Wonderful park for the little ones. There are two separate play areas. The park is fully fenced so…read moreyou don't have to worry about the kiddos running into the street. The equipment is unique and great for the little ones who love to climb.

If you have kids who are just walking, up to about 3 or 4, this is the best small park in Madison…read morefor them to play that I know of. It is extremely well designed for the toddler crowd. It is totally gated, so no one can make a run for the street. The equipment is interesting and exciting to kids without posing almost any danger, and from 18 months on, they can do almost everything themselves. There are no swings you have to push them on, no ladders you have to hover over while they climb. Just sit on one of the many benches and relax! If you live within a mile or two, and are in charge of some people in diapers, do yourself a favor and find this little patch of fun tucked just outside the elementary school grounds.

Love, love, love our little neighborhood park! Actually not that little, there's something for…read moreeveryone: a swing set, sizeable climbing frame, sandbox, jungle gym, basketball court, picnic tables, wild raspberries to pick (shhhh!), mature trees, room to run, and the footbridge to "Dad's Creek", where children and neighborhood dogs alike are often seen exploring. The "Dogs Not Allowed" sign has long read "Dog Snot Allowed" and the consensus seems to be that leashed dogs are fine (and free-roaming dogs are probably not). The Annual Easter Egg Hunt, Halloween Parade, epic Trick or Treating (complete with impromptu performances by some enthused teens and their hipster parents) and a neighborhood picnic are a few of the get-togethers this close-knit community enjoys. If you're lucky enough to land a house in Sunset Village, especially one that backs up to Sunset Park, your backyard will suddenly double in size and your pool of friends might triple! Sunset Park is where my toddler made his first friends, his first sandcastles, and memories to last a lifetime. Sunset Village neighborhood and Sunset Park is a place I never knew existed (because it is so neatly tucked away) despite growing up in a nearby neighborhood. Sunset Park is the friendly hub of Sunset Village. Stop in sometime & say hello--you can't help but feel welcome in Sunset Park!

Hoyt park is one of many sneaky natural treasures tucked away within the city of Madison. Easy to…read moremiss, but absolutely worth searching out. I hadn't been to the park in ages, in fact, when looking at the map earlier in the day I'd forgotten that I'd been there before. This is probably because we'd stopped and spent some time at the main shelter, but didn't really check out the rest of the park. Shame on me! We missed out back then; not only does the trail make for a lovely and mostly shady walk, but the history here is fantastic. The park was once a quarry, and it shows because this local stone was used throughout. You can access the park from three areas. First is a footpath next to Hoyt School on Regent Street (street parking only here). The primary entrance is a bit farther up Regent Street, and here is where you'll find the parking lot and the main facilities for the park. Lastly, you can hike down from the the scenic outlook at Owen Parkway. There is limited parking up there and on the street by Hoyt School, so I'd suggest the main lot. Hoyt offers a bit of something for everyone. As you pull into the parking lot you'll notice the stone shelter and restroom facility. There are enough picnic tables in the shelter for a good sized get together (reservable) and a large fireplace on each end. While we were there I saw two different groups cook up something on a teeny fire in there. There's a children's playground near the parking lot, more picnic tables scattered about, and a large open grassy area for soccer, lawn games or frisbee. A basketball court and softball field round out the sporting options. Also, as of June 2015, this is one of 10 Madison parks that will be participating in a pilot program for slacklining sites in the city. Neat! The trail (about a mile total) is a mix of paved and unpaved surfaces. It weaves through the trees and rock formations in a way that really maximizes the 31 acres the park sits on. There are picnic areas with stone fireplaces and tables tucked here and there, and a second shelter full of picnic tables down the path into the woods. A smaller clearing past this shelter opens to a restored prairie area, which was loaded with flowers and butterflies when my friend and I walked through. I noted a few benches here and there where one could sit and watch the pollinators at work. There were raspberries everywhere! At one point we walked past old mossy quarry walls, and up/down stone stairways. There were wildflowers all along the trail, which always makes me happy. We shared the trail with a number of people running through the park or walking their dogs. But beware! Technically dogs are only allowed along Owen Parkway and must be leashed while there (via City of Madison website). I don't know how strict they are at the park if you're caught. Regardless, I was pleased to see so many people using the park in a couple hours time. Unfortunately there are some signs of vandalism once you get into the woods. There are not-so-pretty patches in the fencing where people have tried to get through to the blocked off lower quarry area, and some of the beautiful stone tables have been spray painted. Hopefully the Friends of Hoyt Park are on top of these things; from what I read they're pretty active.

We stumbled upon this while staying nearby. It's a nice place to go to forget you are in a city and…read morehas many hidden gems if you have time to look around. There is a pyramid hidden there if you are fortunate enough to find it.

Big fun park, with track for folks to walk around on. It has a fun thing for kids, like a splash…read morepad, or something along those lines. Lots of tennis courts and soccer fields, along with baseball fields. It's a cool place, with lots to do for everyone.

McKee Farms Park is one of my favorite places to be. I raised my kids in that neighborhood and we…read morehave many happy memories from there. It is a very well kept park, clean and beautiful. The playground is big and well taken care of. The tennis courts are lit for nighttime play and in good shape. There is plenty of room for a soccer game or to run with your dog. This is a very dog-friendly park and often you will see multiple dogs out for their daily stroll. Bikers make good use of the paved areas. I visit about 5 times a week and I'm so glad this park is available.

Awesome with a playground, restrooms, picnic tables, restrooms, boat access, and sand. I'm here on…read morea Friday morning and there are people here eating lunch while ducks quack and boats stroll by. If the weather keeps up, I may just go for a swim! It may get a lot busier during weekends but very pretty and very relaxing.

The beach is very small. There is no lifeguard and no roped-off areas for swimming. The marina is…read morevery close to the swimming area and the boat load-in is also right next to the swimming area, so boats are frequently going by. Fishing also occurs nearby. There are very few people here, maybe because it's a holiday. The water is pretty gross. Lots of rocks and seaweed everywhere. The shore smells like fish and you will only be walking in seaweed or rocks in the water. I did not put my head underwater because it was so gross. It is NOT deep at all. I almost waded out to the nearest sailboat in the marina and the water was only to the top of my waistband (I'm 5'11"). This might be a nice place for lounging in a boat. It was okay for swimming, but not the best.

This is a hiddem gem in the Madison area. It's a bit off the beaten path in Verona but worth the…read moretrip. Zero depth entry, salt water, solar heated pool. It doesn't get any better than this. I wear contacts and usually I take them out because my eyes become irritated from the chlorine. Not here though! I can keep my eyes open (without googles) and there are no issues. They take a break for 15 minutes on the hour for 18 and over swim. Otherwise, kids reign free in the pool for 45 minutes. There's a shallow end with some kid features and a deep end. Kids will need to pass a test from the lifeguards in order to swim on their own in the deep end (it's marked off). When you're taking a break, enjoy a freezie pop for 25 cents or a choco taco from the concessions area. If you're looking to cool off on a hot summer day, look no further!

Summer fun. Jennifer Gray move over! This pool was like an…read moreOasis on a hot day. All the other local pools were closing for the summer and they were still open through labor day. Still close to Madison and surrounding areas, it is open to the public and a short drive. Decent changing rooms, large parking lot and then we get to the actual pool. Nice layout of the adult pool connecting with the kids pool. Tons of lounging chairs, picnic tables at actual pool area. Large deep end area and lap pool permanently roped off. Pool was extremely clean, tidy and staff was great. This felt a little old fashioned, in a fun way. Surrounded my big mature trees, rolling hills of Verona, it was a breath of fresh air! The picnic and playground area just north of the pool has a huge wooden playground set in the shape of an ark. There's Zebras, Lions and giraffes in pairs to accompany the ark. Who doesn't love a zebra to climb on? Huge field to play in and more picnic tables. FUN! We will be there next summer, two by two!

Huge park! Tons and tons of space for soccer, a basketball court, sand volleyball court, tennis…read morecourts, playground, and outdoor seating. Great place to walk your pup as well. So happy to have found this gem of a park.