You may need to travel off the beaten path in order to find something truly great.

The term "underrated" gets thrown around a lot by people when trying to describe something that needs more love.

It's usually not because the thing that's underrated is bad, it's just that it's underappreciated.

When it comes to state parks, I would say that would be the case more often than not.

Photo by Dave Hoefler on Unsplash
Photo by Dave Hoefler on Unsplash
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In my experience, most of the state parks I have visited tend to be whichever is closest.

That might be why this Wisconsin state park is so underappreciated, er, "underrated."

Photo by Dave Hoefler on Unsplash
Photo by Dave Hoefler on Unsplash
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Far & Wide knocked out a list of Underrated State Parks That Are in Your Backyard.

For those of us in Rockford, this park isn't exactly in our backyard, but close enough for a quick day trip if you're interested.

Out of the 21 parks reviewed by Far & Wide, only one from Wisconsin or Illinois made the list.

Way near the top checking in at #3 was Governor Dodge State Park in Dodgeville, Wisconsin.

Photo by Dave Hoefler on Unsplash
Photo by Dave Hoefler on Unsplash
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Just less than two hours from Rockford, this sounds like the place you should go to if you need to just get away from it all for a minute. Out of 10, Far & Wide scored Governor Dodge State Park a 9.8 on the solitude scale.

Far & Wide:

Earning an 8.3 for activities, there’s simply no way to be bored here. You can do cross-country skiing, horseback riding, fishing, off-road biking, hiking, canoeing and more.

Other features of the park are its numerous waterfalls, a hiker favorite, cold lakes and thick forests.

Photo by Dave Hoefler on Unsplash
Photo by Dave Hoefler on Unsplash
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Have you been to Governor Dodge State Park? Is it worth the trip? Tell us.

While in Wisconsin, maybe you'll run into one of these famous people born in the Badger State.

Check out this list of celebrities from the dairy state.

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