Maiden voyage at this location was quite the surprise. In the middle of rolling luscious green…read morehills. It felt pretty safe with the warden and Ranger making frequent passes. The host was very friendly and helpful with the 411. The sites are close enough together that it doesn't feel very remote though. Unfortunately, it was very extremely high temperatures so I didn't get to explore the hiking trails. But the beach and amphitheater were definitely worth checking out. Educational programs and food truck Saturdays. Wi-Fi is a little spotty so they recommend cash. The grounds are very clean as well as the restrooms and showers. Definitely feels like you're someplace else even if you're from the state of Wisconsin.

Lovely campsites and what could have been a wonderful experience was ruined by loud, drunk and…read morenoisy campers... partying, swearing and obnoxious throughout the evening. The entire area quiet and peaceful except for these two families who chose to make it miserable for the rest of us. We've camped at numerous WI State Parks and have never experienced this kind of rude behavior. These campers proudly displayed they were from Oconomowac, WI. Ugh ...!! We ended up moving to another site. Camp office was gracious and accommodating.

We had a fantastic experience with our overnight trip outfitted by BRR…read more In my pre-trip phone calls they were patient and detailed with the information provided. When we walked into their beautiful cabin / office the potbelly stove was kicking out a little heat on that chilly morning and the panoramic view of the river through the wall-o-windows was fantastic. The woman who helped us was so friendly and gave us a thorough briefing to prepare us, including helpful details about what to expect from the river. The black-and-white map they provide is a little tough to read. Color would be better. I do like an aluminum canoe best (which is what BRR runs.) The PFDs they provide by default are the orange rectangle type II, but when I asked if they had a vest-type they accommodated. The basic orange are fine if you're leaving them in the boat, but really get in the way if you wear them while paddling. Because s#!t can go wrong fast on a river like the Wisconsin I prefer to wear the PFD most of the time. Our pickup was prompt and the van was clean and in nice shape. I've done many different stretches of the Wisconsin now and I do think the segment between BRR and Arena is the nicest I've done. It's more distant from roads, so without that truck noise it feels more remote. The shore and bluffs are pretty on this stretch too. It's a small and personal operation which is great when it's quiet. I could see them struggling to attend to everyone on busy weekend days, though. Our canoe had clearly see lots of trips - it showed evidence of many repairs and made me question its reliability a little bit. That said, it did not appear to leak at all, so... I do like like renting from a down-river outfitter so there's no need to get back for a specific shuttle time, so BRR has that going against it, but all-in-all this place will likely be my go-to for future trips.

Blackhawk River Runs canoe rental was awesome from start to finish! They provided great guidance of…read morehow to navigate the river and provided phenomenal customer service with detail to cleanliness. I highly recommend using them if you are looking for a fun day on the Wisconsin River with 2 pickup times to provide plenty of flexibility.

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!

Oh wow, I've visited the University of Madison quite a number of times but had never noticed such…read morean amazing garden so close to Babcock Hall until now. This spot is great for taking a casual stroll as well as to admire a wide variety of amazing flowers, trees, bushes, and other plants with a variety of different features like a pond, bridge, gazebo and more. These are accompanied by plenty of different signs to help visitors learn more about the plants in the garden.

Great walking/biking path and quite a few folks set up this morning doing some fishing. The park…read morehas boat launches available. I found a space with free parking that fit the Sprinter van and started my walk. Along Lake Monona it's a beautiful spot for some exercise. If you're here for a bit, head to Monona Terrace and get a view of the lake from 5 stories up. [Review 20690 overall - 260 in Wisconsin - 1671 of 2023.]

Not much to say about this place, but:…read more Location: 4 out of 5 Prime real estate really close to Monona Terrace. I parked there and took a walk around with the dog while the future wiffy went to MT to pick up her Madison Half Marathon packet. There's restaurants and a bike shop that does rentals quite close by, and depending on what you plan on doing and what time of day you go, the parking is free. Easy access to the lakefront trail. Amenities: 2 out of 5 Not a full scale "park" in the sense that there's a field house with bathrooms, but I do recall a porta potty there (maybe it was just there because of the marathon though). A few floating docks for people who want to launch watercraft rounds out the the "amenities". Picturesque factor: 4 out of 5 Looking out over the lake was really pretty, and I had the lovely experience of seeing a furry rodent swimming towards me, only to climb back into his nest under one of the floating docks. Muskrat, perhaps - but I didn't get a really good look at him/her. Dog enjoyment factor: 5 out of 5 A rare metric, but my dog enjoyed walking around, particularly because he enjoys walking on floating docks and being on boats....but he actually hates being in the water. He enjoys most things that involve being outdoors, however - so this may be a moot point. Overall: 4 out of 5 Not a whole lot to do if you plan on having a picnic, but if you want to hit up the lakefront trail by running or biking, it's a good place to park for a few hours. Likewise, it's also a really pretty place to take a few photos, and I'm sure the sunrise/sunset really looks cool.

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.

A great place to walk or jog. The trail is flat. It's a beautiful scenic topography. I heard active…read morefrogs, saw different types of birds and animals. Overall, it's a peaceful place to enjoy nature.

Rented a pontoon boat last weekend for five passengers. Team was great. I received my reminder…read moreemail that week. It was very clear about location and what I needed to to. I received a call the morning of the rental and they wanted to make sure I had the information needed. The team showed up as scheduled. Got the boat in the water and helped us through instruction. Met us at the dock after we texted them. Everything was terrific.

Do not rent from this company. Rented a "luxury" 14 person pontoon in July 2024, and it was junk…read more Please see the pictures: the boat was literally held together with packing tape in places, including the canopy which was flapping in the wind after we opened it. Additionally, the reverse gear did not work...the employee told us before departure that the reverse was " a little tricky, it doesn't always take." The reality was that the boat did not operate in reverse and we had to use manpower to avoid running into other boats when we attempted to dock/anchor. This was the most disturbing aspect of the rental because it was a safety risk, never mind the damaged and taped sections. We tried to discuss with Madison Jet Ski, but good luck reaching someone. There is no one to call, and slow or non-responsive to email. As a last resort, we attempted to find resolution with our credit card company, but were presented with legalese that we signed away any recourse in event of a complaint. Buyer beware, you have to sign off on everything BEFORE you take the boat out. Once you get on the water and discover any issues, you're stuck. My attempts at recourse began in July, and it is now mid-October. I will not waste any more of my valuable time dealing with this company, but it is my hope that sharing my experience will help others avoid the same fate. You can do better than Madison Jet Ski and your ~$700 with other firms on Lake Mendota or Monona.

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).