Governor Nelson State Park

Mounds and trails

We looked up a map of the park online before we went, and decided to park at the south end, at a trailhead that appeared to be nearest to the Indian mounds. We paid the entrance fee using the self-se...

Great day-use park with plenty to do!

Beautiful layout with multiple trails. Some grass, some hilly dirt trails. Smaller park but plenty to do for the day. Many, many picnic areas with tables and grills. Sandy beachfront with small sw...

Nice Park

It is a smaller State Park but it has plenty of nice trails for hiking. It has a great swimming area and a scenic view of Lake Mendota.

Prairie restoration and more

This is the closest State Park to Madison. While it makes it very crowded, especially the beach park, it still has its charm. One of the highlights is ongoing prairie restoration that has been going o...

Good Trails for Hiking and Skiing and a Clean Swimming Beach

This is a go-to park when you need a short hike or ski, a swim, or a view of Lake Mendota. I was there for a ski in December and the trails were well-groomed. The loop isn't extensive, but it's nice t...