Prairie Moraine Park was one of the first off-leash dog parks to be established in the U.S.
Prairie Moraine Friends and other park volunteers work to control invasive species and protect native habitat.
Dane County Parks, Ice Age Trail Alliance, and Prairie Moraine Friends, Inc.
are the three primary partners of Prairie Moraine County Park. Several other businesses and community and nonprofit organizations provide volunteer and in-kind services to enhance one of the most visited parks in the county
DCP staff will be spraying brush resprouts along the Wesner Rd. fenceline and some other patches of brush inside the park. Staff and volunteers will also be doing some invasive tree and brush removal during this time. Please use another dog park on this day.