Outside Madison Is Wisconsin's Underrated Village With A Serene Park, Trails, And A Scenic Lake

Wisconsin is blessed with some of the most jaw-dropping scenery of anywhere in the United States. The Badger State is home to The Ice Age Trail, a historic National Scenic Trail composed of unique features passing through 30 counties. And it's not just the great outdoors Wisconsin is blessed in abundance with. If you consider yourself an urbanite who's happier exploring the confines of thriving cities, you'll be happy to learn that Glendale, Wisconsin, is an often overlooked destination located close to Milwaukee that is full of beer gardens, festivals, and riverside trails. Speaking of underrated, not too far from Madison is the picturesque village of Mazomanie that is home to a beautiful lake, a serene park, and plenty of hiking opportunities.

Part of Wisconsin's Dane County, Mazomanie was established in 1855. At the time, the village served as a service area for the railroads and this helped its population boom. Today, the village has over 1,700 residents, and is easily accessible by road from Madison. The drive from both downtown Madison and Dane County Regional Airport take a little under 40 minutes to complete.

Mazomanie — also affectionately referred to as Mazo by locals — is home to Lake Marion. Although way smaller than Lake Superior, one of America's clearest lakes where you can see all the way to the bottom, Lake Marion is a shallow, man-made, lake that was formed in the 1850s. A popular spot for bass fishing, Lake Marion also is home to ducks and geese, even during the height of the frigid winter months. Visitors and residents alike flock to the lake during the long summer months to relax, unwind, and take in the beautiful views of the area by walking down the Lake Marion Trail.

Located a short 15-minute walk from downtown Mazomanie is the village's favorite park — Lion's Park. Open from the day's very first sign of light to the hours of the setting sun, the park offers amenities that include a large playground, a swimming pool, splash pad, park shelters, a basketball court, sand volleyball courts, fields dedicated to soccer, baseball, and softball, picnic tables, and public restrooms. One important thing to keep in mind, though, is to have your dog on a leash when on park premises.

It's also worth pointing out that these park amenities underwent significant upgrades in 2024 when the park received an anonymous donation in the ballpark figure of $600,000. Improvements were especially noticeable in the various sports fields, park shelters, and parking areas, making visits to Lion's Park even more pleasurable for residents. One park frequenter said on Google, "We bike to this park daily and love it. It's nice seeing people enjoying summer by the pool, baseball fields, dog park [and] the walking trails. It's so special having this so close to downtown Mazo."

Like any community in The Badger State that likes to stay in tune with its inner Wisconsin spirit, the village of Mazomanie offers those who love the outdoors some excellent hiking options. Two such trails are the Wolf Run Trail and the Lake Marion Loop. The Wolf Run Trail is an approximately 4-mile hike that is pretty easy insofar as difficulty is concerned. Depending on whether you're walking or running, the hike takes anywhere between an hour and an hour-and-a-half to complete. The hike passes by the Black Earth Creek and offers hikers beautiful views of the surrounding area. One reviewer on AllTrails said of the hike, "Great fields of wildflowers, winding stream that the trail follows most of the way. Flat, easy walk with great vistas. Lots of chirping birds."

Another great hike in the area is the Lake Marion Loop Trail. Also relatively easy, this trail, as the name suggests, circumvents neighboring Lake Marion. Roughly 2 miles in length, the hike takes anywhere between a half-hour and an hour to complete, depending on your walking pace. Part of the trail is paved, part of it is not, but the hike does offer glorious views of the man-made waterbody, without one having to worry about large crowds or too many other hikers around. One hiker reviewed the Lake Marion Loop trail on AllTrails stating, "Nice trail, mostly flat. Paved in the beginning, but at the lake [it] turns to just grass. Had to double check the map a few times to make sure I was still [on] the trail, but after a while the trail becomes more defined again. Cool to see the old dam."