Free to PLATO Members and Guests
Registration is required
COVID-19 Safety Protocols
We will follow Dane County COVID-19 safety protocols in place at the time of the walk. By registering for this event, you:
- Agree to wear a mask if you are unvaccinated. Fully vaccinated participants do not need to wear masks unless they feel more comfortable doing so.
- Acknowledge that going on the walk is voluntary and a personal decision. PLATO recommends full compliance with safety standards: masks, social distancing, and handwashing. We are not responsible for enforcing public health orders.
- Understand that PLATO may decide to cancel the walk based on changing health conditions and/or a new public health order from Dane County.
The Table Bluff Walk will take us to the edge of Cross Plains
The Table Bluff Segment of the Ice Age Trail is 2.5 miles long offers ridge top views and showcases the results of remarkable land stewardship efforts. There is a 1/2 mile optional loop that leads across a valley and up a second ridge. This walk will start at the bottom of a drumlin and walk west to a second parking lot. We will place cars at both locations for ease of return to the trail head
If you are up for a total of 5 miles walk, you may choose to treat the walk as a loop so that you will start and end in the same location.
Our guides are two IATA members who have lead us on walks of Wilkes Gorge. Tom Gross and Gary Warner.
Highlights of the Walk
Located in the Driftless Area of southwestern Wisconsin. the Table Bluff Segment of the Ice Age Trail traverses restored prairie as well as steep, rocky slopes. The trail has approximately 200 feet of total vertical relief and several vistas from the heads of two valleys and two prominent goat prairies that offer great views of the Driftless Area.
Melt water from the Laurentide ice sheet poured through a preglacial valley depositing sand and gravel and partially filling the lower valley floors, which now hold extensive wetlands and a tributary stream of Black Earth Creek, a class 1 trout stream. The area is home to various types of wetland prairie oak opening and forest plants.
From the Trail access on Table Bluff Road, the trail heads south across a 73 acre IATA-owned property. After passing through a prairie and then an old orchard area hikers wil come to an intersection with an optional loop trail that offers a 1/2 mile "bubble" to the west of the main Ice Age Trail route. The loop trail traverses a ridge overlooking two valleys with streama and a marsh.
Trail Difficulty Ratings
Length: 2.5 miles loop walk highlights the view of two valleys from an elevation of 400 ft. There is a 1/2 mile optional loop across a narrow valley and up a second wooded bluff. You may choose to loop back to the starting point, doubling the length of your walk or ride back to the start of the walk in cars we've staged at the second lot.
Elevation: The walk will start with a 200 ft hill climb.to beautiful views of the valley and hills. The main walk is rated a 3 on a scale of 1 to 5, (where 1 is a flat walk) The walk will consist of rolling hills through prairies, marsh and woods. The optional two loops are more challenging hill climbs and rated a 4 on a scale form 1 to 5.
Difficulty of walk: The walk will start with a windy climb of 200 feet in elevation. The remaining portion of the walk is rated a 2 on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is rated not rugged and 5 is very rugged. The paths are well maintained with good footing throughout the walk. One of the optional climbs is rated a 3.5 in that the climb is steep and footing may be difficult to maintain, depending on recent weather.
Restaurant: There are a few restaurants in Cross Plains that can handle groups of 10 people
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