We were delivering art to a buyer on a Sunday afternoon. Their home was nearly across from the park entrance. This park has lots of options. From a nice beach and picnic area to a generous boat launch ramp including lots of trailer parking. There are several trails to choose from featuring prairie restoration and wooded ones. Mosquitoes and grasshoppers were in abundance. Due to the sun and humidity we chose the wooded trail. A good blend of uphill vs. downhill with a free educational guide and signage about the different tree habitats. Restrooms were dated but clean.

We looked up a map of the park online before we went, and decided to park at the south end, at a trailhead that appeared to be nearest to the Indian mounds. We paid the entrance fee using the self-service envelope system, and had a nice hike. The hilly, wooded trails are fun to explore, and there are indeed mounds to be viewed - complete with signage. Afterwards, we went to the main entrance - the attendants seemed surprised that we had paid our entrance fee at the other parking area, but (fortunately) believed us and dispatched someone to go retrieve the cash. They must not get too many honest folks parking out there, apparently. Anyhow, the main area was a bit of a let down. It's a good place to launch your boat, if you have one, and there's a swimming area, but not much to interest hikers.

Beautiful layout with multiple trails. Some grass, some hilly dirt trails. Smaller park but plenty to do for the day.Many, many picnic areas with tables and grills. Sandy beachfront with small swimming area; separate pet area for swimming. Two boat launch sites. Very clean restrooms with plumbing and hot water. Effigy mounds need some imagination, but still cool to see.

It is a smaller State Park but it has plenty of nice trails for hiking. It has a great swimming area and a scenic view of Lake Mendota.

This is the closest State Park to Madison. While it makes it very crowded, especially the beach park, it still has its charm. One of the highlights is ongoing prairie restoration that has been going on for decades, and produced one of the most spectacular prairie parcels in the area. Another charming feature of the park is it's Native American Mounds - remnants of several little known Mound groups. Unfortunately, lately they have fallen into disrepair and no one seems to care, which is a shame.