Great little park just west of Cross Plains. The highlight is the scenic overlook, giving you views to the south as well as looks to the east and west. The facilities are decent - some shelters, a playground, and bathrooms. read more

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A nice wooded area. With an overlook that's comparable to any peak that overlooks the surrounding countryside anywhere in the Midwest. Several snow sheds or whatever they might be actually called. Large covered concrete pads with several picnic tables beneath. A large fireplace typically on one end and perhaps even some dried aged firewood stocked for a family reunion or a scouts den gathering. Which was precisely what brought me to this very place the first time many years ago. Just about one mile west of Cross Plaines Wisconsin. One mile and change, just beyond the second bend along hwy 14 due west, turn right and up the steep hill, and as the road veers left, you'll notice a drive on the right. Veer into this little siding and a parking lot for maybe a dozen or so. The paved road continues to a Y. Go right. I believe, per my recollection it's a one way loop. This is a small but spacious wild area. Several acres, maybe even 20. I can't recall. I've visited 2-3 times in the previous decade. Almost always nearly vacant of anyone, except myself it seemed. The loop if followed to its furthest point, had a short side road. This led to what I recall as being the viewpoint that look across the highway you exited down below and offers an expansive vista that is most likely a very lovely western sunset at the peak of many a day year round. Another of the side roads venturing beyond the circular drive is another high point which I imagine (I don't think I ever wandered that direction) might spy the western edge of the little town, though I believe as I am recollecting as I write, there is a bluff obscuring that visual. Not a mammoth park. Not at all but a great place to sit and enjoy a quiet moment or to go full on and have a fantastic reunion of the family or friends alike. read more

Love this place! Nice nature trails with open fields and woods. Closely situated to Cross Plains, Mazomanie, and Middleton. read more

Festge County Park - Hiking Near Me - Cross Plains, Wisconsin

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The park is quite a mess right now. Why does nature have to cut, mowed, burned, and planted? It is nature right? Well this park looks like it was carpet bombed. PS: it was once a nice park read more

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Festge is another lovely little Dane County park that people may not know about. Located right off of HWY-14, only three miles north of Black Earth, it's convenient to Middleton, west Madison, Mount Horeb, Mazomanie, and the surrounding area. I love to hike so I've been on a mission to visit all of the Dane County parks. We're pretty lucky to have such a great resource, and I hope others will take some time to hike, snowshoe, ski, and picnic these scenic spots that have been set aside for us for their significance and beauty. Over the last few years the Friends of Festge have been doing a lot of work on the park, and this has been more visible over the last year in particular, so it may not have appeared very inviting as they tore down old shelters, built anew, cleared up some trails, and worked on clearing invasive plants and seeding a prairie restoration project. The park had apparently been neglected and vandalized prior. I hadn't witnessed this myself, but started visiting just as some of the shelter work began. The two new shelters as you enter the park are beautiful, and they added new play equipment near the main entrance of the park. I have never stopped LOVING swing sets, so if you see a grown woman gleefully swinging away, that's probably me. This would be a great location for a gathering, aside from the pavilions there are multiple picnic tables with grills. This park could easily accommodate a few different groups spread over the green area. The park itself isn't huge compared to others, at only 155 acres. However, the trails wind through wooded areas to a bur oak savanna and take you to the tops of limestone bluffs, with multiple scenic outlooks. It's a nice walk. I'll definitely have to take some pictures next time I'm over there. The primary outlook has a beautiful stonework surround and offers views over the Black Earth Creek valley. A second (older) shelter area and outlook will likely be part of a future cleanup and rebuild; you pass secondary restroom facilities and picnic bench at a fire pit as you head towards one of those simple and ubiquitous park benches at the end of an uneven, rocky trail. I've enjoyed a few lovely afternoons sitting in the shade at that bench (when the bugs aren't crazy, of course!). The only downside to the scenic views is that the ridge runs right along the highway, but you're high up enough that it's not as distracting as one might imagine. This second shelter area is not in bad shape, just older. A very large group could gather in this area. I sincerely appreciate seeing improvements at my parks, so I've continued visiting and not regretted it as I see the progress they're making. According to their site, the Friends of Festge have plenty of future projects and maintenance in the works; including handicap access to the primary outlook. This is one of the main reasons I've fallen in love with the Dane County Parks system; constant investment and renewal of public resources is a win! The volunteers deserve a huge thanks for their work and I look forward to seeing the growth of the prairie restoration area and other future improvements as I continue to enjoy walking these hills and woods along the edge of our stunning driftless area. read more