Our place is just a five minute walk from this park, which is also known as "Purple Park" to some…read moreneighbors because the playground equipment like the monkey bars and slides, is all painted purple. There's a great swing set for both kids and adults, as well as a gazebo with plenty of benches and tables, making it a nice spot for picnics. During the summer months, there's a portable toilet available, though it has already been removed for the season. Bring bug spray! Several black walnut trees grow nearby, so it's good to watch your step in the fall to avoid rolling an ankle on fallen walnuts. The park also has a small creek or pond where you'll sometimes see people fishing. Overall, it's a lovely neighborhood park with a welcoming, family-friendly atmosphere.

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.

Very well taken care of and spacious park. Far corner has play ground for young kids. Large tree in…read moreother side for nice shade during summer.

Cute park for kids, port-a- potty, little old and rickety but still fun for little kids, not for…read morebig kids- for age 10 max

This is one of 5 "Dream Parks" in Dane County. They all were community built. The playground is…read moretruly huge and has tons for kids from 18 months and up to explore. Bring a picnic, there are plenty of places to sit.

Nice playground with a 2 level climber, seated zipline, swings, a spinning balance wheel, and…read moresandbox. There is a height adjustable basketball hoop. There's a ping pong table (no balls or paddles). There is a drinking fountain and Porto potty. There is plenty of seating available and several picnic tables. There are large trees and plenty of shade.

Took the nephews here and they had a great time! They were particularly interested in a sit and…read morespin. (It looks like a plunger sticking out of the sand). The time of day to go is early in the morning or late in the afternoon because shade is not available here.

Dominion Park is a small neighborhood park across from Door Creek Church. The main draw is the…read moreplayground that draws in the neighborhood kids, but there is a basketball court as well. As with many new parks, there is a distinct lack of shade. Hooray for open green space, but I probably won't visit again without kids and a big bottle of sunscreen in tow.

I was in the area picking something up and decided to take a short walk through this park. My…read morenephews and I used to come here in Spring when everything was still covered in snow, and in winter, the park is popular for cross-country skiing, so I'm quite familiar with it. I've also attended a foraging class here through the Madison Public Library, which was a great experience. The trails are easy to walk, but keep an eye out for black walnuts that ripen and drop onto the ground--you could easily step on one and twist an ankle (as I unfortunately did). Along the way, you might spot squirrels and hear birds singing in the bushes. I even came across some mushrooms, which reminded me of the foraging class. There's a restroom facility and a pond nearby, and in winter, local families love coming here for sledding on hill. I've done it myself--it's a lot of fun, just make sure to protect your back on the way down! Don't say I didn't warn you!

I went recently to try out the ice skating and had a blast. It cost 6$ to rent ice skates and you…read morecould skate for as long as you want until the rental place closed. If you have your own skates you can skate for as long as you want. They have 2 rinks, one for regular ice skating and the other for hockey. They have the green assistance rollators, for when you need assistance ice skating, that are useful. The ice was chipped in some areas, but overall good quality. There is a huge hill close by that looks like it can be sledded when there's more snow.

We brought our family and friends here for my two nephews' birthday party and had a great…read moreexperience at PlayN Wisconsin. The showroom is awesome and gave the kids plenty of space to climb, jump, and play. A special shoutout to Karina for the great service--she was friendly, helpful, and made the visit even better.

Normally I like this place, but I guess I've always come in cooler weather. We just were here in…read moreJuly 2026 and were sweating like crazy. They have no AC here! All the kids' heads were dripping with sweat within minutes of starting to play, and just sitting here I started sweating within seconds of being here. All they have is one fan on one side of the gym, and a slow fan in the basketball area. The ceiling fans don't work. Seems like a health and safety hazard to be open in 90+ degree heat, no AC, and two measly fans. If you can't install AC at least add more fans! Please do better!