Dane County Parks
Indian Lake to Begin Aeration Process
A portion of Indian Lake has been roped-off to allow the annual aeration process to begin. Air is pumped into the lake to aerate the water, which keeps the fish alive during the winter months. This process will be in place until spring thaw.
Please note that the the area within the roped-off section is unsafe. Do not cross the roped-off area for any reason. Please keep dogs on-leash when near the roped-off area.
For more information, or if you have questions, please call the Parks office at 608-224-3730.
Year-Round Activities
Year-round recreational opportunities abound throughout the Dane County Park
System. Whether you enjoy fast-paced physical fun or quiet enjoyment, Dane County Parks
offer you countywide locations for quick get-aways from urban settings and offer
custom-built recreational facilities amid splendid natural beauty. Imagine all you can do
year-round throughout the Dane County Park System.
Winter can be one of the most
exciting times of the year. Miles of specially groomed trails winding through dense
woodlands, rolling hills and open meadows provide snowmobilers or cross-country skiers
with boundless views and ideal conditions. Smooth, white blankets of snow contrast with
the diversity of structural shapes, bark colors and textures of trees and shrubbery.
Winter is an ideal time for following animal tracks in freshly fallen snow, for quiet
walks, ice fishing, or observing winter birds, wildlife and plants. Contact the County
Park Office for additional information on winter programs.
Spring reveals to nature lovers the wonders of new life uncovered from the
melting blanket of white. Colorful blooming buds and wildflowers, bright green leaf blades
poking up through wetland, woods and prairie floors, and the sounds of songbirds marched
with warming winds and waters add to the total delight of springtime in the parks.
Summer seems to bring out the
best in everything. Dane County parks provide areas for fast-paced volleyball, basketball, softball,
horseshoes and tennis as well as quiet areas for picnics, crackling
campfires, fishing and hiking. Whether you come to enjoy the happy sounds and smells of
picnics or parties or prefer to focus on the sights and sounds of birds, insects or
vegetation along shorelines, winding trails or a wetland boardwalk, you'll find ideal
settings amid the natural beauty of the parks.
Fall means brilliant colors in
Dane County skies, waters, forests and fields. Bright orange, white, yellow, purple, red
and bluish-black berries abound. Scampering animals harvest the ripened berries, nuts and
seeds among quietly drying grasses, plant stalks and newly fallen leaves. Grand overlooks
from bluffs or observatory towers reveal broad, colorful views of Wisconsin landscapes.
What a perfect time to inhale nature's beauty and what perfect places...Dane County
Parks!
Dane County's Commitment
Dane County continues to improve its facilities to provide access for everyone. We strive to go
above and beyond the requirements mandated by the American Disabilities Act and to make park and
natural areas activities a joy for all. Special facilities include a boardwalk through the sedge
meadow marsh at Token Creek Park and fully accessible fishing piers at the Babcock, Fish Camp,
Salmo Pond, and Token Creek County Parks. A special fishing facility at the Jenni and Kyle Preserve
is for the exclusive use by children and people with disabilities. Call the Dane County Parks
Division office at (608)224-3730 for more information about the many fully accessible facilities
in our park system.
Special Recognition
The Dane County Park Commission
gives special recognition to the following people who generously donated land to the Dane
County Park System:
Otto Festge, John Holtzman, Phillip
& Isabel LaFollette, Russell & Ella McCarthy, Marcella Pendall, The
Donald/Woodburn Family, The Wrolstad Family