Yahara Place Park is such an incredible zen spot to relax, people watch, bird watch, and get a…read moregreat view of Lake Monona. I live a few blocks from YPP and it is on my regular walking route around the neighborhood. Each season brings the best our of YPP. In the summer, there are always families hanging out in/around the playground or basketball court. The Waterfront festival happens here each summer, which really brings the neighborhood together, with local musicians and artists. In the spring and fall, seeing the changing of the seasons and leaves really makes for a great stop. There is a road that goes by the park, which always has bikers on it (part of the lake loop). I really find YPP to be a tranquil place to take a walk, sit on a bench and enjoy the world around you.

This is a great little park on Lake Monona. I perfect place to hang out with nature. There's a…read morelittle car traffic that comes by, but its mostly bikes, walkers and runners moving through. You can land kayaks here to venture out to Lake Monona or sit along the shore and people watch those out on the lake for the day. There's lots of trees that provide shade and quite a bit of green space for the kids to play. There was a gentleman out with a hammock along the water. Now, that's what I need to do next time I come out. We met up with some friends to walk to Olbrich Park and back. This was a lovely start and end place for our morning walk. It was so green and lush and the flowers in bloom were so fragrant. What a nice little park right in the middle of the residential area.

If there had been snow we would have been cross country skiing but since the last month has been…read morerelatively snow free we opted for a winter hike instead. Our friends know this park inside and out so we followed their lead and hiked on what would be the ski trails vs. the mountain biking trails. The park was pretty empty given the cold gray day and the icy trails (we were glad we had our yak trax with us or it would have been a tough hike). We didn't explore the fire towers or much beyond the trails but we will definitely come back to ski this winter and to hike in better weather. Also the staff in the office was very friendly when I went it to buy my annual pass. They were closed when we arrived earlier in the day so they let me use my day pass purchase towards the yearly pass fee.

Whilst in the area, I decided to drive to the state park since it was right here. I turned where…read morethe sign said Blue Mound State Park... but to be honest, I couldn't actually find the park. I must have been there or right by it because there was the sign announcing it, but it was just driving through the wooded area; I never saw a place to pull out that was a park. I didn't see any trails crossing the road, either, so I'm not sure what was up. I did see four deer whilst driving through, so that was pretty cool. There are probably better parks in the area.

Even on an overcast winter afternoon this arboretum was lovely to wander around. Almost completely…read moreempty, only saw a few other hikers. Free. Plenty of parking. A nice option for a safe, free walk in the woods in Madison. I'll be back in the spring!

I had a work meeting at the Arboretum and took a walk on a few trails during my lunch break…read more There's plenty of parking, though none of it is shaded, so it can get pretty warm on sunny days. The facility has a few meeting rooms with good audiovisual equipment, plus a small library and reliable wifi. There's only one bathroom, but it does the job. The trails are well maintained, and I even spotted a couple of cranes while walking. Overall, it's a peaceful spot that works well for both meetings and a quick nature break.

What a wonderful park! I got to spend several hours here, across two days, and thoroughly enjoyed…read moremyself. Easily accessible by turning off of John Nolen Dr., there's a nice large paved parking area adjacent to several trailheads in the park. I spent some time just lounging near the lot, and saw Madison's finest patrol past the lot (back and forth from Olin Park) twice. The lot is clear, and easily visible from the road, so it seems like it would be reasonably safe. Nearby were several picnic tables, plenty of garbage cans, and two posted maps of the area (possibly a third). There are no restrooms or water fountains here, but they do offer them a few hundred yards up a path to the north at the Olin Park area. The interior of the Turville Point Conservation Park isn't too large, but big enough to host several looping trails spread over just under 65 acres of rolling terrain and varied biotypes. The rolling variable terrain is fun but still easy to traverse. The soft grassed trails are easy on the joints, and well maintained to not be muddy or treacherous. The trails are all good for casual strolling, without risk of falling or rolling an ankle. Only a few spots near Turville Bay were muddy, but you could easily walk around them without getting off the trail. The trails cut through oak forests (red, bur, and white oak trees of varying age); circle lovely prairie that's ideal for bird watching; run past some marshland; parallel the Turville Bay and Lake Monona coast; and offer some wonderful view of local plants and wildlife (if you're quiet enough). The view of downtown Madison in the distance from Turvilles Point is nice - you can witness the hustle and bustle of the city from the calm of the forest. I've hiked some pretty famous North American super-parks, and I have to say I actually enjoy smaller conservation parks like this. Because they're only a few dozen acres, they local crews are able to maintain the trails better, and I can see everything in a day or two of leisurely walking - no need for a full pack of gear. This small park nicely encapsulates much of what I've grown to enjoy about Wisconsin's wilderness, without having to stray too far from civilization. Some of my favorite afternoons are spent at parks just like Turville Point Conservation Park.

My wife and I really enjoyed the 1.4 mile hike around the most challenging of the three trails in…read morethe wooded area of the park, which were very well manicured. One suggestion, though, would be to make sure you have applied plenty of bug spray (our hike was in late July).

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.

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.

Great dog park! They have both small and large dog areas. The larger dog area is a nice loop. The…read moretrail is well maintained and there's tons of space for the dogs to run. It's a beautiful area with large prairie grass. I always have a tired dog after coming here.

A great camping spot close to everything in Madison and Monona. Resident cranes visited us every…read moreday!

This 1.3 acre park between the Red Gym and the UW Memorial Union opened in the fall of 2017. It…read morehas a spectacular view of Lake Mendota and the Well Red sculpture of Bucky Badger will no doubt be appearing in Instagram feeds for decades. The park also honors many of the distinguished alumni of UW Madison.

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.