Governor Nelson State Park — Attraction in Waunakee

A lesser known state park with great views of Madison named after a remarkable public servant.

The park is smaller than others in the state park system, but with its proximity to Madison, it is an easy visit with beautiful trails and stunning views across Lake Mendota. It is a great place for more solitary hikes. The prairie trails offer a casual hike or a run reminiscent of a cross country course. There is great water access available here. A beach with a pavilion, playground and volleyball court. A separate pet swim area. And then the boat launch.

Gaylord Nelson was a former governor and United States Senator of Wisconsin and is most famous for founding Earth Day. He was a leading conservationist, consumer advocate and supporter of civil rights and civil liberties.

Visit this park for a pleasant few hours spent in nature and honoring someone who brought conservation to the forefront of the...

Governor Nelson is a prime example of the varied ecosystems of SW Wisconsin. In one visit you can stroll through mixed deciduous forest, crest a hill into prairie oak savannah, stroll through rolling grassland and squelch through native wetlands rife with turkey, Osprey and native crane species. Meadowlarks stop over in spring and I’ve even seen bluebirds. The park offers lakeshore with playground, 2 off leash dog areas, one of which is beach, a fish cleaning station and ample parking. With over 420 acres it there’s plenty of room to stretch out and feel like you’re alone. From the top of the grassland you’re offered sweeping views of the cusp of the unglaciated regions of SW Wisconsin. Within the forest itself you can visit ancient native council mounds and read about the first peoples throughout the park. This park attracts mostly responsible dog owners with well...

Love this park but the attendant on Saturday morning literally screamed at us today. We had just received our sticker in the mail and it was still in the envelope on our dash because we hadn’t gotten to put it on yet. We’ve literally never been stopped before and this time we encountered an extremely hostile woman that gave us tons of attitude and screamed at us for not having it stuck to the window yet even after we showed her the sticker. What a psycho!

We know they’ll ticket if we don’t have it on, we’ve been coming here for years and always buy a pass. This year we haven’t made it out to gov nel until July but in the hundred times my family and I have come here we’ve never had such a foul interaction with someone at the park. Really disappointing, hope her supervisor sees this and coaches her on proper etiquette with the visitors of...