Hiking guide for Madison

From quick and easy loops around town to drives that take you to fantastic lakes and bluffs, our city has so many options to hit the trail. So lace up your hiking boots, because we’ve compiled a hiking guide for the Madison area to help you plan your next adventure and experience breathtaking views.

Note: While parks and trails may be listed as open, we recommend checking park websites before visiting for further info, current trail conditions, and safest practices for the area.

Key: Easy = 🥾 | Moderate = 🥾🥾 | Hard = 🥾🥾🥾

Madison area

Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park - North, 6098 N. Sherman Ave.

• Difficulty: 🥾🥾
• Length: 4 miles of trails
• Wheelchair accessible: No
• Pet-friendly: No

A birder’s paradise, there are trails along the upper Yahara River, across marshes, and through meadows and forests. A small pier provides canoe/kayak access (1/4 mile carry-in from the parking lot).
Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park - South, 5002 School Rd.

• Difficulty: 🥾🥾
• Length: 4 miles of trails
• Wheelchair accessible: No
• Pet-friendly: No

Close to the hubbub of Northport Drive, you can still get lost in restored prairie, oak savannas, and woodland areas with views of marshes and the Yahara River.

Edna Taylor Conservation Park Trail, 802 Femrite Dr., Madison

• Difficulty: 🥾
• Length: 2.3 miles out and back
• Wheelchair accessible: No
• Pet-friendly: No

Each month, there’s an opportunity to join a 90-minute Bird and Nature Walking Tour to explore the park with an expert. Since this is a conservation park, no dogs are allowed, but there’s a high chance you’ll see plenty of critters on your hike. It’s also a stone’s throw from the Aldo Leopold Nature Center that offers learning opportunities for all ages and backgrounds.

Governor’s Island, Governor’s Island Parkway (off of Troy Drive), Madison

• Difficulty: 🥾
• Length: 1.2-mile loop
• Wheelchair accessible: No
• Pet-friendly: Yes

Think: Picnic Point, but not as busy.

Pheasant Branch and Fredrick’s Hill Loop, 4864 Pheasant Branch Rd., Middleton

• Difficulty: 🥾🥾
• Length: 4-mile loop
• Wheelchair accessible: Yes
• Pet-friendly: Yes

This hike takes about an hour and a half on average but with plenty of side paths to explore, you can easily spend a few hours enjoying nature on this trail.

Picnic Point, 2000 University Bay Dr., Madison

• Difficulty: 🥾
• Length: 2 miles out and back
• Wheelchair accessible: No
• Pet-friendly: Yes

A Madison classic, this mile-long peninsula juts out from the south shore of Lake Mendota. Reserve a fire circle for a mid-hike fire, or keep your eyes peeled for one of many benches along the trail to enjoy the views.

Starkweather Creek Path, Access from the Goodman Sports Complex, 3201 Anderson St., Madison

• Difficulty: 🥾
• Length: 3-mile trail
• Wheelchair accessible: Yes
• Pet-friendly: Yes

Near the Bridges Golf Course, the path splits into two segments. Go west along Aberg Avenue to reach Oscar Mayer Park, or south to cross Milwaukee Street and converge with the Capital City Trail.

Further afield

Aztalan State Park, N6200 County Rd. Q, Jefferson

• Difficulty: 🥾🥾
• Length: 2-mile loop
• Wheelchair accessible: No
• Pet-friendly: Yes

Mostly open prairie, with some oak woods along the Crawfish River, the park is the site of an ancient Mississippian culture settlement during the 10th to 13th centuries. There are reconstructed stockades and earthwork mounds to explore.

Devil’s Doorway, Devil’s Lake State Park, S5975 Park Rd., Baraboo

• Difficulty: 🥾🥾🥾
• Length: 2-mile loop
• Wheelchair accessible: No
• Pet-friendly: Yes

This hike offers a look at some of the impressive natural rock structures that can be found at Devil’s Lake. Try out its neighboring trail, Balanced Rock, for a similar experience with a shorter hike.

Ferry Bluff, Ferry Bluff Rd. (off of State Road 60), Prairie Du Sac

• Difficulty: 🥾🥾
• Length: 1-mile loop
• Wheelchair accessible: No
• Pet-friendly: Yes

While it’s only a half-mile walk to the bluff, be prepared for steep walking conditions — but the view is worth it. This trail is closed November-March in an effort to protect roosting Bald Eagles.

Gibraltar Rock, Gibraltar Rock Road, Lodi

• Difficulty: 🥾🥾
• Length: 1.5-mile loop
• Wheelchair accessible: No
• Pet-friendly: Yes

If you’re afraid of heights, you may want to skip this one. Just south of Lake Wisconsin, this hike is part of the Ice Age Trail and offers stunning views (especially in the fall) atop the 200-ft cliffs.

Indian Lake County Park, 8183 WI-19, Cross Plains

• Difficulty: 🥾🥾
• Length: 4-mile loop
• Wheelchair accessible: No
• Pet-friendly: Yes

One of Dane County’s largest parks, there’s the loop around Indian Lake, but also has a plethora of other hiking opportunities (the Ice Age Trail runs through it, as does a hike up a hill to a historic chapel built in 1857).

Get the right gear

Get the most out of your trip with comfortable, handy, and helpful hiking gear:

• This extra roomy fanny pack — from Chattanooga, TN-based company Burlaep — can carry all the gadgets and accessories you need for your hike.
• For the best footwear, check out Nordstrom Rack’s sneaker edit for hiking.
• If your trail demands a proper hiking boot, we like Columbia’s collection on Amazon.
• For apparel that’s both flattering and functional, we turn to small business Aesthetic Built. We love the oversized scuba hoodies for women and the muscle scallop tees for men.
• Sweat sustainably with SEAAV. Their activewear is not only performance-driven but also planet-friendly.
• Travel light (but still have room for snacks) with lululemon’s Everywhere Belt Bag.
• Get a good bulk deal on Perfect Bars, Clif Bars, or Kind Bars at a warehouse store like Sam’s Club.
• Whether it’s the Active Essentials Kit or the Vegan Victory Set, Fuel Goods delivers the goods to keep you going.
• Don’t forget to bring a compact, portable phone charger (you’ll thank us later).
• Bringing along your 4-legged friend? Hike in style with a new collar and leash.
• We like this Teton hiking backpack.
• We like this lightweight water bottle.
• Psst — to be ultra-prepared, here are the 10 items you should never enter a national park without, according to the National Park Service.