New Glarus Woods State Park

(11 reviews)

12.2 mi

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.

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Head Gates Park

15.4 mi

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 :)

In town, the old dam and powerhouse

Looking west, dusk

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Real colors! no photoshop here

Lake Montesian

3.4 mi

We had a family reunion here on one of the hottest, stickiest days of the summer. It was one of…read morethose days when an afternoon picnic outside doesn't sound the most appealing and you ask yourself what your family would think of you if you show up in a swimming suit, carrying a bucket of ice water. The shelter we reserved is on the northeast side of the lake (though I question how this qualifies as a lake - more like a pond in my mind) and with a hillside just to the east of it, the shelter was as good as air-conditioned! Hallelujah! There was a cool breeze thanks to the lake and since the shelter was shaded for half of the day, it wasn't until 3pm when the space finally started feeling too warm. The proximity of the shelter was also great as the Monticello Public Pool is right across the road and the kids were able to go enjoy a pool day once they were finished chasing toads around the pond (sorry Freddie the Toady Toad. Also, sorry the kids couldn't decide on a better name).

View from the island | photo by Monticello Chamber of Commerce

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The montesian well & information about the well. | photo by Scott Larson

Yellowstone Lake State Park

4.1

(17 reviews)

18.0 mi

What a hidden gem! The Yellowstone Lake is beautiful!! Boat rentals available along with beach,…read morepicnic areas, fishing and campsites.

Lovely campsites and what could have been a wonderful experience was ruined by loud, drunk and…read morenoisy campers... partying, swearing and obnoxious throughout the evening. The entire area quiet and peaceful except for these two families who chose to make it miserable for the rest of us. We've camped at numerous WI State Parks and have never experienced this kind of rude behavior. These campers proudly displayed they were from Oconomowac, WI. Ugh ...!! We ended up moving to another site. Camp office was gracious and accommodating.

Wood for sale six dollars

Bat boxes

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Sugar River Trail

4.5

(4 reviews)

1.9 mi

I wish we would've had more time to explore more. But the area is really beautiful, and there's so…read moremuch to explore.

This trail is super nice, with a hard packed surface and varied scenery following the namesake…read moreSugar River. New Glarus makes a great starting and end point, with lots of parking and the opportunity for a Swiss snack or meal and a cold beer as a motivator for the ride. Trail passes can be purchased at the old train station.

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Stewart Lake County Park

4.9

(7 reviews)

16.8 mi

5.14.24 - Great park with playground, beach, ducks, covered picnic area, benches along the hike,…read morerest shelters, clean restroom.

Great little park for all sorts of activities. Honestly one of my favorite places in town. The…read morewalks are nice, there are so many different paths, and the scenery is idyllic. There's also a beach for fun and swimming. A lot of fishing also goes on here. There's a good sized shelter with plenty of tables too. A great place to hang out with family and friends or just enjoy some time on your own outside.

Markers with Walking Audio Tour instructions

Small bridge

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Bench on trail

Turtle Island Playground

4.0

35.9 mi

Can't believe I'm the first one to review this place! Beloit, you guys are slacking!…read more This is a pretty neat playground to take the kids to with an awesome view of the river. Not exactly sure what river it is, Illinois i think? The playground is well maintained, my 10 year old loved it. Not your traditional playground with swings and seesaws, but plenty of stuff to climb. There's also a walking trail along the river but I was sad that I couldn't go because we didn't take the baby stroller! We had our infant in the car seat and she was too heavy to lug that thing around in. Parent fail! Would love to come back and bring my walking shoes to get my steps in!

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Thunder Bay Falls

4.1

(17 reviews)

46.9 mi

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.

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Lustig Park

4.0

31.3 mi

Decent Disc Golf Course! It's the only 18 hole course in the area so I have frequented there quite…read morea bit! It's pretty well kept up! During the summer, BRING BUG SPRAY! It gets bad being so close to the Rock River. I couldn't believe Lustig wasn't already set up on Yelp before I created it!

Mendota County Park

3.7

(7 reviews)

23.7 mi

This park was one of our favorite places we have ever stayed. My husband and I came to stay here…read morewith our small Yorkshire terriers and our cat, and we had a wonderful time. Tim ( the host for the park) is friendly and helpful, and takes great pride in keeping it beautiful and orderly. He lent us an extension cord as the electrical hookups are fairly far away. The park was quiet and lovely. There were lots of friendly people, and it felt like a little community. It was very close to town which was really convenient. We travel in a 36 foot toy hauler with a one ton truck, and I do think that we were pushing it to try to get into some of the spots. Because we had not booked early ( we called the morning of) we had to move spots, and it was the hardest spot we have ever had to get into. Not the parks fault at all, our trailer was just a bit big. Both my husband and I really wished that we were traveling in a sprinter van. That would have been so easy. Lake Mendota is lovely and relaxing, and this is a special spot.

Good little campground for those with kids. Large play area near a beach. In town camping at its…read morebest! Bring lots of bug spray

Mendota County Park

Mendota Park sunset

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Wild Waterdome

(4 reviews)

55.7 mi

Came here a few weeks ago as an end of summer trip/birthday trip for a few of my grandbabies. After…read moreplaying with the kids in the pools Pop Pop made his way to the swim up bar where I ordered something called the King Of Rums...... yup that's all I can say. After that I made my way to the arcade for some more fun. This was just one of the many water parks that we had access to with the package that we purchased.

The wilderness is fantastic and probably the best all around resort at the Dells. We come yearly…read moreand stay here the kids have a blast and we wouldn't change a thing.

#wearefamily

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Stingray Bay Family Aquatic Center

3.5

(8 reviews)

74.6 mi

My son went here with his friends and I only stayed for a little while to make sure he was settled…read more From my perspective, the facility is well run, with the check-in process smooth for guests. The center was clean from the inside lockers to the pool area. I think the biggest complaint is that it was very crowded, but it was a really hot 90-degree day, so I get it. It's worth a visit.

Overpriced, crowded, only one entrance & exit, highschool kids working with no supervision or…read moredirection, and not enough chairs.

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Sounds just like them

Machinery Row Bicycles

I've been a customer for twenty years or more. I've bought all my bikes here and come here for…read moreservicing. Always get treated well. Bikes last and hold together. Repairs are accomplished while consulting and advising me so I get the best equipment I can afford. Also I get informed about what to expect in the near and long term so I can do preventive maintenance. In particular I have to mention Derek, a person in the service department of machinery row bicycles in Madison Wi. A great diagnostician, advisor and technician. The best in the business as far as I'm concerned.

Great bikes and location! $50 each for a two-hour rental is a ripoff! Maybe a half day rate?read more

Bicycle repair and service

My new Salsa Fargo

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Bike fitting at Machinery Row Bicycles

Nuts Outdoors

4.0

(16 reviews)

48.3 mi

Absolutely unacceptable experience at Nuts Outdoors…read more Our group rented E-bikes from Nuts Outdoors and were shocked by the complete disregard for participant safety. Staff made no effort to ensure bikes were the correct size for riders, and none of the seats were adjusted to proper height. Now I'm a reasonable person and I'm not expecting these guys to give each member of our group a professional bike fitting measuring knee lockout angles and such, but making sure they can reach the ground when stopping and are comfortable on a 50-60lb bike isn't asking for much. These are pretty basic safety measures you'd expect from any reputable rental service. Even worse, the brakes were wildly inconsistent: some bikes had hyper-sensitive brakes, while others had virtually none at all. It was a disaster waiting to happen. While I understand that, yes, we did sign liability waivers before participating. It should be noted that regardless of the liability waivers. It did not seem as though the staff had any interest in the ensuring the safety of the equipment being used by their patrons, which is completely unacceptable regardless of any waiver. One of our participants suffered a serious injury--a broken ankle--due to these unsafe conditions. When we contacted the business to request a refund for those of us who had to take a ride to the hospital and end the ride after about 30 minutes, we were met with hostility. The person on the phone berated us, used excessive profanity, and showed zero empathy or professionalism. Avoid this place at all costs. Safety and customer service are clearly not part of their business model.

Silas Pepple was the most rude person I have encountered in a long time. Very anti police. Once he…read morefound out my brother was a cop he continued to be more and more disrespectful. He first said, after we were trying to figure out what we wanted to book, that "oh you're a cop, that's why it's taking you so long to figure this out". Then he said you're not so tough without your gun and asked if he had his badge, which my brother did. He then made the comment "oh good, we can take turns wiping out a** with it." then as we were booking he said "you're not getting a discount, I'll charge you 15% more actually." But then said "I'll give you a discount if you can get me out of a low level felony". We still decided to book (our mistake) and when he came out with the paddles my brother hit his head getting in the car and he said "I'm not gonna lie, that was pretty funny". That was the last straw and we asked for a refund. Instead of apologizing for the many comments he doubles down and said we were b***hes and can't take a joke. That's when we lost it and went off on him on how disrespectful he was being. He began to yell in the street. This is NOT how you treat any customers. We are not your friend and you shouldn't talk to people who are giving you money like that. Such an unprofessional place. Please reconsider doing business with this place.