Every year my family goes on a big camping trip, and this year we visited Governor Dodge! A first for us. Looking back, I'd say overall it was A-OK. We booked a double site as we had two RVs and multiple tents. It sure was plenty spacious! However, we all had noted it would have been great to see photos of the site when booking so we could know more that to expect. It was 100% full sun, and truly not chance for shade. Most other sites at this park had lots of tree coverage, which we would have loved and likely swapped to giving the chance. Being in a wide open space in the dead of summer can be tricky. The grounds are massive and well-kept, with tons of great hiking trails. Overall stunning views and vast green spaces. There's two large lakes with options to kayak, canoe, fish, ,etc. Concession stand with tasty ice cream, and a handful of convenience-store type items. Oh and we also definitely enjoyed the playground area with the kiddos. On the bad side: the shower-houses were pretty terrible. At least the one nearest to our site. It was to the point that half of us chose to forego showering all together just to avoid it. We also had a bummer experience at one of the beaches. We arrived around 10am and were all swimming for a few hours (along with tons of other visitors), when the rangers arrived and promptly closed the beach due to dangerous water bacteria. The closing wasn't the issue, but instead allowing 50+ folks to swim and fish in it before doing so. We'd all wished this water testing was done before the beach 'opened' for the day, as it left us fairly nervous having the quickly be rushed out. Overall, plenty of positives to this gorgeous state park - we made some great camping memories! Just hope those few shared pieces of feedback could help for future plans/changes. read more

Governor Dodge State Park - Parks Near Me - Dodgeville, Wisconsin

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What an absolute 'Sconi gem! Anything other than 5-stars is insane! Awesome trail system with great views. The trails are wonderfully maintained. If you just want to laze about on a lake-beach, you can do that too! I have family that live less than an hour from here and they haven't been in 10+ years, that is CRAZY! read more

Went back to one of my favorite state parks & that is Governor Dodge State Park. And this was the 3rd time hiking at this state park. We hiked on Meadow Valley, Lost Canyon, Woodland & Cave Trail read more

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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. read more

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Stephen's' Fall hiking trail - super easy. Kid friendly and a little over 1 mile. Plus a beautiful waterfall to view. The parking for the camp grounds for our location was easy access but it's a walk to the camp ground. Plenty of picnic tables and benches. Has "bathrooms" but didn't bother to use them since there's no running water. read more

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! read more

Governor Dodge State Park - Dog Friendly if on leash - Parks Near Me - Dodgeville, Wisconsin

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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. read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

Governor Dodge State Park - Tween valley lake - Parks Near Me - Dodgeville, Wisconsin

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Came here last weekend with some friends to camp and get away from the city for a bit. We had so much fun at Governor's Dodge State Park and will definitely be back! We arrived on Friday evening. The drive to the actual campsite was longer than we anticipated, but the signage is good so we didn't have any issues finding it. We stayed at campsite number 94. The campsite came with a picnic table and a fire ring only (all campsites seem to be this way). I liked how there were plenty of trees around so it felt a little more private. There was plenty of space and our group set up 3 tents! Our site was fairly close to the water station and bathrooms. The bathrooms were okay but sometimes a little dirty. While there, we hiked a bunch. The trails were great in my opinion and well maintained! It was nice that there weren't too many people on them. We definitely got our exercise in! The beaches on the other hand were pretty crowded for it being COVID times. We wanted to go, but decided not to with all of the people around. Just an FYI if you're planning to go any time soon. Quiet time was 11pm-8am I believe. We had a park ranger come remind us of the curfew so it is enforced, which is understandable because you can hear the other campsites pretty well. Also, they sell bundles of firewood at entry of the park which is nice. Overall great experience and would highly recommend camping here! We really loved it :) read more

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. read more

Governor Dodge State Park - Fresh water supply? - Parks Near Me - Dodgeville, Wisconsin

5.13.24 - Nice, huge park with so much stuff to do for families, couples, singles, and it is extremely clean. The bathrooms and showers are immaculate. Patrick was very kind, accommodating, and kept the restrooms in pristine condition. There is a beach, fishing, hiking, biking, equestrian, playgrounds, two campgrounds, ampitheatre, and lots more. read more

Absolutely beautiful. Stunning views and well maintained trails. Dog friendly in most areas and beautiful lakes. Best place to spend your free time. read more

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

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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! read more

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Big fan of Governor Dodge! I am not a professional camper. When I say this, I mean I am not the kind of camper that brings in my used toilet paper with me when I leave a place. However, I am professional in that I have more camping gear that I can usually fit into my car. Tents, air mattresses, lanterns, bug foggers, screened eating pavilions... you name it, I got it. I like to be outside... but I like to be comfortable. Governor Dodge speaks to me because their sites are large... big enough for our apartment sized tent. Their pit toilets are well maintained and their showers are pretty clean and completely tolerable. When I was camping here with a bunch of rowdy people in my early 20's, we got kicked out after our first night. Wasn't great. I kinda boycotted it until I got a few years older and therefore, a little more mature, and realized we were in the wrong here and I needed to give Governor Dodge another chance. The rangers don't mind some chatty late 20's/early 30's (or mid to late 30's, in the case of my old husband) chill folks. The area is fun. You can take a little trip into Mount Horeb and visit with the trolls and buy some mustard at the Mustard Museum. Or check out the plane at the Don Q Inn. There are horses and stables just across the road from the park entrance and you can go on a guided ride for cheap. I hear the fishing is good here as well. The only con for us: we're some lazy campers and didn't do ANY of the above mentioned activities. We sat around our site and ate. A lot. So it doesn't make sense for us to drive the 3 or 4 hours to Dodgeville from Chicago if we're just going to sit in our site all day. read more

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. read more

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Love this park except right now during the covid virus most of it is closed. You have thousands of people allowed to protest over BLM but you can't go to a park or church. So wrong. Wake up Wisconsin. read more

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

This is by far my favorite state park in Southern Wisconsin. It has many options for hiking and camping. We have visited probably around 20 times and each time we discover something new. The waterfall is a must see for the kids, depending on the time of year it might be more of a trickle... But they still love going up and placing their hand in it! Our favorite trail lately has been the Lost Canyon Trail which starts at the waterfall and loops around the top of the canyon area. It features some amazing views from the top of the canyon and has another rock spring house to explore. We have done camping there and had a positive experience other than some nighttime raccoon visitors that woke us up a few times! read more

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I don't know whether it was because the caves were closed. But there wasn't a lot to look at. I also wish there was clear parking spaces instead of off the road read more

Our first time there. Beautiful scenery. We did a little hiking, did some wading in the water, and enjoyed sitting under shade trees in chairs just relaxing. People there were all very friendly and courteous. A lovely refreshing place to go. Even if you just do a lot of driving thru it, it is worth it. Very clean, nice bathrooms, a positive experience all the way around. Worth going there! read more

This review is for the campground. This park is one of the best for camping. It's got two beautiful lakes and so many lovely trails. The campsites are very nicely maintained. It's my favorite campground in Wisconsin. One thing to note - not all the fire pits have booming grates. read more

As a summer camping kid with my family in the '70s, I kind of grew up here! Watching old super8 movies, you can see how young the park used to look. It's grown up, gotten more popular, and more developed. Highlights: Two beaches- one on Twin Valley lake, one on Cox Hollow lake. Both pretty fun! Two lakes- boats for rent on Cox Hollow (no power motor's allowed), fun low-key fishing possibilities. Lots of great developed hiking trails for walkers/hikers of all abilities, from short flat to reasonably hilly long walks. Great driftless rock formations, some rock climbing. The park's in a beautiful part of a beautiful state! A waterfall! It was a tough hike to find it when I was a kid, now they've got a paved pull-off area with signs and a developed set of stairs to get you down to it. Several caves- these aren't as easy to find, but that's part of what makes nature great- go out and explore! Nice camping sites for both tenters and campers. The park's very popular so reserve a spot early, or come up on a Friday if you want a shot at a firstcome site. Once in, everything is very civilized- hot water showers, flush toilets, fire wood for sale, the works. This park is really cool, but it does load up with people from Illinois(sometimes called FIBs by Wi locals) on the weekends. Please do your car's plates proud by observing local culture and slowing down and following the local speed laws. Together, we can make the FIB term obsolete by being good guests in Wi! read more

I survived a single night in the wilderness with (what I would consider) no amenities. If you couldn't figure it out from just looking at me, I am not a nature-y kind of gal. I mean, I love animals and ish, but anything that threatens the well being of my weave is pretty high on my 'Honey Don't' list, yet somehow, I found myself smack dab in the midst of the might Wisco wilderness with several other very experienced camp-mates this past weekend. Okay, it was just one day/night, but boy, it was a doozy. First off, if you didn't catch the flick 'Arachnophobia' starring the always dashing (I think so, at least) John Goodman, don't worry. You can just come to Governor Dodge State Park and pretty much witness the whole thing first hand. The bugs are out of control, the spiders are out of control, I was out of mind... but I tried my best to keep it together and not puss out for the tent team. So bring that bug spray, prepare for every member of your party to find at least one tick on their body, and don't forget to pack your good squishin' shoes 'cause you're in for a wild ride. I tried bouldering for the first time ever and great news, Guys! Turns out, I'm a natural. Okay, I only tried it once but I made it right up with little to no difficulty on the first try and I was wearing someone else's shoes. My mani got mega scuffed, but I enjoy things that I'm good at right away so this is TOTALLY something I can see myself doing again. We were 'car-camping', which I was told is the "pussy-ass" kind of camping, but that's what's offered here and I'm not ashamed to admit this this is still probably as much 'roughing-it' as I can handle. At about midnight, while my group was sitting around our incredibly smoky fire (fueled the wet wood, Governor Dodge sold us by the front gate) we heard a vicious sounding growl/attack just a few feet away within the tall grassy area surrounding our campsite. Eek! Probably raccoons, but sounded to me like a rabid velociraptor... or something along those lines. I didn't hear any other animal attacks after that but I did have to spend the night with one ear to the ground and one eye open while I listened to sound of scurrying and licking all around our area... we'd cleaned most all of the food scraps, but not of the juicy beet juice that leeked out of the can I was eating from (oops!). I can't lie, I was scurred. More scurred than I've been in a looong time. There's a waterfall (Google it) that looks really magnificent in the online photos, but In person, it's pretty un-impressive, dinky and less powerful than a drainage sewer, IMO. It's only about a 3 minute walk from the parking area though, so still worth the walk. I would go back now that I have a better idea of what's in store... but first I would bathe myself in a wallets worth of poisons and pesticides in an effort to ensure that I'm not literally eaten alive. See ya next time, GDSP! read more

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If nature could present Six Flags Great America, but in Wisconsin, it would be this place. This is one of the most beautiful and welcoming outdoor state parks that are so worth going to. It's $10 per vehicle for non-resident day pass, but it is so worth it. Some of the features and amenities I can list, but are not limited to: - Two completely separate very clean freshwater lakes with non-motor boating, swimming and fishing in both - A camping trailer area - A horse camping area - A horse unloading area - A separate backpack camping area - Concessions, showers, and bathrooms - Separate and combined horse, hiking, and biking trails in spectacular forest areas - A slot canyon similar to Starved Rock, complete with waterfalls The mountain biking trails are just so incredible. They start out paved at the very beginning, then they go grassy (i.e. 3-4 inch of schedule cut grass). The hills have some steep inclines ( about a 10 degree grade) but then have some very incredible 100-200 ft downhills once you reach the top. We did the smallest bike trail (3.3 miles) and it took us about 1 hour to get it done due to the beginner-advanced or medium level uphill and downhill runs on this sucker. I can't imagine how long it would take us to do the 6 mile trail, which takes you across the bigger lake and near a cave! You need $4 to bike ride the trail, so buy pass at the gate - you will NOT be disapointed! It does not cost to hike the trail. For my wife, however, the big thing was the toilets - not an outhouse with a hole dug into the ground, a real flushing toilet. These things were so clean, and I kid you not, there was maybe one bug in the whole bathroom - and this was the men's john. The secret - the screens have CLOTH over them as well, weeding out any and all bugs from your comode time. It SO worth it. NUMBER-OF-SPIDERS-UP-YOUR-BUT-WHILE-YOU'RE-ON-THE-CAN Rating = 0 TERRAIN = Very hilly, wooded forest and trails, watch out for deer OUTDOORS FACTOR = Spectacular family outing for the long weekend. Exercise caution when planning your biking and hiking. Bring a map, a compass or GPS, and radio. Phones don't work in most deep spots. read more

We camped for the first time at Governor Dodge this weekend. The park is well laid out and there is a lot of open spaces. Cox Hollow Beach was busy but not overrun. Easy access to the trails from the campsites and main roads. The facilities were well maintained and better than other parks we've been to. Small bathrooms with showers were scattered through out Cox Hollow. The rangers have a presence and promptly handled an obnoxious camping group. Overall, a beautiful park and well worth a day trip or overnight! read more

The park itself is great. There's some nice trails and me and my friends had a great time on Cox Hollow Beach. If I could rate this park strictly on the grounds alone, I would easily give it five stars. However, me and my group did have an issue with one of the park rangers when buying some firewood from the park office. Apparently he had smelled marijuana while driving by our campsite the previous night. While he wasn't accusing us of anything (mm hmm), he said if he smelled it again tonight, there was going to be trouble. I was pretty taken aback by this, as were my friends. None of us brought anything like that with us to the site. Any attempts to assure him that this was the case only seemed to make him more aggressive in his non-accusations, which really made the whole situation pretty awkward. Eventually we just said, "well okay, we'll behave I guess" and parted ways. He did stop by our site that night and seemed much more friendlier, which was a relief. I can't really comment on what he smelled the previous night (maybe something from another site?). I'm guessing he saw a bunch of dudes in their mid/late-20's and assumed the worst. I know he's just doing his job, but it really rubbed us the wrong way. So minus that, it's a decent park with lots to do and explore. I would definitely recommend it to families. Just be wary if you're younger and going with your college buddies or whatever. One more thing: RACCOONS. They have them. LOTS OF THEM. Once the sun goes down, store all your food in your car and throw away your garbage. Trust me on this. read more

My spouse and I came to the Gov. Dodge to experience the fall colors. Our impressions were that there were not any dominating natural features, like at Devil's Lake. It was if someone took a plot of land somewhere and made a park out of it. You wouldn't think, given the topography of the area, that a state park could be set up here; however, as far as state parks go, this one was one of the better places we've been. We went when the leaves were about 25-50% changed (per the State of Wisconsin fall color report (http://www.travelwisconsin.com/fallcolor_report.aspx) The trees are a mix of pines, oak and several varieties that I am not knowledgeable enough to name. We arrived on a Friday and stayed in the Cox Hollow campgrounds, which is waaaaay up high among the sandstone bluffs overlooking Cox Hollow lake. We had a somewhat clear view of the lake from the campground. The sites were clean and spacious. The park was fairly quiet and not crowded at all, which was a definite plus. (There were many more people come Saturday.) The topography of the park was filled with ever-changing elevations, which made the hikes we took a good workout. On this visit, we took the Lost Canyon, Pine City, White Oak and Lakeview trails, which were mainly wooded paths. If you take these paths, be prepared to negotiate a good deal of elevated slopes. As far as native sites, the Stephans Falls and Cox Hollow dam are worth checking out. The falls were not too impressive at the time due to a low water level, but I can see how, with a higher water level, the falls would be neat. The Cox Hollow dam was small, but with the drop in elevation to the north, the "falls" there is worth a few minutes to observe. The Cox Hollow beach and nearby area is spacious enough to accommodate a good number of people, though at most we only passed through. We did not check out the caves or any of the more open paths that ran through the north side of the park. Overall, the park was litter-free, the camp sites well spaced, the DNR staff polite (thanks guys!) the amenities were plentiful (lots of fountains and water spigots) and the showers and running-water toilets were clean and still functioning (Oct. 11th.) Having been there, I'm content having seen what I have and probably won't make a return visit, but if you haven't been there, it is definitely worth the visit. read more

Nice park for tent camping with some great swimming and boating opportunities. Stephens Falls is an absolute must-see. Be sure you take a hike along the narrow gorge behind it; it's worth the walk and too many people turn right around at the falls. It's also an interesting and easy hike for most kids. My one problem is that there are a few trails that don't seem very well-maintained. We tried to hike Pine Bluff but the stairs by the waterfall and down to the Cox Hollow overlook were very precarious and many had been washed out. I would recommend bringing a lot of insect repellant too if bugs bother you. The gnats can be pretty bad in certain conditions. read more

Electric sites at twin valley r nice. Pine ridge and cave trail very nice. read more

Governor Dodge State Park - Parks Near Me - Dodgeville, Wisconsin

Awesome State park, we tent camped for 2 nights and had a great time with the kids, They have a lot of nice trails and 2 beaches for swimming! The little water fall is nice to go see and the spring house too! We'll be back next year! read more

So, in fairness, it was a pretty crappy day out and it's about the least scenic time of year, so this review is probably inherently biased against the park. A couple of other caveats: this review only reflects a hike along a portion of the meadow valley trail and along the cave trail; additionally, due to inclement weather my hiking partner and I had the park more or less to ourselves. As far as the scenery goes, there are pretty decent vistas to look out over and there are some beautiful rock formations, but most of the landscape seemed relatively distinguishable from any relatively wooded natural area in southern Wisconsin. I'm not saying it's not beautiful, but most of it didn't strike me as particularly unique. Additionally, guests here need to learn how to pick up after their dogs. Despite being seemingly the only people in the park, I saw piles of dog crap almost every couple hundred feet long the portion of the trail that I walked. Avoiding landmines has a way of making a hike less enjoyable. Much of the park also still has very visible tornado damage. There's not much that can be done about that, though. Now that I've got that out of the way, I do want to say that southwestern Wisconsin--and this park is an excellent example of why--is the perfect venue for teaching some basic geology. You can really see the evidence of erosion over the course of time on some of the exposed rock faces. There's also an abundance of natural minerals--many rock-faces, especially near the cave, are stained orange-red with iron ore deposits, tinted with rust. In that same location some of the rock face is even stained black, perhaps some lasting evidence of fires set by the inhabitants of the region many years ago. Additionally, my experience with the park rangers was nothing but positive here. They were having a pretty quiet day so they were content to chat a little bit. Nice folks overall. read more

We camped here this summer and enjoyed it very much. The park is beautiful and pastoral and located in the midst of a lot of fun attractions in Southwestern Wisconsin. My real complaints were the bathrooms! They are very dirty. I guess that's par for the course when it comes to camping though. At least they had easily accessible flushing toilets, right? read more

I can see why this park is popular, the views are lovely. We enjoyed hikes along the lake and found the trails very scenic. Dogs are allowed, on leash. We were here on a brisk, rainy, early spring day and the park was still fairly busy, I can only imagine how bustling it is at the peak of summer. Even on this day, every other dog we encountered was off-leash. AGGH! You're killing me, people! First of all, when I am walking a very reactive, leash-aggressive dog, it's no fun to round a bend and come face-to-face with an off-leash dog, the owners trailing behind. Second of all, this is why so many parks are banning dogs - because owners can't follow the rules. I get it. Your dog is "good". Well, you have no idea whose dog is "not good" (I'm not naming names, LOLA!) and you have no idea who has a fear of dogs, regardless of how "good" yours is. Sigh. I liked the scenery, I liked the trails, but I definitely wouldn't go back in the dead of summer - too busy and I don't want to deal with the dogs. Instead I'd likely head to the nearby (and much less busy) Blue Mound State Park or Stewart Lake County Park. read more

Governor Dodge is such a lovely 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. There were loads of wildflowers, including Black Eyed Susans and Queen Anne's Lace on our walk. Down by the waterfall and within the hollow, we saw a ton of cool mushrooms, including several patches of Corpse Flowers. On the upper part of the trail, we picked some wild blackberries :) I'm so glad we made it out to this park. It was incredibly quiet, and we only passed a few other people on our walk. In case you were wondering, a day pass is $7 if you have Wisconsin plates. read more

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Beautiful park with lots of choices of what to do. There are two nice lakes and plenty of hiking trails! The waterfall is pretty! My favorite hike there is the pine cliffs trail starting from the beachfront side. read more

The park rangers ruined the experience there for me. As soon as me and my group (three guys and a girl all in our mid to late 20s) drove to the window to register we were getting the evil eye from the rangers, which continued throughout the entire time we were in the office to finish up registration. We were a bit put off by the experience, but didn't think too much of it after we got to the campsite. Then later on that night around 9:30 one of the park rangers comes to our campsite. I ask him if we were being too loud, and he said no and starts hassling us about "being under the influence of marijuana" at the park because we seemed "giddy and happy" in the office coming in. Apparently the Wisconsin Park Rangers don't want people to be happy and excited about going camping. He even went as far as blindly accusing one random member of our group of having prior charges against him for marijuana, and really pushed back on him when he denied it. It was a completely rude and unjustified attack and profiling against four people that had Madison addresses that we were all extremely offended by. I seriously doubt I'll be returning to this park because of this, which is a shame because the grounds themselves were great. read more

Governor Dodge is a nice big park with nice private camping areas. I only went in on a day pass the first time, did a little hiking and toured the entire park. I probably would not camp here because of the cost. A simple tent camp site with electric for a non-Wisconsin is $38.00 per night. While I love to camp, I could get a motel room in Dodgeville for the same or less than that. In fact it is more than I paid at The Dairyland Motel in Mineral Point. That just makes no sense. I thought I must be out of touch but after checking sites in Iowa and IIlinois for a similar accomodations, prices were much lower. I guess they're just discouraging "foreigners." While there is a discounted day rate entrance of $3.00 for Wisconsin residents, there is none for non-Cheesehead seniors like me. Sure doesn't jive with the usual Wisconsin warm hospitality. Oh, well. read more

Nice State park. Would possibly visit again. However, after recently spending a few days camping there we feel that others should be warned about the raccoon issue in the park since [apparently] the rangers and park employees [with obvious responsibilities to guard the safety of campers and provide reasonable notice and warnings of that which first-time campers would not know] did not do a good job of communicating warnings about the highly aggressive nature [and often larger size] of park raccoons. When you check in at the entrance [and pay] it would definitely be great if those persons operating the park and campgrounds would post a LARGE conspicuous NOTICE [or give each camper a handout] advising that these raccoons can open coolers and other closed containers if you leave them at your campsite; can smell food even inside your tent and have and will rip through a tent at night to get to that food [like we were informed happened to some campers on the 2nd night we were there.] I think they have a "Notice" posted on one of their "bulletin boards" and a small notice was somewhere printed in their "camp paper." But if you don't grab it and immediately read this notice or view the bulletin board on the very first day you are there, you will likely have a raccoon problem even leaving closed, latched coolers and covered bins at your site;rather than in your car. Is it that hard to pass out a FLYER at the check-in window and/or over the counter inside where you pay for a permit?! The first night there we covered our coolers with with tarps and weighted them down. We had a large plastic bin used for non-perishable food also covered with a tarp. However my wife forgot and left a bag of chips and animal cookies outside the bin. These were closed and sealed. Never opened. Yet sometime in the middle of the night my wife [who wears ear plugs] was awakened by noise. She thought maybe someone was in the campsite. But it was first one raccoon and then 3 others joined it; one of the racoons was huge. I have never seen or heard of a raccoon that large. But I guess he eats so much camp food that unsuspecting campers leave vulnerable, that he has gotten to be the size of a Green Bay Packers linebacker. My wife actually called 911 and the dispatcher said they get these calls all the time and that the raccoons are very aggressive. Of course the park rangers do little to assure campers are aware. When we advised a female ranger of this problem, she blamed it on "stupid campers who bring food into the tent and/or leave food in coolers and bins that raccoons can get into." She was actually angry. Typical shirking of responsibility by not realizing that it is -her- obligation and responsibility, and other rangers and employees of this park - to warn campers. Not every person camping is a mountain man/women that has lived in the wilderness or camped for years. So it's was laughable to us how a ranger [packing a large gun and dressed in a sharp uniform], charged with the apparent obligation to serve and protect- wanted to pass the buck! But it's typical of many government employees. My wife knows she is executive management with a huge government agency, and she faces this complacence all the time as a manager. Imagine if this was a for-profit park and profits depended on persons coming to camp and enjoy the park. Do you not think that the employees of the park "corporation" would go out of their way to warn campers of the racoons so that the campers did not have a bad experience and either not come back again, or tell others to avoid the park?! But too often with some government workers like park rangers and park employees do they care if the campsite is full or if people stop coming after hearing about the aggressive and potentially dangerous large racoons?! One final thing. Unless you are preparing for the Le Tour de France, the roads in and around this park are extremely hilly and steep. In fact, you can often feel your ears pop going up and down. I actually used 3rd gear on some hills. Sure, those who want to train for a triathlon or 250 mile bike race might benefit from biking these kind of roads. But for most others it would be a challenge. For us at age 60 it was not doable when we can find many other roads with gentle hills to ride, and still get great exercise. read more