WHAT IS THE BABY DAGGER?
The Baby Dagger is the 237-mile abbreviated version of the full Driftless Dagger. Where the full Dagger covers 550 miles and 40,000 feet of climbing through the Driftless Region of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, the Baby Dagger covers roughly the southern half of that route — the same terrain character, the same relentless short climbs through river valleys and bluffs, the same gravel roads that define the Driftless. Both routes start and finish at Chestnut Mountain Resort in Galena, IL.
The Baby Dagger uses exactly the same self-supported rules as the full Dagger. There are no support crews, no aid stations, and no outside assistance. Riders navigate using GPS and resupply from commercially available services along the route.
For riders considering the full Dagger in future years, the Baby Dagger is an excellent and meaningful first ultra distance event. At 237 miles and 20,000 feet of climbing, it demands the same approach — bikepacking discipline, sleep management, nutrition strategy — that defines ultra racing at any distance. The terrain doesn't get easier just because the route is shorter.
THE ROUTE
237 miles of driftless bliss
The Baby Dagger route is a curated selection of the best roads the Driftless has to offer — and for Illinois riders, it's a case for why the northwest corner of the state punches well above its weight. Starting and finishing at Chestnut Mountain Resort in Galena, the route winds through the river valleys and limestone bluffs that define the Driftless, on gravel roads that see more deer than cars. The climbing is relentless in the way the Driftless always is — no single monster ascent, just endless short punchy climbs that stack up over 237 miles into something that earns every bit of its ultra distance label.