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    Governor Dodge State Park

    4.2 (56 reviews)
    Open 6:00 am - 11:00 pm

    Governor Dodge State Park Photos

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    Beach Lot
    Tara Z.

    It's a wonderfully large park to visit. There are horse trails, beaches, camp sites, an old outdoor refrigerator from before electricity, and a beautiful little waterfall. Great park staff, absolutely beautiful nature area with so much land.

    Dog Friendly if on leash
    Chloe M.

    We visited the park on a warm day in early spring, and were so glad we did! We live in Madison, but had never visited. We had no idea what we were missing! We chose to hike the 3 mile loop around Stephens' Falls. The hike was beautiful, and manageable for those with average mobility. Strollers or things of the like would not have worked though due to uneven terrain. We can't wait to visit again!

    A view of Cox Lake from our campsite.
    Jickles H.

    We've camped at Governor Dodge State Park many times and have fond memories! Governor Dodge is in the 'driftless zone' of Wisconsin, the area the Wisconsin Glacier did not cover. It is in an area of rolling hills and the park also features a waterfall. Governor Dodge has clean facilities and we've always camped in the Cox Hollow campground. Some of the sites have views of Cox Lake. Cox Lake has a beach and you can rent paddle boats and I assume bring your own canoe or kayak. No motors as far as I know. This is good because many people like to swim at the beach. They also sell ice cream and snacks at the little concession house at the lake. There is also Stephens Falls, a waterfall that flows into a nicely wooded ravine area which offers lots of good hiking and climbing. Many trails at the park have nice long trails and some good climbs so pay attention to the signs regarding trail length and difficulty. Campsites are large and all have a fire ring and picnic table. We tent camp so I don't pay attention to electric hookups. Water spigots are not too far from campsites and are usually alongside the road.

    Along the trail
    Ann L.

    We've been here a few times over the years, and on this trip did the Lost Canyon trail. It was delightful; the first part is down some steep stone "steps" but they added a railing making it super-easy to get down to the canyon floor. Once down, the trail follows the canyon around some beautiful rock formations before climbing back up the bluff via a wide fire-road type trail. The woods are peaceful and beautiful. We had lunch at the picnic area by the beach and noted the very reasonable rental rates for kayaks and paddle boards. They also have some concessions and real bathrooms at that picnic area which is nice in lieu of pit toilets. Admission is included with an annual park pass which is an amazing deal if you go to even a few Wisconsin state parks in the course of a year.

    Tween valley lake
    Isabelle L.

    In need of greenery and a quick gateway, Governor Dodge State park was just perfect for a relaxing afternoon. Quick walk to Stephen's falls which was a bit dry this time of the year was still enjoyable as we walked by a beautiful flowery prairie. Highlights of the afternoon were definitely kayaking on twin valley lake (easy launch) followed by a relaxing swim at the beach. Really clean, green and relaxing park I highly recommend. Just be ready to pay the WI park fee if you don't have an annual sticker.

    Fresh water supply?
    Spencer S.

    Wow, I really don't like to give bad reviews, especially of a place so inherently beautiful as Governor Dodge State Park in the southwest of Wisconsin near Dodgeville and Spring Green. Alas, here we go. If you don't like to read negative reviews or you really aren't into camping, RVs, state parks or long reviews you probably want to skip this one. The park is stunning. Great hiking trails through heavily forested hilly terrain. Two big lakes with kayaking, canoeing, fishing etc. Equestrian trails with camping. Great right? Maybe not so much. First issue is we reserved a campsite with electric. They don't tell you this online but the sites are 30 amp, not 50. We can get by with 30 amp but prefer 50. Our site was $28.00 / night plus tax. That's about average for a state park. What they don't tell you on the campsite reservation page is that there is an added fee for the vehicle you use to tow the RV to the site. Very sneaky and very expensive. The cost is $11.00 / night. Ouch! I really wonder what they do if you drive a motorhome but tow a car in as we used to do. Never mind, I know the answer. They charge you I'm sure. That really made me mad but it got worse. The person at check-in kindly offered me an annual sticker for $38.00 which saved me $4.00 for a four night stay. Woohoo! If you don't like attaching stickers to your windshield like me, just give them the $4.00 and buy the daily pass . You don't have to attach that. The website and map of the campground show that there is fresh water available in the campground. We are used to this. I carry a portable waste tank that I can tow behind my truck to the pump out station. I also carry extra hose so that I can run hose a couple of hundred feet to the fresh water spigot to refill my tank. We have a great shower on board our Rv and we would much rather use it than the sometimes iffy shower houses in the parks. (More on that later) We drove to our assigned site that I had specifically chosen because of its proximity to the fresh water. I backed into the site unhooked the Rv, leveled, hooked up electric, put out the rug, chairs, grill, and other paraphernalia. Did I mention that we travel with the fresh water tank empty? It lowers the RV weight, increases gas mileage, and improves the handling characteristics while towing. So,,,,,,, now I get out the extra hose at walk it over to where the fresh water is. Yep, there it is. Very pretty nicely painted and totally useless water fountain. Remember, I have plenty of hose so I walk to the next fresh water place as shown on the camp map. No luck there. Same beautifully painted, totally useless water fountain. See attached picture. I'm guessing you can see where this is going. I had to hook up the RV to the truck, un hook the electric, come off the levelers, drive back to the pump out station, fill the fresh water tank, and start over again back at the campsite. Why don't they warn people? Most people, like me, travel with the fresh water tank empty. We were very late meeting friends for dinner. Now I really was mad. The next day we went on an overnight canoe trip on the Wisconsin River. It was lovely! We used Wisconsin Canoe Company. The day we came off of the river we chose to stay at the RV. I wanted a fire so I bought firewood from the park office. Big mistake. The wood was terrible. It was very hard to light and impossible to keep lit. Yes, I'm very experienced. No the wood wasn't wet. The next day I went to the campground shower house to shower. Now I'm expecting the worst and I wasn't disappointed. The shower was dirty and moldy. There was no shelf or anywhere to set soap or washcloth. There was a communal bench outside the shower for clothes that was too small to accommodate two people. The shower was lukewarm. Yuck to it all. I cannot recommend this park to anyone who wants to use the campground. It's great for hiking and kayaking and fishing. The day pass is reasonable if you haven't already spent the money to rent a campsite. I had two very unpleasant run ins with park staff that I won't go into here except to say that they need to remember that when all is said and done, they are in the hospitality business. What a shame. Please DO go to the area if you ever have the chance. There is an absolutely amazing bookstore in Spring Green. Spring Green is also the home of the American Players Theatre. See separate review.

    Waterfalls
    K V.

    Great clean place for family picnic, fishing, paddle boarding, swimming and hiking. Large lake for canoeing.

    Amazing vistas!
    Chy R.

    Amazing vistas! We visited the Enee point, Pine Cliff trail, Cox Hallow beach, Twin Lake Beach, Rock Spring House, and Stephen's Falls. We brought our dog's with us the day after a tornado touched down in Iowa County. Some of the trails had trees and debris down, blocking access to the paths but we were still able to get down quite a ways before having to turn back. We picked at what it felt like a private beach at Twin Lakes. Dogs are to be on leash on all times except when they are in water. Since we were the only people there, we found a nice secluded dog beach access area with a picnic bench and had our lunch there. Both the dog access beaches had sandy bottom and clear waters. Although the Cox Hallow beach had tons of geese poop on shore. I'd suggest going straight to Twin Lakes beach. We didn't know there was an accessible waterfall in WI. While the Enee point waterfall want flowing, there was a small stream trickling down Stephen's fall. That's also a very beautiful, lush trail following the waterfall as it leads down a mossey grotto. Our dogs loved all the trails and people were very friendly, some even asked to pet them. It was a generally dog friendly park, we saw many families with dogs. We'd definitely return again with our dogs!

    ancient rock
    Arthur M.

    There are some expenditures that suffer me no guilt: annual passes to state parks and hooded sweatshirts from said state parks are on the list. This summer and fall we will be able to visit all the state parks in Michigan and Wisconsin as many times as we'd like. Governor Dodge is on a very short of the best state parks in the Midwest. And due to its location in Iowa County, WIsconsin (the southwest corner of the state), it is a relatively hidden gem. We drove through the verdant country and pulled off into Governor Dodge. My girlfriend wanted to get a sense of what the park had to offer, so we drove from Cox Hollow Lake to Twin Lake. We also got a beefy hotdog and an ice cream cone at the concessions. The ice cream that day in June was cream cheese with blueberry and pie crust. That says a lot right there: this is a very good state park. Instead of the more popular waterfall trail, we opted for the Pine Cliff Trail, because we wanted to hike off the treats. What I learned was that during the last few glaciations, a species of pine native to northern WIsconsin was pushed by the ice packs down to the area. It found sanctuary in the acidic limestone cliffs, where it continues to live on, stranded on an island far from the rest its kind. The other thing I learned is that Wisconsin state parks serve really good ice cream.

    View from a scenic point on Lost Canyon Trail

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    Great state park! The waterfall was a bit of a disappointment, but the trails are beautiful and easy to follow. Not a difficult hike.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Governor Dodge State Park

    Review Highlights - Governor Dodge State Park

    We came here on a Sunday afternoon and took a short hike starting at Stephens' Falls and looping around the Cox Hollow Trail

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    Pope Farm Conservancy

    Pope Farm Conservancy

    5.0(6 reviews)
    27.6 mi

    I read about Sunflower Days in a recent summer piece on Madison, and was happy that my Madison…read morevisit coincided with opening weekend of this year's sunflower bloom. The sunflower bloom is definitely worth the trip and parking lot traffic and walk up the hill- it's simply amazing. Over 500,000 sunflowers will bloom in a one week period! There's a bit of an uphill climb to get from the parking areas to the sunflowers and the farmland, so expect that. This is a free event, so feel free to donate to the conservancy, cheapskates! There's as much or as little walking here as you want. Get a few pics of the sunflowers and go home, or walk around the whole sun field, walk past the oak savannah and prairie, or walk around the whole farm (which is quite a hike)! Bring water, bring a blanket, bring a picnic!

    I cannot believe I didn't know this hidden gem existed. Their sunflower days are absolutely…read morestunning! It's definitely an attraction close to Madison that's not to be missed. To be honest, I have only ever been to the Pope Farm Conservancy for the sunflowers. But it seems like a beautiful place to stop year round for a hike or to cross country ski. It gets crowded during their sunflower days, so it's best to go during off hours. The Conservancy does an excellent job marking off parking spots and directing traffic. They have plenty of volunteers to answer questions and everything appears to be very well run and organized. People come to take family photos, have a picnic, or just go for a nice stroll to watch the sunset over a beautiful field of sunflowers. However, leave your dog at home because pets are not allowed. The sunflower days attraction is free however donations are accepted. Definitely worth a trip to the far west side of Madison.

    Photos
    Pope Farm Conservancy - As far as the eye can see

    As far as the eye can see

    Pope Farm Conservancy - Magical.

    Magical.

    Pope Farm Conservancy - Flowers marching

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    Flowers marching

    Blue Mound State Park

    Blue Mound State Park

    3.5(25 reviews)
    13.4 mi

    Whilst in the area, I decided to drive to the state park since it was right here. I turned where…read morethe sign said Blue Mound State Park... but to be honest, I couldn't actually find the park. I must have been there or right by it because there was the sign announcing it, but it was just driving through the wooded area; I never saw a place to pull out that was a park. I didn't see any trails crossing the road, either, so I'm not sure what was up. I did see four deer whilst driving through, so that was pretty cool. There are probably better parks in the area.

    Camp Site #22 is very nice and away from road noise. The sites are a little bit close together, so…read moreyou will definitely see and hear your neighbors, so if you have good ones, great! If you have ones with dogs and kids, there's going to be noise. And this is a great campground for kids because there is the nearby Cave of the Mounds attraction, which is why we stayed here. We don't have kids and haven't been to this attraction, so we didn't know it is mainly meant for children. We hiked up to the towers and had great views. During fall when the leaves are changing this is a beautiful place to camp. There is a nearby general store that sells fire-starter, which came in really handy because most of the wood was wet and the Camp Host sign said they had fire-starter, but there wasn't any in the storage area where all the wood was kept. We had a great time biking the trails, going to nearby Military Ridge State Trail, and seeing one neighbor's starry light show at night in their campsite. The bathroom near Site #22 was the biggest, cleanest, and most well-maintained in all the State Parks we've camped in. All in all, a great family campground.

    Photos
    Blue Mound State Park
    Blue Mound State Park
    Blue Mound State Park

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    Governor Dodge State Park - parks - Updated June 2026

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