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!

Lovely family beach because of the nice sand and the gradual increase in depth of the water. A new…read moreslide ah just been added, and there are lifeguards on duty.

This is a really nice beach, the sand is very soft, it's not too rocky, and the water is completely…read moreclear. It's gorgeous at sunset but I'm sure it would be really nice during the day too.

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.

While this was a spacious park, I don't think it's worth the daily pass fee of $7. There is a good…read moreamount of parking available and a small pond for people/dogs to play in. Checked out some of the trails but they weren't too well maintained. We primarily stopped by for a beer garden and car show. If you don't pay the fee beforehand online, you'll receive something in the mail about a month later. Surprised they charge this much considering they don't put more into their park. I'd rather check out a different free park in the area, like Whitnall.

I've been here before over the years for the trails and dog parks. You need a day or year pass for…read moreparking. The year pass is worth it if you would visit more than 6 times/visit any of the other Waukesha Parks. I went this past visit with my pup to paddle board- I personally wouldn't go again for this since it really is a pond and the water is a bit stinky and quite yucky! If we would have fallen in the water I would have been so upset so we only did one lap and then I let him play some water fetch. I do love the expanse of trails however and it looks like they have a beer garden set up as well. I'll come back just not for the water portion here

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.

Well I might not ever make it to the French Riviera, but this one sure is beautiful! I wasn't…read moreexpecting this to be so beautiful when I pulled up, which was a really pleasant surprise. I didn't realize this is where the tour cruise boats leave/dock from, and what a gorgeous sight it is. The restrooms inside are super clean; and there's a few cute shops too.

We came to Lake Geneva for a day trip and, of course, had to stop by Riviera Beach. It's a sandy…read morebeach with plenty of boats out on the lake, and there's a nice sidewalk for strolling as well as benches where you can sit and enjoy the sounds of the water. A relaxing spot to spend part of the day. They got paid street parking or free parking just a few blocks away. There's also a nearby library overlooking the lake.

Bar/grill has really good food and all staff is very friendly. We are seasonal campers here. Steaks…read moreand burgers are from Sorg's, an excellent local meat shop. Karaoke almost every weekend. Summers can get very busy. Boat launch and beach. They even have bar service and live music at the beach. Campers have all been very welcoming!

Great place to eat talked to Nick the chef that cooked my fish great kid. Awesome place to and eat…read more Very good place to eat on Friday fish fry. I recommend this place to anyone on Fridays for a home cooked meal.

Stayed here for a summer weekend and enjoyed great weather , a beautiful lake! One of the best kept…read moresecrets near Madison! We spent 1 day on the lake and another in Madison which is only 20 minutes away. An overall great stay !!

Stayed @ Lake Ripley Lodge for 3 nights, 4 nights with my boyfriend. It was a lovely stay. Very…read moreCozy, relaxing and the views are breath taking. The fresh roasted coffee on the front lawn and looking out @ the lake will never be forgotten. Fire Pits at night looking into the sky with the million dollar lake views. The homemade baked goods in the morning reminded me of my grandmas home cooking. I highly recommend this. The owners of this bed and breakfast make you feel at home.

Quiet, gorgeous, and reasonably cared for. Perfect for a camper that enjoys staying in camp and…read moredoesn't need a lot of amenities. **Boy Scouts may be available to deliver wood, but there's also wood sold nearby. Noting here, there's not much by way of hiking paths, mud lake is not swimmable, and they don't offer recycling collection. -There is a great bike trail onsite -Mud Lake (also onsite) seems to be great for fishing and tooling around in a small boat -It's quiet and campers seem to be respectful of one another. -The old Savannah Oak trees are beautiful and offer just enough shade to many (but not all) of the campsites. -This campground is not maintained on a daily basis, so the grass was a little overgrown and the pit toilets could have been slightly cleaner. There are also no garbage cans in the pits, but a dumpster in the parking lot. This campground is made for a more rustic camper, as it has less amenities than your typical state park campground. Noting here, these are all walk-in sites with the exception of the group site. There are pit toilets and a well for water, but no other facilities.

Perfect for when you want to get outside for a night or two but don't want to drive hours and hours…read moreto get away from it all! Only about 30 minutes from Madison this campground offers a pretty tranquil camping experience given it's location and especially given that it's a State campground. No RV's allowed and you have to trek in all your gear 50-100 yards from the parking lot. Not a huge deal, but apparently inconvenient enough that a lot of people take a pass (fiiiine by me!). I think it's great not having any cars rumble past your campsite at night. All I heard was a rooster and a cow (this isn't exactly the wilderness, people, more like farmland). Set in a grove of old stately oak trees, each campsite has a fire ring and a picnic table. Some are definitely on the sunny side, so feel free to call up the ranger to make sure you end up where you want to. There are bathrooms (well, porto-potties) and well water near the parking lot. You will not be finding any firewood on your own, you'll need to buy it from somewhere local. The gas station sells bundles for $5 but an even better deal is the boy scout troop who sells daily at the campsite. Their number is posted upon your entry so just give them a call to find out what time they're coming by. The campground was only partially full when I was there one August weekend and the ranger said that it usually only fills up (or close to it) on holiday weekends or when there is an event at some nearby concert venue. BOTTOM LINE: I hesitated to even write this review because I don't want this secret jewel to become overrun. Good stuff!!

We were driving from Madison to Kopps in Brookfield and decided to stop by this forest since we've…read morepassed it so many times. We parked at the south unit, where there's plenty of parking, and set out on the trail during the first week of September. Be prepared for mosquitoes; definitely bring repellent and consider wearing dark-colored clothing. The trails are generally well maintained, though some areas have taller shrubs. We saw a couple of Indian springs. Overall, it's a fairly easy and enjoyable hike.

The Kettle Moraine State Forest (southern unit) encompasses a few campgrounds, many hiking trails,…read moreOttawa Lake, and is home to two of the best mountain biking trails in the State. Easily accessible from Madison, Milwaukee, Chicago, it feels remote without being too far from the closest cities. I've camped in the Pinewoods Campground here for many falls- and biked both the Emma Carlin and John Muir Trails. The mountain biking is great, but (as a novice) I always bump the given difficulty levels up a notch. Medium is Difficult, etc. Ottawa Lake campgrounds is good for families who want direct access to the Lake. The Lake has a beach, a fishing pier, a dog pier, kayak/canoe launch. Pinewoods sites are actually really secluded. True to name, they're amongst towering pines. The facilities are cleaned once a day. Scuppernong Trail is a great system of a few hikes amongst the pines, and the Scuppernong Springs Nature Trail is an easy hike with bubbling springs, that the family will love.