Every year my family goes on a big camping trip, and this year we visited Governor Dodge! A first…read morefor us. Looking back, I'd say overall it was A-OK. We booked a double site as we had two RVs and multiple tents. It sure was plenty spacious! However, we all had noted it would have been great to see photos of the site when booking so we could know more that to expect. It was 100% full sun, and truly not chance for shade. Most other sites at this park had lots of tree coverage, which we would have loved and likely swapped to giving the chance. Being in a wide open space in the dead of summer can be tricky. The grounds are massive and well-kept, with tons of great hiking trails. Overall stunning views and vast green spaces. There's two large lakes with options to kayak, canoe, fish, ,etc. Concession stand with tasty ice cream, and a handful of convenience-store type items. Oh and we also definitely enjoyed the playground area with the kiddos. On the bad side: the shower-houses were pretty terrible. At least the one nearest to our site. It was to the point that half of us chose to forego showering all together just to avoid it. We also had a bummer experience at one of the beaches. We arrived around 10am and were all swimming for a few hours (along with tons of other visitors), when the rangers arrived and promptly closed the beach due to dangerous water bacteria. The closing wasn't the issue, but instead allowing 50+ folks to swim and fish in it before doing so. We'd all wished this water testing was done before the beach 'opened' for the day, as it left us fairly nervous having the quickly be rushed out. Overall, plenty of positives to this gorgeous state park - we made some great camping memories! Just hope those few shared pieces of feedback could help for future plans/changes.

What an absolute 'Sconi gem!…read more Anything other than 5-stars is insane! Awesome trail system with great views. The trails are wonderfully maintained. If you just want to laze about on a lake-beach, you can do that too! I have family that live less than an hour from here and they haven't been in 10+ years, that is CRAZY!

stunning such a nice informational ride out there beautiful walk. Would recommend for all agesread more

This was a pretty cool and quick 20 minute walk to breeze through. Pretty and peaceful. Completely…read morepaved easy path.

Absolutely breathtaking hike. It is a relatively easy hike to take. There are many beautiful spots…read moreto take pictures if you are into photography, or just wade into the water. If you are in Baraboo and at Devils Lake, this is not to be missed.

It's a great place to go hiking and to take a dip in the natural reserve water nestled between to…read morerock cliffs where you can use the rope to swing into the warm flowing river water. It is a very cool place to check out and really was a great start to the trip. Also do not jump off the rocks into the water because there are rangers who watch that area and it is not allowed to jump off the cliffs.

I can't even begin to estimate how may times I've been to Wisconsin and I had no idea there was a…read moretiny desert in Spring Green. Per the educational signs, this is a micro -climate created by the nearby bluffs. There are a ton of prickly pear cacti, and we even saw a couple of lizards. We didn't see any tortoises, but thankfully also didn't see the 10 varieties of wolf spiders. The trail is mostly full sun, so sunscreen and floppy hats are needed,and I'd highly recommend long pants and maybe even long sleeves. The grasses growing along the trail are tall and would most likely scratch up bare legs...and remember the wolf spiders too....we didn't climb up the ridge at the end as we encountered about a million mosquitoes within a few yards of entering the wooded area and they didn't seem deterred by deet. We had great views from bluffs on other trails in the area, so headed back rather than get eaten up! Just a heads up - no restrooms or even port-o-pots here, so plan ahead!

Huge sandy prairie full of prickly pear cacti is connected to a river bluff. Hiking trail winds…read morethrough the prairie and up to the bluff's top. Such a fascinating place to see this unusual ecosystem! The hike up the bluff is through a forest. Parts are steep. The view at the top is stunning and well worth the climb.

Wisconsin's Largest Natural Bridge/Arch…read more this natural arch is located in the "Driftless Area of Southwestern Wisconsin" meaning....this natural bridge was not glaciated during the last Ice Age & is still standing strong today! Quick Facts * archeologists found charred wood in fire pits underneath this natural bridge that dates as far back as 12,000 years * this is a 530 acre state park with lots of beauty...but stay on the trails!! ‼ * the trail to the natural bridge is quick & easy! Bring your family * there are no trash cans...keep your trash on you!! * this spot is located very close to the House on the Rock * add this spot to your list of Things To Do in Wisconsin!

This is the most bizarre State Park I've been to in Wisconsin, and I've been to many. I don't know…read morewhy it has State Park status, it's more of a State Natural Area, because there is no park office, no bathrooms of any kind, no picnic tables, no one enforcing or collecting the fee you're supposed to pay -- there's just a parking lot you drive into, for free as far as I can tell. The posted map says it has toilets and a picnic area, but they are not there. Anyway, once you park and take the mowed trail, it's a pretty short hike to the bridge, which is very, very beautiful. There are a couple of more trails you can continue to walk on, but they seemed to disappear into nothingness after a while, so we turned back. So definitely stop in for 30 minutes to see the natural beauty, but there's no reason to stay beyond that.

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).

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.

Definitely wear solid shoes with good traction if you plan to climb the rocky trail to the top. Oh…read moreboy. I only made it half way, it's quite challenging! Very steep in parts. If you don't want to climb up to catch the views, there is still beauty all around and you can walk by the lake or around the flatter trails. $16 was the daily fee for my car, as I have Illinois plates. I'm guessing it's cheaper for folks who live in Wisconsin. I will have to return in the spring to see the colors! But this state park was gorgeous, even on a chilly March day!

Wanted to go hiking to see balanced rock and devils door. Had never been in the area before, but…read morewatched a few videos before going to try to get an idea of what id need to do when I got there. Got to the park around 5 and all the concessions were closed. Couldn't find anyone to speak to but there was a machine to buy a parking pass and found the map so I could figure out the trails. Made my way up to balanced rock but it was getting late and started to lose sunlight so didnt make it to devils door. Wouldn't say it's a easy hike but my girl never did anything like it and she did it just fine. Rocks slippery but I feel it was worth the views. Beautiful park and would definitely go back.

I planned my Frank Lloyd Wright trip to Wisconsin around visiting Taliesin and it was well worth my…read moretime. Taliesin was Wrights home for much of his life, including when he designed many of his most prominent designs. Taliesin is located in Spring Green, Wisconsin which was home to many of Wrights relatives and was where Wright spent many summers as a child. You get to understand why this location held such a strong draw for Wright. Located just across the river from Spring Green Wisconsin you check in for the tour at the Wright designed building overlooking the river that contains the gift shop and cafe. Even before getting to Taliesin itself you get to experience a wonderful Wright building that provides great views of the river, has the trademark horizontal features and a wonderful geometric ceiling. The gift shop is very nice and has a wide selection. I took the 4 hour Estate Tour which includes all of the major buildings in Taliesin. Our guide started with about 10 minutes of introduction in the gift shop. We then took a shuttle bus to the actual estate we started the tour at the house Wright designed for his sister, which was undergoing renovation; this house is fairly conventional on the outside, yet it has that Wright feel on the inside. Outside we saw the Romeo and Juliet Windmill, which has the story attached that his relatives in the area predicted it would ball over in the 1st substantial wind, yet it is still standing over 100 years after it was originally built. Next up on the tour was the Hillside Home Tour which was originally built for his aunts, but was later converted for the Taliesin Fellowship. We started in the Auditorium, which is unique, especially the way half of the audience is looking at the other members of the audience. The auditorium is still in use, including movies, concerts and lectures. Next up was the drafting room that the Fellowship used. The room is electric with a grid of beams and skylights. You can understand how the apprentices would be inspired by working in this space. We were also lucky enough to be one of the first tours to get to see the hallway and the bedrooms next to the drafting room that were used by the apprentices. We then got a nice break in the Hillside Home dining room with some wonderful light snacks. All of the dining room furniture is Wright designed and the light fixtures were not just Wright designed but then fabricated by the apprentices. A very nice way to actually experiene some of how life at Taliesin was for the apprentices. Back on the bus to take us to the Midway Barn, which provides an idea of how Taliesin was an actual working farm. Eventually some of the barn was used for housing apprentices. Wright designed the barn to emerge out of the hillside, reflecting his idea for organic architecture. We then moved on to the main buildings at the top of the hillside which were the Frank Lloyd Wright house, office and drafting room. This area has significant history both good and bad. This is where the murders and fires took place. Wright managed to rebuild and to make these spaces an amazing place to visit. We got a full tour of the house, the garden and even the kitchen building. It is amazing to see what Wright built for himself and his family. The Taliesin Estate tour is excellent, comprehensive, educational and lots of fun. Our guide was also excellent, not afraid to deal with all side of Frank Lloyd Wright, both the good and bad. He was great about explaining everything, pointing out detail and also separating facts from speculation; he even told us about having conversations with a Taliesin fellow who still lives on the property and is over 100 years old. If you are a Frank Lloyd Wright fan Taliesin is a must visit; I would strongly recommend the Full Estate Tour. I also found it helpful to have read several of the books on Wright and the events that have occurred at Taliesin. Even if you are not a Wright fan, this is an amazing tour and well worth visiting.

Definitely worth a visit, we did a 2 hour house tour at the very end of the season - I guess they…read moreused to close at the end of November but in 2025 decided to continue offering tours until 12/14 and while it was VERY cold and a bit snowy the tour was great. Everyone meets at the guest center and you may need to pick up your tickets in the gift shop, honestly the cafe' was nice and had a great looking brunch menu so I would definitely plan to eat here on a future visit. The tour started a little slow with a short talk in the gift shop, then you take a 20-seat shuttle to the house which will almost always be full but obviously they cannot have everyone driving themselves over to the grounds. There's a little walking and a lot of standing on the tour but you can sit in the living room for a while in the middle of the tour which is helpful for many. The docent had good knowledge and was engaging if a bit quirky, for FLW or architecture fans a visit to Taliesin is a great day. Check it out if interested, it's a unique visit!