Highly recommend hiking here!…read more There is a small parking lot. It helps to come early otherwise you may have to find parking somewhere else. We noticed cars just parking on the side of the county road. After you park you have to pay for a ticket and stick it on your dashboard. This ticket will also get you into Devil's Lake which is awesome so you don't have to pay for both. Right by the parking lot they have some area/trail/hiking information as well as bathrooms. This is the start for 2 different trailheads. You can go right for the Parfey's Glen State Natural Area or you can go left on part of the Ice Age trail. We decided to do both with our dogs. We first did the Ice Age trail which was a narrow wooded trail. Beautiful with a good amount of uphill. We did about 3 miles out and back. We could have gone much farther. It was so nice, we only saw 2 other people on the trail. Then we went over and did about a mile in Parfey's Glen. Everyone we saw in the parking lot seemed to do Parfey's Glen, it wasn't too crowded late morning but we saw a good amount of people. Lot of families so definitely a kid friendly hike. It was such a nice hike, it starts on a paved path and then goes to gravel, and then dirt. Along the way there are streams (that you have to cross so bring your hiking boots or shoes you don't care about). Towards the end I believe there is a waterfall but we didn't make it that far with the dogs. I look forward to going back and doing the entire hike.

Loved this area! We've been a few times over the years and it's always so calming…read more We were there for memorial day weekend so it was pretty busy. Prepare to bring extra shoes if you opt to hike beyond the end of the trail. Plenty of stepping stones and logs but still a chance to slip. Lots of people came back with wet shoes. Definitely recommend if you're in the area!

Nice place to hike! Trails traverse over multiple sites…read morealong the lakeshore and other intersecting trails. Seen some turkeys along the way. Nice prairie grasses in abundance.

Beautiful place to hike, especially in the fall. Magnificent views of Lake Mendota and even the…read moreCapital Building. I stumbled across it my first week living on campus as a hapless freshman and it immediately became one of my favorite spots. I always make sure to stop by whenever I'm back in Madison.

Great walking/biking path and quite a few folks set up this morning doing some fishing. The park…read morehas boat launches available. I found a space with free parking that fit the Sprinter van and started my walk. Along Lake Monona it's a beautiful spot for some exercise. If you're here for a bit, head to Monona Terrace and get a view of the lake from 5 stories up. [Review 20690 overall - 260 in Wisconsin - 1671 of 2023.]

Not much to say about this place, but:…read more Location: 4 out of 5 Prime real estate really close to Monona Terrace. I parked there and took a walk around with the dog while the future wiffy went to MT to pick up her Madison Half Marathon packet. There's restaurants and a bike shop that does rentals quite close by, and depending on what you plan on doing and what time of day you go, the parking is free. Easy access to the lakefront trail. Amenities: 2 out of 5 Not a full scale "park" in the sense that there's a field house with bathrooms, but I do recall a porta potty there (maybe it was just there because of the marathon though). A few floating docks for people who want to launch watercraft rounds out the the "amenities". Picturesque factor: 4 out of 5 Looking out over the lake was really pretty, and I had the lovely experience of seeing a furry rodent swimming towards me, only to climb back into his nest under one of the floating docks. Muskrat, perhaps - but I didn't get a really good look at him/her. Dog enjoyment factor: 5 out of 5 A rare metric, but my dog enjoyed walking around, particularly because he enjoys walking on floating docks and being on boats....but he actually hates being in the water. He enjoys most things that involve being outdoors, however - so this may be a moot point. Overall: 4 out of 5 Not a whole lot to do if you plan on having a picnic, but if you want to hit up the lakefront trail by running or biking, it's a good place to park for a few hours. Likewise, it's also a really pretty place to take a few photos, and I'm sure the sunrise/sunset really looks cool.

This is such a good find! I'm visiting Madison and was looking for a place to do some light hiking,…read morereading, and just enjoying the outdoors. I came across this place on Yelp. Not only does it have a few trails in the woods, which are beautiful but the way, but there is also a community garden up top and it is connected to a school and a covered shelter with tables, bathrooms, and a water fountain next to a ball field. Would be a great place for kids. No pets allowed on the trails or in the garden. So glad I found this gem!

Great trails, beautiful field grass and fauna. The views of the lake are crisp and serene. Highly…read morerecommend visiting while in Madison.

Super cute place to hike if you want something short. I made it around the whole trail, up and back…read moredown the one way street in under 30 minutes. This place is probably more adorable when it's spring/summer. A family was out on the frozen pond while I hiked by and many more people showed up to take it in as well. It's a short drive from downtown, maybe 10 minutes and super worth it.

Not a park to picnic in, but it has a short trail that runs around the pond , and you are likely to…read moresee lots of wildlife on your walk. Sandhill cranes, rabbits, field mice, red wing blackbirds all make this park their home, among many other critters. Worth a walk through if you are in the neighborhood.

This is a fun section of the ice age trail just outside of Belleville. It has some nice elevation…read morechanges and the beautiful outcroppings are very cool. I like the different topography included on the trail. There is a really nice flat space on top of the ridge to enjoy the view. Dogs are allowed if they are on leash.

My husband and I strolled here the other day. It's a beautiful retreat and reminds me of being in…read morethe country even though it is in the town of Waunakee. The trail is not groomed and judging by the paw prints left in the snow the fact that they don't allow dogs is most likely not enforced. However, with the warmer weather the trail is wet and muddy in some spots and I recommend water proof shoes as the trail isn't paved or gravel. The bridges are lovely and there are rest benches along the path. There were also wildlife tracks so if you time it right you may see some deer or large birds. I'm looking forward to walking this when the path is drier. Update: I did go here when the weather was drier and I loved it. The path makes a circle, so if you don't carry a compass or navigation eventually you'll get back to the start. It was even prettier now without the snow and less mud, I'm looking forward to some greenery along the path. While you are close enough to town to see civilization it almost like being out in a natural state.

Hidden jewel of the Waunakee Park system…read more I "ran" into this park during a recent jog. Since my legs were still sore from the recent WaunaFest 10 miler, I was in search of a soft surface to run on. I detoured off my usual route on Division Street and started running through the Conservatory. For a park that gets limited use (I've lived in Waunakee for over 10 years and rarely have I seen anyone entering or exiting the park), the grass-covered trails were well maintained. While the park is surrounded by civilization, it is very secluded, with Six Mile Creek forming one border and an elevated railroad track forming the other. During my job, I enjoyed the abundant prairie flowers, songbirds and butterflies that populated the park. The park is a great spot for someone looking for some tranquility. There were a couple of negatives. If you are using the park in the summer, bring some bug spray. The mosquitoes are as abundant as the songbirds. And use the rest room, before you come, since there are no facilities at the conservatory.

This is a great little walk by Lake Mendota on university property. Take a little dirt road to the…read moreparking lot. The dirt parking lot can hold maybe 8 cars. There are stairs down to the waters edge. A few intrepid swimmers met here for an early morning dip. The trail to the left starts from the bottom of the stairs and goes roughly a quarter mile until it hits private property. The trail to the right goes from the parking lot. It's mostly through the woods but there are a few secret spots to view the lake, including a newly installed bench.

Definitely a hidden gem near campus. So many trails following the water, some with entrances down…read moreto the lake. I hiked a good two miles and barely touched the many places to go over here. It's beautiful and quiet even though the city is bustling just beyond the tree line. I'd recommend this place to hike if you're a beginner, don't want to drive super far, want to take in the outdoors, and spot some fun birds.