Walk Madison between two lakes
Madison sits on a narrow isthmus between two lakes, with the Capitol at one end and the university at the other. FOG starts the world dark and clears only where you walk, and the isthmus makes the map fill in a striking shape.
The isthmus
Downtown Madison is built on a strip of land between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona. The State Capitol stands on a hill at the centre of Capitol Square, which holds a large farmers market on Saturdays in season. State Street, a pedestrian and transit mall, runs from the square to the University of Wisconsin campus.
On Lake Monona, Monona Terrace, built to a Frank Lloyd Wright design, looks out over the water. On Lake Mendota, the Memorial Union Terrace and its sunburst chairs is the place to finish a walk.
Lakeshores and paths
The Lakeshore Path follows Lake Mendota west from the Memorial Union through campus to Picnic Point, a long wooded peninsula. Walk it out and back for a fine line along the water. The Capital City Trail and others connect around Lake Monona.
A good loop: Capitol Square, State Street, the Memorial Union, the Lakeshore Path to Picnic Point, back across campus, and down to Monona Terrace. Willy Street, on the east side, is good for grid walking.
Seasons
Winters are cold and snowy, though people still walk the frozen shores. Summer and autumn are glorious. The isthmus is flat in the middle and rises around the Capitol and the campus hills.
Because downtown is narrow, the map fills in a long thin shape between two dark lakes, which looks very good once the edges are done.
Background walking, private by design
FOG reveals the map with the screen off. Turn on background exploring and every street you cover in Madison clears on its own, whether you were sightseeing or just walking back from the shops. On Android a notification stays up while it runs, so you always know it is on.
Your trail is processed and stored only on the device. There is no account and nothing is uploaded, ever. Export a GPX backup from Settings so the map survives a lost phone. Ranks, gear for your character and a monthly and yearly logbook all grow out of the same walking, and the basics are free.
Questions people actually ask
What is State Street in Madison?
A pedestrian and transit mall linking Capitol Square with the University of Wisconsin campus.
Can you walk around the lakes?
Paths run along much of both shores, including the Lakeshore Path to Picnic Point.
Does FOG work for running and cycling too?
Yes. It clears fog for walking, running and riding, anywhere on Earth, in the same way.
Start with a dark map.
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