This is a really neat park on the Sugar River. It starts at the "head gates" for the once brodhead…read moremill and hydro project. The park is a trail along the raceway, or mill race. This is essentially a man made canal that provides water to the mill pond in Brodhead. It is a lovely walk, very scenic with numerous wetlands, woodland, farmland, ending with a lovely stroll along the canal into the village of Brodhead. Here, along one side of the canal are numerous fun homes reminiscent of the canals in Amsterdam. If you choose to walk or kayak, once in Brodhead, stroll downtown to a local cafe or restaurant. Hint: This is a GREAT trip for a fun outdoor date! Even if the date doesn't go well, the scenery is lovely and you can enjoy the walk back alone. It's a 4+ mile roundtrip. Easy hike with gravel two lane path. Hint: Hint: oooh...you discovered the super double secret hint! This is a great place to bring your dog. Lots of room to run big! Fetch, swimming, ducks, and the water is clean so, your dog can enjoy itself! Hint: Hint: Hint: A super triple secret hint? Say it isn't so! Kayakers - pay attention! Here is an INCREDIBLE opportunity for kayaking that requires no shuttling! Put your boat in here, paddle up river a short distance (no current here) to the decatur tap, portage the dam, paddle down the Sugar River to where the race rejoins the Sugar River. Then paddle up the race to Brodhead dam. Portage the dam and bing bang boom, you're back on the race! Now it's an easy paddle up the race back to the head gates where your car is parked, waiting for you, with a cooler of beer in trunk! Cheers, you earned it! Hint 4X: A quadruple hint-o-rama....be still my palpating heart....If you want to get into kayaking and kayak this in a group, check out the Mad City Paddlers website for group kayaking and canoe trips! Or, send me an email, I kayak this at least once a year :)

Maiden voyage at this location was quite the surprise. In the middle of rolling luscious green…read morehills. It felt pretty safe with the warden and Ranger making frequent passes. The host was very friendly and helpful with the 411. The sites are close enough together that it doesn't feel very remote though. Unfortunately, it was very extremely high temperatures so I didn't get to explore the hiking trails. But the beach and amphitheater were definitely worth checking out. Educational programs and food truck Saturdays. Wi-Fi is a little spotty so they recommend cash. The grounds are very clean as well as the restrooms and showers. Definitely feels like you're someplace else even if you're from the state of Wisconsin.

What a hidden gem of a state park. They have a beautiful beach with yellow sand. The lake was huge…read moreand looked perfect for skiing and fishing. There are tons of picnic tables and plenty of people had parties meeting up at the beach. The bathrooms by the beach were pits, but were well maintained. The pit toilets did have a good amount of coop flies. The campground had very nice bathrooms, and has showers for after your swim. Many of the campsites were further from the road which made it a bit more secluded and gave us a sense of privacy. Will definitely be back!

Went hiking here in the snow on a weekend and got a very good workout. The path was paved pretty…read morewell, but it is still climbing a bluff and we had a dog pulling us all the way up. When you get to the top, there is a great view of the countryside. Only comment is that the way down was a little treacherous with the snow-covered steps and ground. Also with the snow, only the lower lot was open, but well plowed, unlike some of the other parks we've been at recently.

I really love this park. In high school, we would come out here often when the weather was nice to…read moreclimb around on the bluffs and explore. I've continued to come out here, not as frequently, but when I get the chance. The park itself has some large bluffs. There is parking down below them, or you can drive up a steep winding narrow roadway to a large parking area up top. Once you're up there, there is a large green space with lots of tall mature trees that provide nice shade cover on hot summer days. There are picnic tables and an outhouse style restroom available. As you walk out towards the edge of the bluff, the trees clear and there is a nice view of the surrounding farmland. The bluffs are really cool to check out. Years ago, we would climb all over them. Now, due to safety concerns, they have the area marked off. Makes sense. There are also a lot of trails to walk along back in the wooded area that sits behind the clearing. A lot of these trails are also equestrian trails, so you must be on the lookout for horse poo! I really enjoy bringing my dog out here and cutting him loose in the woods. He never gets too far, and it's a great place for him to explore! The park is open year round, however the drive to the top does get gated off during the winter. You have to make the trek up on your own!

Our friends live about 10 minutes from this park and recommended we check it out, so we stopped by…read moreafter visiting them. There's a huge rock formation that definitely catches your eye, but the path leading up to it isn't well paved. You'll need to navigate through some tall brush if you plan to climb up. I wouldn't suggest attempting it unless you have proper shoes and decent balance (or a good core!). We saw a few adventurous teenagers make the climb, though. Aside from that, there are several nearby trails that are much better maintained and perfect for a casual walk or light hike. Overall, it's a nice county park with plenty of parking spaces to explore, especially if you're in the area and want a bit of fresh air and nature.

Discovered this park while looking for a hiking spot after visiting Mt. Horeb. Only 6 minutes drive…read morefrom Mt. Horeb and what a great hidden gem. We parked at Pop's Knoll which has a gravel parking lot for about 20 vehicles. About 100 meters from the parking lot is an area with a covered shelter with picnic tables and a toilet room. What really surprised me about this park was how well the trails were maintained and marked with numbers so you have reference points to know where you are on the park map. Consists of multi-use trails for hikers and horseback riders, as well as hiking trails for pedestrians only. A good mix of trails through corn fields, wooded areas, and grassy paths along streams. Dogs are allowed but must be leashed at all times. I highly recommend.

We stopped by to watch a baseball game of a friends while on the way to another event near by. An…read moreOK park. The parking lot was full so we had to park near by and walk which was a pain. Just an ok park in my mind.

I am a tad confused why a public park in a small town would need or want reviews, but I'll hop on…read morethat wagon. Fair disclosure: We live within walking distance of this park, so our review is probably biased. The place is just plain cool. Large structures with almost any type of climbing, sliding, or running doodad you can think of. The build is solid, and it is incredibly well maintained. The surrounding ball fields are just as nice. Fenced in to keep the local canines from stealing your balls, and ample parking for large events like Rugby or Soccer tournaments. This is also where the town has their annual Fireman's Festival put on by the local fire department. The festival has been struggling the last years but they just recently took the time to revise the company providing the rides, and brought back the Fireworks so it is a ton better (a trend we hope they continue). The only thing lacking is access to public bathrooms. Unless there is an event going on, they are locked. I am sure it's for safety reasons, but it sucks if you have a need to lose some weight pretty quickly.... If you are in from out of town visiting family and have younger kids, this place is definitely worth taking a short jaunt to. If you don't live in or aren't visiting CG, I wouldn't say it's worth a dedicated drive unless you are attending an event.

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.

Muralt Bluff Prairie is a beautiful state natural area that features a native remnant of prairie…read morebluff land in southern Wisconsin. It's a short drive from Madison - see the website at the Department of Natural Resources for driving directions. Wear long pants, hiking shoes, bring water, a camera, picnic lunch, and plan on spending at least half a day to explore. Be brave, go off the main path but, don't trample all the lovely native wild flowers! Hint: It can be muddy after a rain. And, the hike starts with a steep climb to the top of the bluff. Once up there, it is a lovely rolling hike along crest lines and through the high prairie. On clear days, you can see north and west for miles. Stunning views of the ridges and farmland.

Bartel's Beach is a small park along Lake Mills that offers families plenty. There's a playground…read morewith your typical slides and swings. There are benches under shaded trees and some BBQ grills if you want to have a little cookout. But the big draw of Bartel's Beach is the actual beach part. Yes there is sand at Bartel's Beach but more importantly, it offers a safe spot to swim away from all the water sports found on Lake Mills. There's an area probably 100 feet out and 400 feet wide that's bouyed off just for families to enjoy swimming. Now, there aren't any lifeguards on duty so if you come here with the kids you know what to do. I'm not sure how deep the water goes but my kid isn't the most daring either lol. Oh, and there's also a public restroom so go there and not in the lake! And that's really it for Bartel's Beach. Whether you're looking for some sun where the cool breeze coming off the lake feels great or you're on the hunt for a little swim spot for the kiddos (or yourself), you can do way worse. It can get a bit crowded so come early and get yourself a cherry spot!

Thunder Bay Falls is a must see on your way into or out of Galena! It's only about a 10 min drive…read moreout of the way for a majestic view of the waterfall. Depending on how much rain there's been will determine how full the waterfall is- the 1st time I came here, there was a trickle of water. This time (a full year later) was a full fledged roaring waterfall! This is a quick stop- it's just the waterfall! There's a gravel parking lot (usually the other cars are a dead giveaway). There are several viewing areas with selfie stations for you to prop up your phone! The wildflowers are beauty here too. If you brought a fishing pole, go for it! There are signs (and reviews) that clearly state you have to be a member or a guest of something in order to be here... we've never seen anyone enforcing the rules here. It's too much of a treasure to keep people away.

I meannnn... the waterfall was dry when we went so that was a bummer. Not much of a trail to walk…read morearound either. It's nice to visit but definitely probably better to go in the spring or summer when the water fall is actively running. There are a few posts that provide information about why Thunder Bay falls is important to the area. Still pretty cool to check out and get some fresh air.