Parks
Our extensive Dane County Parks system offers community members a variety of unique opportunities to get out and enjoy the benefits of nature and the outdoors.
Find a park near you
The Dane County park system offers over 18,000 acres that connect people to the land, water and cultural resources of Dane County and consists of 26 Recreation Parks, 16 Wildlife Areas, 14 Natural Resource Areas, 6 Historical/Cultural Sites, 2 Forests, and portions of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail corridor.
Find a park
About Dane County Parks
Located in south-central Wisconsin, Dane County Parks offers a variety of recreational opportunities for users to enjoy the outdoors. Natural settings provide scenic getaways as well as unique locations for special events.
Dane County Parks is dedicated to making your experience enjoyable and takes an active role to enhance and preserve the county’s finest natural resources.
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Tell us your park story
We love to hear how people in the community are enjoying our local parks. Tell us your park story and you could be featured here on our blog, in our newsletter, or on our Facebook page.
Endless Possibilities
The many benefits of our local parks
01
Build community
Parks are vibrant parts of a community, a source of community pride and a place for people to enjoy and reconnect with the natural world around them.
02
Promote health
Parks and trails promote good physical and mental health by offering lovely and readily available venues for people to use.
03
Support biodiversity
Parks are havens for wildlife and promote and help maintain ecosystem diversity.
04
Provide access
Parks provide inclusive access to diverse populations in our community, including people with physical and intellectual challenges.
05
Increase tourism
Parks and trails boost state and local economies by drawing visitors, tourists, and consumers. Dane County Parks host over four million visitors per year.
06
Boost quality of life
Parks, trails and green spaces attract businesses and residents to an area and contribute to the quality of life.
07
Prevent flooding
Parks and resource areas help to prevent property loss from natural disasters, particularly flooding, as many parks provide buffer areas retarding urban/suburban water runoff.
08
Enhance recreation
Many bicycle and hiking trails have emerged as commuter assets as well as a recreation venue. In Dane County, the Capital City State Trail is a major commuter avenue.
09
Encourage education
Programming in parks can enhance the community and provide environmental education to children and families.
10
Inspire volunteerism
Dane County Parks and trails have great community support through 19 Friends Groups and over 4,000 volunteers.
A vibrant park system needs support from people like you.
Parks are a long-term investment in our quality of life benefiting our generation and many generations in the future. Your donations of time, money, and resources help us keep our parks beautiful and welcoming for generations to come.
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Get involved and help maintain our beautiful parks
There are many ways to support the work of the Foundation and help improve the appeal and value of Dane County's park system.
The Foundation for Dane County Parks’ mission is to support and enhance the Dane County Parks through philanthropic community engagement. Donations made to the Foundation are tax-deductible as allowed by law (EIN 82-3435481).
