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.

This five acre park features a hiking trail and...wait for it..a small pond. There's also a dock…read morefor fishing and a bench that provides a pleasant view of this largely undeveloped plot of land near the Waunakee Village Center. No playground equipment and no bathroom facilities, but the hike around the pond is a pleasant one.

My puppy Rose and I had a great time there today! I've been leery of dog parks in the past, but…read morethis is a great place. It is large and very clean. Rosie and I met some really nice people and dogs there today. We both got some exercise (well, only one of us is asleep right now). We'll definitely be back! Doggie bags are available near the entrance. Trash cans are set up around the park. The only thing I wish they had was doggie water fountains. Yes, I know it's winter; I'm just saying. Also, the county park has lots of different sections/parking lots/entrances. As you get close they have helpful signs pointing you towards the dog exercise area. Rose and I can't wait to go back!

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.

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

Pleasant park with several interconnected meandering paths thru it. Lots of beautiful wildflowers…read more Some territorial views of the nearby suburban hills. Very pleasant and relaxing for walking (a few benches are provides).

I attended a work wellness event at the Allen Centennial Gardens. What a fantastic resource on the…read moreUW-Madison campus that is free to everyone who wants to learn more about this garden and plants in general. I have been to this cute garden a hand full of times in the past, but have never taken a formal tour of it. I'm so glad that I took a tour! In the ~45 minute tour, I learned so much about plants, general landscaping designs, our changing environment, agriculture in Wisconsin, bees and the beautiful historic home on the garden grounds. The gardens are absolutely free to the public and also can be rented out for events (ie weddings, photo opportunities, etc). They also host quite a few events during the year also. They have a really nice website where their events (most are free) are posted. The historic home is under construction currently and is not open for viewing. It sounds as though the home will be closed for an undetermined amount of time still. Once finished, it will host environmentally friendly campus organizations. They have quite a few different gardens to walk through or sit in to enjoy a little longer. The walkways are paved and easy to maneuver through. There's lots of seating throughout to enjoy the gardens. I love the water features and their relaxing sounds. The koi pond was probably my favorite spot. They were anxiously awaiting us to drop some food into the water and would follow us as we circumnavigated around the waters edge.

The Allen Centennial Gardens are an oasis on a busy college campus. When my husband and friends…read morevisited on a summer weekend, the gardens were calm and serene. There were a few other people there enjoying the twenty-seven gardens located in this one space. There are benches throughout the gardens where you can sit and enjoy the peace.The interns we met at the entrance were very friendly and generous with their time. There are signs posted with names of the plants and information about the garden throughout the park. Tours and special events are held throughout the year. For a colorful and peaceful time, I highly recommend Allen Centennial Gardens!

Token Creek Park is one of the larger recreational areas in Dane County. I frequently visit this…read morepark because it contains one of the nicer dog parks around Madison. The dog park is located WAY in the back behind all of the recreational areas. There is plenty of parking and a dog registration board in case registering your dog for the park skipped your mind. The park is SINGLE gated so please be careful that none of the furry friends get out. The park is large enough that releasing other people's dogs tends not to be an issue. Immediately within the entrance of the park there is a smaller fenced in small dog area for puppies, small dogs, and older dogs. It even has a fun little agility course and picnic table! The main park is quite large (it takes around 30 minutes to walk completely around) with some topography. The short rolling hills are a nice change from the flatter parks around Madison. The park has tall grass and plenty of trees of the dogs to run around, which is also nice from the sheets of ice and short grass in the city parks depending on the season you go during. My only gripe about this park is there are a couple owners who show up with dogs with some aggressive behavior. While is not a complaint on the park, beware that not all of the dogs you will encounter here are friendly. Do not let the chance of aggressive dogs stop you though! 90% of my experiences here have been positive!

Token Creek is a huge County park with a campground, disc golf and numerous group shelters for…read morepicnics. It's also dog-friendly with numerous trails through the park (on-leash) along with a fenced in off-leash area. The off-leash area is at the back of the park (if you enter off of 151) so keep driving back, back, back until you get to it. There is a perimeter trail that follows the fence line which is your best hope for some shade as the rest of the park is primarily prairie and sunny. You can do loops circling the whole park or cut through the middle (over a slight hill) to make your loop shorter. It's maybe 15 -20 minutes if you're doing the full perimeter loop. There also is a separate puppy / small dog area which is nice. This area offers some agility equipment but unfortunately that's not accessible to the rest of us! It's similar to other County/City parks, there are bags for poop pick-up but no running water so bring your own. There also weren't a lot of people at this park so if you're looking for fewer folks, this may be your spot. If you want a lot of canine company, you may be better off at nearby Sycamore Park. Overall, it's a great option if you're passing through town as it's right off the highway.