Easy parking, beautiful hike. Not too long or strenuous but can be slippery. Absolutely worth it…read more Have the best memories here with my dad!

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.

Beautiful place. Easily the best swimming hole in Wisconsin - and it offers a unique geography that…read moreis extremely rare to find anywhere else in this state. I absolutely recommend checking it out. If you do, however, take some precaution. The locals are pretty butt-hurt about this place. They like to whine and moan about the increase in traffic and how it is "ruining" it. Yes - if you go on a weekend in the middle of summer, it will be pretty crowded. Frankly - I don't think the increase in people ruin the place. If anything, having a larger crowd makes it more fun. It's nice to sit by the waterfall and watch the dumb kids jump 20-30 feet off the cliff walls into the deep water below. It's also nice to have more people around so if you DO get hurt on accident (there are no railings near the cliffs), there are plenty of people around to call 911. I went on a scorching hot Sunday afternoon and there were a lot of folks there, but not enough to "ruin" it. If you want to go when there are fewer people, go during a weekday. I once went and practically had the whole thing to myself. However, if you do dive, take note: it is REALLY REALLY dangerous and actually illegal (if you are caught, it's a $600 fine). When we were there, some kid hit the rocks after diving and broke his leg pretty bad - fire rescue was called out and apparently it happens all of the time. I've never jumped off the cliffs and I still manage to have fun every time I go. So if you do go out there, be extremely careful. Don't do anything stupid. You can enjoy the place without jumping off the edge - no matter what your idiot friends are telling you. Also, be respectful of the land. A lot of people were smoking (cigarettes, pot), playing music, throwing trash around, and my sister was even attacked by someone's dog. Some redneck hippie chick brought her newborn baby to the place - stupid idea. Don't trespass on the nearby cornfield - be respectful. Don't litter. Don't throw your cigarette butts in the water. Don't bring glass beer bottles. Just be nice - you may think you're cool by getting plastered and jumping off the dangerous cliffs, but you're actually NOT. Also, be warned. Baraboo has a pretty unfriendly way of deterring tourism from their town. If you park along the road, or even park anywhere that is NOT the parking lot (which only holds 7-8 cars), you will be towed. It's $200-$350 towing bill depending on the towing company. Apparently, as of two weeks ago, they didn't enforce the parking laws that often. It was only a $10 ticket and they never towed anyone. Now they tow cars left and right. Jerks. Anyway - have fun! Be safe! And for the love of Pete, don't litter. Channel your inner tree-hugger and leave only footsteps.

It was really fun don't get me wrong and beautiful but not worth it. You do have to pay for parking…read moreit's about 10-16 bucks depending if you live here. They have mostly everything blocked by rails so it took us maybe 10 minutes. If you do want to see more of this place bring water shoes and go into the water. We were unaware of that so we did not prepare unfortunately but it's really not worth it to stop here in our opinion.

Great little park just west of Cross Plains. The highlight is the scenic overlook, giving you…read moreviews to the south as well as looks to the east and west. The facilities are decent - some shelters, a playground, and bathrooms.

A nice wooded area. With an overlook that's comparable to any peak that overlooks the surrounding…read morecountryside anywhere in the Midwest. Several snow sheds or whatever they might be actually called. Large covered concrete pads with several picnic tables beneath. A large fireplace typically on one end and perhaps even some dried aged firewood stocked for a family reunion or a scouts den gathering. Which was precisely what brought me to this very place the first time many years ago. Just about one mile west of Cross Plaines Wisconsin. One mile and change, just beyond the second bend along hwy 14 due west, turn right and up the steep hill, and as the road veers left, you'll notice a drive on the right. Veer into this little siding and a parking lot for maybe a dozen or so. The paved road continues to a Y. Go right. I believe, per my recollection it's a one way loop. This is a small but spacious wild area. Several acres, maybe even 20. I can't recall. I've visited 2-3 times in the previous decade. Almost always nearly vacant of anyone, except myself it seemed. The loop if followed to its furthest point, had a short side road. This led to what I recall as being the viewpoint that look across the highway you exited down below and offers an expansive vista that is most likely a very lovely western sunset at the peak of many a day year round. Another of the side roads venturing beyond the circular drive is another high point which I imagine (I don't think I ever wandered that direction) might spy the western edge of the little town, though I believe as I am recollecting as I write, there is a bluff obscuring that visual. Not a mammoth park. Not at all but a great place to sit and enjoy a quiet moment or to go full on and have a fantastic reunion of the family or friends alike.

My sister and I came across halfway prairie while visiting Indian Lake for the first time. We were…read moreinstantly curious about the history of the old stone house and barn that are now falling in ruins, and actually would never have realized that Halfway Prairie was there had we not gone to take a look at the ruins! The house is fenced to protect visitors from crumbling stone, but still offers great views and photo opportunities! You can catch a glimpse of Indian Lake across the street. We unfortunately were not able to hike secondary to the large amounts of ice that had accumulated last week, but will definitely return when the weather is better!

This place is easy to miss being that it's only been open to the public since 2014. Prior to that…read moreyou might remember seeing a farm there. Halfway Prairie is great place to shoot some photos, hike, admire what's left of the old stone house and the still standing shed-barn. This parcel is eventually supposed to be part of the Ice Age Trail. Please be respectful of the site and don't go inside the fenced area where the house is. This is a neat place that makes you think about everything those walls have seen. It's located right across from Indian Lake County Park.

This park was one of our favorite places we have ever stayed. My husband and I came to stay here…read morewith our small Yorkshire terriers and our cat, and we had a wonderful time. Tim ( the host for the park) is friendly and helpful, and takes great pride in keeping it beautiful and orderly. He lent us an extension cord as the electrical hookups are fairly far away. The park was quiet and lovely. There were lots of friendly people, and it felt like a little community. It was very close to town which was really convenient. We travel in a 36 foot toy hauler with a one ton truck, and I do think that we were pushing it to try to get into some of the spots. Because we had not booked early ( we called the morning of) we had to move spots, and it was the hardest spot we have ever had to get into. Not the parks fault at all, our trailer was just a bit big. Both my husband and I really wished that we were traveling in a sprinter van. That would have been so easy. Lake Mendota is lovely and relaxing, and this is a special spot.

Good little campground for those with kids. Large play area near a beach. In town camping at its…read morebest! Bring lots of bug spray

Pauquette Park is such a gorgeous park in the middle of a small town. I always try to stop on my…read moreroad trip to Chicago. There's a lot of mosquitos so be prepare to be bait. It's definitely a great photo op and super kid friendly. Would highly recommend anyone to do a pit stop. I only wished I had taken more pictures. Ps. Location is 800 W Conant Street, Portage, WI 53901. Address on Yelp is incorrect.

Hoyt park is one of many sneaky natural treasures tucked away within the city of Madison. Easy to…read moremiss, but absolutely worth searching out. I hadn't been to the park in ages, in fact, when looking at the map earlier in the day I'd forgotten that I'd been there before. This is probably because we'd stopped and spent some time at the main shelter, but didn't really check out the rest of the park. Shame on me! We missed out back then; not only does the trail make for a lovely and mostly shady walk, but the history here is fantastic. The park was once a quarry, and it shows because this local stone was used throughout. You can access the park from three areas. First is a footpath next to Hoyt School on Regent Street (street parking only here). The primary entrance is a bit farther up Regent Street, and here is where you'll find the parking lot and the main facilities for the park. Lastly, you can hike down from the the scenic outlook at Owen Parkway. There is limited parking up there and on the street by Hoyt School, so I'd suggest the main lot. Hoyt offers a bit of something for everyone. As you pull into the parking lot you'll notice the stone shelter and restroom facility. There are enough picnic tables in the shelter for a good sized get together (reservable) and a large fireplace on each end. While we were there I saw two different groups cook up something on a teeny fire in there. There's a children's playground near the parking lot, more picnic tables scattered about, and a large open grassy area for soccer, lawn games or frisbee. A basketball court and softball field round out the sporting options. Also, as of June 2015, this is one of 10 Madison parks that will be participating in a pilot program for slacklining sites in the city. Neat! The trail (about a mile total) is a mix of paved and unpaved surfaces. It weaves through the trees and rock formations in a way that really maximizes the 31 acres the park sits on. There are picnic areas with stone fireplaces and tables tucked here and there, and a second shelter full of picnic tables down the path into the woods. A smaller clearing past this shelter opens to a restored prairie area, which was loaded with flowers and butterflies when my friend and I walked through. I noted a few benches here and there where one could sit and watch the pollinators at work. There were raspberries everywhere! At one point we walked past old mossy quarry walls, and up/down stone stairways. There were wildflowers all along the trail, which always makes me happy. We shared the trail with a number of people running through the park or walking their dogs. But beware! Technically dogs are only allowed along Owen Parkway and must be leashed while there (via City of Madison website). I don't know how strict they are at the park if you're caught. Regardless, I was pleased to see so many people using the park in a couple hours time. Unfortunately there are some signs of vandalism once you get into the woods. There are not-so-pretty patches in the fencing where people have tried to get through to the blocked off lower quarry area, and some of the beautiful stone tables have been spray painted. Hopefully the Friends of Hoyt Park are on top of these things; from what I read they're pretty active.

We stumbled upon this while staying nearby. It's a nice place to go to forget you are in a city and…read morehas many hidden gems if you have time to look around. There is a pyramid hidden there if you are fortunate enough to find it.

Cherokee Marsh is a good place to enjoy trails. The Parking lot and driveway area has been…read more regraded so it's no longer full of potholes. You can see a lot of birds there. It's a good place to hike with kids. Rolling terrain in a few areas yet a very easy trail system . Be aware it gets a lot of mosquitoes in the summertime if you're on the grassy trails. Great place to snowshoe in winter

It's a bit of a drive to get out there and the road is very small but there's plenty to be seen,…read moreand it's not far away from Center City