I had a terrific hike in this small, off the beaten path, park. It is located on the banks of Lake Mendota, 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. read more

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We were looking for a place not too far away to get out and enjoy our recent snow. Given we had just 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. read more

Fun place to go for cross country skiing. You just need a state park pass but no additional fees to ski there. They have a variety of groomed trails spanning from easy (flat) to moderate difficulty. I highly recommend Morningside Loop for beginners. I took a newbie there for their first time and had a great time. The trails are somewhat busy as you share it with skate skiers, snowshoers and those just walking, but everyone is very considerate. Probably would have been better if we went on a day with more snow as some of the trails had grass peeking through but still had a wonderful experience! read more

Not sure why the category is skate park... it's a *state* park. We walked around on a gorgeous mid October day. The beach was completely empty, there were a couple families at the play park and we ran into other walkers on the trails - but overall not busy. We did the Woodland Trail, which is about a mile trail over a mildly hilly trail. Along the way were Native American mounds, though I would've missed it unless there were markers. It's a nice combination of beach, woodlands and grassland, all within a short amount of time. Also, I don't fish, but I still played around with the fish cleaning area:) read more

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Governor Nelson is a short drive north around Mendota and features hiking trails, a beach, a pet swimming area, a pavilion and picnic tables, a boat launch, and an accessible fishing pier. The park feels on the small side, but is a nice spot to have so close to town. On our visit, we started on the accessible fishing pier. The upside is that it juts out past the rock and seaweed for the most part, but it's on the small side and is absolutely covered in spider webs. Yuck. We then tried our luck on the newer-looking pier next to the boat launch. There's a built in bench and it's much cleaner, but you get snagged in the seaweed and have to contend with boats coming and going. It was a particularly windy day so the fish weren't biting in general, but we did see another gentleman snag a good-sized bass right when we arrived. As a novice fisher I did appreciate that the accessible pier had the lake's size and catch limits for the most common fish posted. After we abandoned our attempt to fish, we headed out to the Woodland hiking trail. On the map it was marked as difficult and had an icon with two little mountain peaks so I asked the person at the toll booth how difficult it was. She looked at me like I was crazy and assured me it had wood chips that were easier to grip than grass. After getting on the trail, I understood why she was baffled about me inquiring about the difficulty. There are some inclines and declines, but it's essentially a casual stroll down a manicured path. On a wet day it might be a bit treacherous if it turns to mud, or if you have mobility issues, but even the most casual of hikers like myself should be able to manage it without trouble. We chose the Woodland trail to check out the effigy mounds, but the natural growth had completely covered them and I couldn't personally make out where they were except in the general sense that they were directly in front of me and behind the posted sign. Bathrooms were clean enough. The picnic area bathroom has multiple stalls but only one sink. The boat launch bathroom has two single-use rooms. Both feature flush toilets. A vehicle day pass for the park in 2017 is $8; annual is $28. I wouldn't make Governor Nelson a hiking or fishing destination, but if you're just looking to spend the day outside with Madison skyline views, or want a park that almost anyone can enjoy (including your pets), it's not a bad choice. read more

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A small park but it's just a short drive from home in Madison. It's a great place to escape the city bubble and get a taste of the woods (or prairie). There's a lake and beach that are quiet and peaceful as well. Absolutely beautiful in the fall, of course. Gov. Nelson has trails for cross country skiers and dog walkers too. Great place to get your winter exercise. read more

Governor Nelson State Park - Late March sunshine. - Parks Near Me - Waunakee, Wisconsin

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Nice overlook of the Madison area across the lake, Native American Mounds, and nice trails!

Of all the state parks, Governor Nelson is one of the weaker in terms of hiking trails. It has many good historical sites such as burial mounds or information but it is a short trail overall. The meadow area outside is nice but on most scorching summer days, I'd prefer to avoid. Parking is usually good here. The views of the lake are a definite plus. read more

Governor Nelson State Park - Lake Mendota at Governor Nelson State Park. - Parks Near Me - Waunakee, Wisconsin

We hadn't traveled out to Governor Nelson State Park before, so we figured to check it out. My review should be more about the park and all that it has to offer, but I was not allowed in certain areas. I had my dogs with and wanted to exercise them a bit on the trails. There's only one trail that dogs are allowed. What's the deal with that? If they are leashed, they don't swim and you clean up after them, why only one trail? The fine is $150+ if your dog is caught on one of the other trails. Weird! No overnight camping or fires here either. Kinda a bummer! I heard about all these great trails and views from others, but I wasn't able to do any of this because of my pets. The only trail we could walk on was flat, through the marsh area, not much scenery to look at, and it was a little over a mile. It was as basic and boring as you could get. Not impressed by the dog friendly trail at all. How about a fine for those that litter or don't pick up after their pets?? I can understand allowing no dogs in the human swimming area and allowing dogs to swim only at special areas. I just don't understand why dogs aren't allowed on certain trails though. Especially when they are well mannered, are leashed and the owner cleans up after them (and they don't swim in the human swimming ares). My dogs don't swim, so I don't see the reason to ban them from these other trails. read more

We enjoy this park for hiking, pick nicking and the play ground. The park is never very busy and they have carts to use to haul things to the park area. Nice mix of trails that are through the woods and prairie. You do have to watch carefully when hiking since the trails aren't marked great. We enjoy the park area for the view of the water and Madison. Also like all the shade and breeze, perfect for relaxing or a picnic. read more

Here is my favorite thing about the park (besides its proximity to Madison and skyline views)...there is a dog exercise area with a pier on the lake. We took our dog there and threw her retrieving toy out for an hour and she had the best time of her life! The burial mounds along the trails are really neat to see also! We went around sunset during the summer and it was really cool :) read more

The best thing about Governor Nelson State Park is its proximity to Madison. It's a short drive from the city to be in this quiet nature preserve. There is no camping at Governor Nelson, but there are hiking and cross-country skiing trails that are well-kept. There is also a beach, though I'm not brave enough to swim in Lake Mendota at this point. Lots of picnic areas and on a clear day you have beautiful views of the Capitol and the Madison skyline. read more

Great hiking trails, close to Madison, but forget swimming. Don't let the beautiful beach fool you... Maybe it was this time of year, but the water stunk, and about 1 foot into the water, the bottom turns to slime. I'm still trying to wash the smell off of me. read more

The park is a tad small, but don't let the size fool you. Legit, one of the most relaxing places to be near Madison. Never too big of a crowd here! People usually aren't rowdy. I love to take my inflatable chair and float on the lake :) Employees are always pleasant as well! $25 for a season pass (includes all state parks, how cool!) read more