The University of Wisconsin Madison is a world-renowned academic institution, but beyond research and academics, its most valuable asset is the beauty of its campus. This is in no small part due to its Lakeshore Preserve, a public greenway stretching from Memorial Union to Eagle Heights on the shore of Lake Mendota.
These 300 acres of woodlands, tall grass prairies, marshes, and shoreline are crisscrossed by dozens of miles of networked pedestrian trails. A highlight of the preserve is Picnic Point, a popular social destination in Madison, but the trails wend deeper into the storied landscapes studied by conservation icons and UW alumni John Muir and Aldo Leopold.
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| Lake Mendota Path at UW Lakeshore Preserve |
The Howard Temin Lakeshore Path is UW Madison's signature recreation thoroughfare. The trail unofficially begins at Memorial Union Terrace. Heading west from the terrace you'll pass the Hoofers Sailing Club and wind around the Department of Limnology building. Just past Limnology, a wide crushed stone multi-use path begins its journey towards Picnic Point.
With company such as the Eiffel Tower and the Grand Canyon, Picnic Point in Madison was picked as one of the top ten best places in the world to kiss by the San Francisco Examiner. It is a destination for the romantic, for runners, hikers, and bikers, and for students just out to have a fire by the lake. You could even bring a picnic.
Beyond Picnic Point, a complex network of single track trails weave through the forests along Lake Mendota. The Mendota Lakeshore path heads west from Picnic Point towards Frautschi Point - the northernmost point of the UW Madison Campus. The Lakeshore Trail then turns southwest and heads towards Raymer's Cove through the old Tent Colony Woods.
Tent Colony Woods was the site of Camp Gallistella, an improvised housing alternative for students taking summer classes between 1912 and 1962. Students who lived in the large platform canvas tents by the lake shore were able to live extremely inexpensively (practically free).
The trails don't stop at Raymer's Cove. The mainline trail continues to form a large loop in Eagle Heights Woods. As you head back towards Picnic Point hikers have the opportunity to explore the network of trails through the Biocore Tallgrass Prairie, Bills Woods, and the Old Orchard.
The UW Lakeshore Preserve is a gem. Its vast network of recreation trails along the beautiful Lake Mendota shore offers a natural retreat that few other college campuses can match. This nature preserve is easily accessible by a large population of the public living in the downtown Madison area, and also worth exploring for those traveling from out of town.
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| Fraustchi Point at UW Lakeshore Preserve |
University of Wisconsin Lakeshore Preserve Trails
COUNTY: Dane
COMMUNITIES: Madison
TOTAL MILES: 12 combined network miles
DIFFICULTY: Very Easy to Easy
POINTS OF INTEREST: Memorial Union, Muir Woods, Allen Centennial Gardens, Willow Creek Woods, Triangle Marsh, University Bay Marsh, Picnic Point, Class of 1948 Marsh, Picnic Point Marsh, Old Orchard, Bills Woods, Biocore Prairie, Caretakers Woods, Frauschi Point, Raymer's Cove, Eagle Heights Woods, University of Wisconsin Madison, Lake Mendota
CAMPFIRES: Fire pit areas on the path out to Picnic Point are stocked with split wood nearby and available first-come-first-serve between 4am-10pm.
ENTRANCE FEE: No Fees Required
HOURS: 4am - 10pm daily
Directions and Trail Map
Click Map Image to load the full interactive map.
Address for your GPS: 2001 University Bay Drive, Madison WI
| coordinates: N43.084235, W089.428913 |
| From Milwaukee | 1.5 Hours |
| From Madison | n/a |
| From Green Bay | 2.5 Hours |
| From Wausau | 2.5 Hours |
| From Minneapolis | 4.5 Hours |
| From Chicago | 2.5 Hours |
Photos
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| Entrance to the Picnic Point Trail at UW Lakeshore Preserve |
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| Bucky guarding the entrance to the Lakeshore Preserve |
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| Trail through the Old Orchard at UW Lakeshore Preserve |
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| Trail at Picnic Point and Old Orchard at UW Lakeshore Preserve |
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| Firepit at Picnic Point |
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| Firepit at Picnic Point |
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| Trail at Picnic Point |
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| Large firepit at Picnic Point |
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| Picnic Point Trail at Intersection with Lake Mendota Path |
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| Firepit at Picnic Point |
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| Lake Mendota Path at UW Lakeshore Preserve |
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| Marsh at UW Lakeshore Preserve |
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| Remnants of the old beach at UW Lakeshore Preserve |
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| Biocore Tallgrass Prairie at UW Lakeshore Preserve |
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| Desks on Lake Mendota at UW Lakeshore Preserve |
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| Remnants of the Tent Colony along the trail at UW Lakeshore Preserve |
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| Raymers Cove at UW Lakeshore Preserve |
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| Tree on the Big Oak Tree Trail at UW Lakeshore Preserve |
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| Trail through the Biocore Prairie at UW Lakeshore Preserve |