I love this park tucked away in Monona. The park has roughly 56-acres that are laid out along a…read moreglacial drumlin, or small hill, not far from the eastern shore of Lake Monona. There are paths leading through woodland, savanna, and, most notably, ponds and marshes that are home to a wide variety of waterfowl. We love going for a walk or jog here when we don't want to travel far. It is a wonderful spot for a quick escape from the noise and distraction of the surrounding urban environment.

A nice get away in a little urban area.. Check out the burial mound and enjoy the water fowl.read more

Such a beautiful park. There's a little beach area. Plenty of benches. It's very clean with trash…read morecans everywhere. Ducks and boats in there water. Good times

what a beautiful park! great at all times of day i assume, lots of green space to sit down and…read morestare at the lake!

Really liked this quick stop for a jaunty little hike before moving on our way…read more Loved the views and thankfully it was pretty quiet on a Monday afternoon. A bit of an uphill climb at the start but very manageable, especially compared to nearby Devil's Lake. There is a decent sized parking lot at the bottom of a hill driving in so you can usually find a spot. Recommend if you're in the area!

It's a fairly steep, but not too long hike to get to the top, but wow, the view is great. It's not…read moretoo busy up there, but I would not bring kids since there are cliffs there. My wife was nervous when I even got close to an edge.

I cannot believe I didn't know this hidden gem existed. Their sunflower days are absolutely…read morestunning! It's definitely an attraction close to Madison that's not to be missed. To be honest, I have only ever been to the Pope Farm Conservancy for the sunflowers. But it seems like a beautiful place to stop year round for a hike or to cross country ski. It gets crowded during their sunflower days, so it's best to go during off hours. The Conservancy does an excellent job marking off parking spots and directing traffic. They have plenty of volunteers to answer questions and everything appears to be very well run and organized. People come to take family photos, have a picnic, or just go for a nice stroll to watch the sunset over a beautiful field of sunflowers. However, leave your dog at home because pets are not allowed. The sunflower days attraction is free however donations are accepted. Definitely worth a trip to the far west side of Madison.

As a relatively short person, 5', I love the feeling of being immersed in sunflowers!read more

Very cute conservancy in Waunakee that is so peaceful. There are picnic tables at the start and…read morebenches throughout the trail. Also very well maintained.

My husband and I strolled here the other day. It's a beautiful retreat and reminds me of being in…read morethe country even though it is in the town of Waunakee. The trail is not groomed and judging by the paw prints left in the snow the fact that they don't allow dogs is most likely not enforced. However, with the warmer weather the trail is wet and muddy in some spots and I recommend water proof shoes as the trail isn't paved or gravel. The bridges are lovely and there are rest benches along the path. There were also wildlife tracks so if you time it right you may see some deer or large birds. I'm looking forward to walking this when the path is drier. Update: I did go here when the weather was drier and I loved it. The path makes a circle, so if you don't carry a compass or navigation eventually you'll get back to the start. It was even prettier now without the snow and less mud, I'm looking forward to some greenery along the path. While you are close enough to town to see civilization it almost like being out in a natural state.

I was in the area picking something up and decided to take a short walk through this park. My…read morenephews and I used to come here in Spring when everything was still covered in snow, and in winter, the park is popular for cross-country skiing, so I'm quite familiar with it. I've also attended a foraging class here through the Madison Public Library, which was a great experience. The trails are easy to walk, but keep an eye out for black walnuts that ripen and drop onto the ground--you could easily step on one and twist an ankle (as I unfortunately did). Along the way, you might spot squirrels and hear birds singing in the bushes. I even came across some mushrooms, which reminded me of the foraging class. There's a restroom facility and a pond nearby, and in winter, local families love coming here for sledding on hill. I've done it myself--it's a lot of fun, just make sure to protect your back on the way down! Don't say I didn't warn you!

I went recently to try out the ice skating and had a blast. It cost 6$ to rent ice skates and you…read morecould skate for as long as you want until the rental place closed. If you have your own skates you can skate for as long as you want. They have 2 rinks, one for regular ice skating and the other for hockey. They have the green assistance rollators, for when you need assistance ice skating, that are useful. The ice was chipped in some areas, but overall good quality. There is a huge hill close by that looks like it can be sledded when there's more snow.

Highly recommend hiking here!…read more There is a small parking lot. It helps to come early otherwise you may have to find parking somewhere else. We noticed cars just parking on the side of the county road. After you park you have to pay for a ticket and stick it on your dashboard. This ticket will also get you into Devil's Lake which is awesome so you don't have to pay for both. Right by the parking lot they have some area/trail/hiking information as well as bathrooms. This is the start for 2 different trailheads. You can go right for the Parfey's Glen State Natural Area or you can go left on part of the Ice Age trail. We decided to do both with our dogs. We first did the Ice Age trail which was a narrow wooded trail. Beautiful with a good amount of uphill. We did about 3 miles out and back. We could have gone much farther. It was so nice, we only saw 2 other people on the trail. Then we went over and did about a mile in Parfey's Glen. Everyone we saw in the parking lot seemed to do Parfey's Glen, it wasn't too crowded late morning but we saw a good amount of people. Lot of families so definitely a kid friendly hike. It was such a nice hike, it starts on a paved path and then goes to gravel, and then dirt. Along the way there are streams (that you have to cross so bring your hiking boots or shoes you don't care about). Towards the end I believe there is a waterfall but we didn't make it that far with the dogs. I look forward to going back and doing the entire hike.

Loved this area! We've been a few times over the years and it's always so calming…read more We were there for memorial day weekend so it was pretty busy. Prepare to bring extra shoes if you opt to hike beyond the end of the trail. Plenty of stepping stones and logs but still a chance to slip. Lots of people came back with wet shoes. Definitely recommend if you're in the area!

This was a nice place to have a simple wedding. It had all the basics you'd need to put on a nice…read morewedding. As mother of the groom, I didn't know much about the whole process, but I helped decorate the venue. We brought & put up all the decorations so I'm not sure what they offered for that. The building is nice and large and perfect for a summer/ fall wedding.

I like Olin Park! It's large, it's grassy, it has a lot of nice shaded spots…read more I don't typically come here just to.. come here. Usually I find myself at this park when there is some sort of event happening. Great Taste of the Midwest, the Polar Plunge, the Festival in Lights. But regardless, I am still at this park at least numerous times per year. It's got a great location, right on the lake, and there is even a boat launch! I don't boat Lake Monona much anymore, but this used to be a place I came to often as a kid when my dad would take me out, we launched from here all the time! Oh, the memories :) The park is very versatile which is nice. It can easily host several different types of events easily. The playground area is nice and seems to be pretty well kept up. There is plenty of parking. And there is a ball diamond too. It's right on John Nolan Dr, which some might think, that's a busy road, not safe for the littles! But fortunately everything here is set very far back from the road. We're talking a huge wide open grassy area that separates the traffic from the fun. Plus, the park has it's own little "frontage road" type thing that keeps things even more separated from the busy road.