Picnic Point & Lakeshore Nature Preserve
Park · Madison
Featured in our Madison guides:Free things to do in Madison, WI,Hiking near Madison, WI,Running in Madison, WI,Visiting the UW–Madison campus,Things to do in Shorewood Hills, WI,Date night in Madison, WI
Why we included them
“Walk nearly a mile out into Lake Mendota on UW–Madison's Lakeshore Nature Preserve. Go at sunset, or reserve a fire circle.”
About this park
UW–Madison's 300-acre Lakeshore Nature Preserve runs 4.3 miles along Lake Mendota's south shore and includes Picnic Point, a peninsula reaching nearly a mile into the lake. Leashed dogs are welcome, bikes are limited to the Lakeshore Path and a paved woodland path, and fires go only in the reservable fire circles. Parking is in UW Lot 130 (free evenings and weekends).
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MadisonWI.com guide
Parks in Madison: good to know
The City of Madison manages more than 280 parks covering nearly 6,000 acres, and Dane County runs another 19,000-plus acres of parks, wildlife areas and campgrounds. City parks are open from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. (conservation parks close an hour after sunset), and county parks close at 10 p.m.
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A few rules worth knowing in Madison's city parks: glass isn't allowed in any park; most parks allow alcohol in non-breakable containers, but about 20, including Brittingham, James Madison, Tenney and Law parks, are alcohol-free; and personal grills are fine in most general parks unless there's a burning ban. Conservation parks don't allow alcohol, fires or grills.
Picnic shelters are reserved online, by phone at 608-266-4711, or in person, and you pay in full when you book. Reservations for the next year open in early November, and summer weekends go fast. Dane County campgrounds (Brigham, Lake Farm, Mendota and Token Creek) also open reservations in early November through ReserveDane.