Getting Here
Bloomfield Prairie is located west of Dodgeville on County Farm Road (which sometimes shows up on maps as County Highway CH). There is one entrance at 3151 County Farm Road, by a red barn. There is another entrance half a mile west of the barn at 3031 County Farm Road, down a long gravel drive.
Parking
There are parking areas at both entrances. The parking area by the east entrance is by the red barn, and the parking area at the west entrance is at the end of the access road into the preserve, next to the picnic shelter.
Trails and Other Features
The mowed burn breaks throughout the property are open for recreational use like hiking and snowshoeing outside of active prescribed burn windows. The pond has a large fishing pier. The picnic shelter includes a number of tables and is first come, first serve.
Accessibility Considerations
The parking lots are made of crushed gravel, and are fairly large but do not have defined accessible spaces. The trails consist of mowed burn breaks and the grass may be thick, tall, and/or uneven.
A picnic shelter and porta-potty are available at the west entrance. The fishing pier is large, but not wheelchair accessible. We hope to see additional accessibility improvements in the future.
What Will You Find Here?
Bloomfield Prairie is a prime example of what restored agricultural land can look like. The 400+ acres of highly functioning grassland habitat is divided by Laxey Creek, a Class 1 trout stream. Bobolink, Dickcissel, Upland Sandpiper, and Eastern Meadowlark are just a few of the grassland-dependent bird species you can find while hiking the prairie. Visits throughout the growing season will reveal an ever-shifting mosaic of prairie flowers, each seemingly more unique than the last.
Preserve Rules
Bloomfield Prairie is owned by Iowa County. Please consult this ordinance for prohibited activities at the site.
