as a lifetime residence of madison, this is an ok beach. the water quality is mediocre, but since…read morethe city is doing a lot when it comes to phosphorus reduction and water quality efforts, it should improve soon. my main concern is the outdated and absolutely disgusting beach shelter, which could really use a renovation. that being said, the beach shore is really beautiful and there is a nice view of lake monona, so if the city put more effort into this park, it could really shine.

No dogs or alcohol allowed. Picnics here are my favorite 2020 activity. Before swimming, I have to…read morecheck the Madison website for water quality to see if there is an unsafe water advisory. I love this neighborhood beach. It's usually not too busy.

Awesome with a playground, restrooms, picnic tables, restrooms, boat access, and sand. I'm here on…read morea Friday morning and there are people here eating lunch while ducks quack and boats stroll by. If the weather keeps up, I may just go for a swim! It may get a lot busier during weekends but very pretty and very relaxing.

The beach is very small. There is no lifeguard and no roped-off areas for swimming. The marina is…read morevery close to the swimming area and the boat load-in is also right next to the swimming area, so boats are frequently going by. Fishing also occurs nearby. There are very few people here, maybe because it's a holiday. The water is pretty gross. Lots of rocks and seaweed everywhere. The shore smells like fish and you will only be walking in seaweed or rocks in the water. I did not put my head underwater because it was so gross. It is NOT deep at all. I almost waded out to the nearest sailboat in the marina and the water was only to the top of my waistband (I'm 5'11"). This might be a nice place for lounging in a boat. It was okay for swimming, but not the best.

Henry Vilas Beach is ok. We went here during a girls trip and the beach was easy because it was…read moreright across from the zoo and has a nice walk through the park. It is pretty small compared to other beaches, but it is free which is nice. The sandy part got filled pretty quickly, but there is a little grassy area were able to sit by. There wasn't really any parking around the area, but you might be able to snag a spot by the zoo. The water was shallow, so if you have younger children, this might be a good option. Overall, it is definitely a decent beach to spend a couple hours after walking around the zoo.

What a great free place to spend summer days with or without kiddos! As I am of the kiddo side of…read morethe table, I highly tout it for family fun. Lol Located directly across the street from Henry Vilas Zoo, this beach sits on the small and peaceful Lake Wingra. In the summer months, the beach is staffed with lifeguards and offers restroom and shower/changing facilities. There is a fair amount of seating on the grassy area around the beach, but I recommend bringing chairs or blankets as the picnic tables fill up fast. Henry Vilas Park does have a lot of geese and ducks, so be mindful of goose poop on the grass, although the parks department seems to keep this area cleaner. Additionally, be mindful of the fact that since Wingra is a small lake, as the temps get higher and summer wears on, it is prone to blue-green algae blooms. Fortunately the parks dept. closes the beach at those times and posts warnings. We steer clear and instead continue to enjoy the Kona Ice treats from the truck that always parks nearby!

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!

I had a terrific hike in this small, off the beaten path, park. It is located on the banks of Lake…read moreMendota, near Madison, WI. We were staying at the Holiday Inn in Middleton, and I decided to check out this park. I went there around 7am, and maybe it gets crowded later in the day, but there were just a few fishermen putting their boats in at the marina. The maintenance people have done a great job cutting trails through the fields. There is a paved trail also (for bicycles and hikers), but I didn't take it. I sure wish I lived closer to this little park! Living in Cincinnati, it is just a little too far for me to drive.

We were looking for a place not too far away to get out and enjoy our recent snow. Given we had…read morejust bought a state park pass we decided to go to the close-by Gov Nelson Park to cross country ski. There is no additional fees for using the trails unlike some other state parks. It was a weekday so it was pretty empty - good for us. There was a fresh inch of snow on top of a good base. We skied the un-groomed Woodlands trail which was very nice and then the groomed Morningside trail which was better. The grooming really helped. If it were windy that trail would be a bit exposed. We will definitely return to ski.

A rather lame place. Depending on your perspective…read more Visually it's lovely. But as I sat alongside the southernmost (I think I was south) shore in my car eating a hamburger, I spied a sign that contained all the rules of this park. It wasn't precisely a rules menu. It was more along the lines of Do's and Don'ts. Mostly DON'T. No swimming. No dogs. No fishing. No boats. No flotation devises (which I'd already was covered by the first of the commandments.) No littering. (I'm on board with this one) No alcoholic beverages. No overnight parking/camping. No fires. No fireworks Near as I can tell this leaves to fucking reason to call this a park. But possibly it's ok to kill someone, so long as they break any of the listed 10 commandments. I wonder.

Going against the grain here a bit…read more Pros: -Place is clean. Very clean. Even the water looks clean. -Decent life guard coverage provides adequate safety -Plenty of picnic tables, space, and even some spots to get out of the sun if you need it Cons: -Yeah definitely not cheap. May not be practical for the family outings. Definitely more geared towards grown ups Bottom Line: -If you're going to worry about the nickle and dimes, then yes I'd recommend other options. I think people that come here pay their own way and just want to chill. I'm by no means wealthy, but I could really care less about the price when I can just as easily waste more money on God knows what... (drinking, video games, gambling, televangelists....)

On Thursday August 21, 2025, I made a road trip from Chicago to Pearl Lake Beach. It was good…read moretiming because there were only about two dozen visitors there, due to the local schools being open for the first day of the school year. This was the first time that I have been here since 1992 when I was scuba diving, and this lake is definitely known for scuba divers. The manager Ginger and her staff (Sophia, Parker, Kameron) were just magnificent. I told them that I was hearing-impaired, so they assisted with filling out the computer waiver. They showed me where I can go to lay out on the beach and where the handicapped parking was located at (only three spots). When I arrived, the water was slightly chilly, due to the weather being 75 degrees and an overcast day, I laid out a blanket, fell asleep. It was a magnificent siesta but the sun came out around noon while I was sleeping and caused sun burn on my legs and neck. Lesson learned- bring sun screen next time. Pearl Beach Lake is only open from Memorial Day to Labor Day and currently there is a $25 per person fee. Be warned- I was told that on hot summer weekends there could be as many as 2,000 people a day visiting this beach. Week day visits are probably less crowded...Five stars!

nice beach right by botanical garden, water isnt too dirty, perfect for kids. definitely will go…read moreback

This beach could be beautiful and from afar, it is! However, once you set your foot in the sand,…read moreyou spend the whole time trying not step in goose sh*t. I hope they get someone to clean the beach before it opens officially. They have nice places to sit which are surrounded in goose poop, unfortunately. There is a concession stand and a dock for kayaking. Also, it's right next door to the botanical gardens!

Very clean and maintained beach and bathroom. Helpful workers and recommend to go while visiting…read more Best beach of the lake.

This is a nice beach on Lake Geneva but it is for locals or season ticket holders. My dad is local…read moreand if i went there more often, I would get a season pass. As you can see from the photos, it isn't too crowded and it is well maintained. I was meeting my cousin from the Chicago suburbs here to do some boating on the lake. Nice area, and nice large lake. If you are launching a boat, plan ahead. Have fun!!