Dane County Parks Public Meeting

press release: Dane County Parks has started a property planning process for Indian Lake County Park and Halfway Prairie Wildlife Area located in the Northwestern part of Dane County, Wisconsin. The planning process will include inventorying significant cultural, historical and natural features as well as provide future land management and park development recommendations through a consensus building process.

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Two public information meetings will be held to begin the planning process to gather public input:

• May 16 at 7:00 p.m. - Lussier Family Heritage Center and VIRTUAL option (must preregister HERE for a zoom link).
• June 6 at 5:30 p.m. - Town of Berry Town Hall Shelter

For more information please call, write, or email Chris James, using the contact information below:

Dane County Parks

Attn: Chris James, Senior Landscape Architect

5201 Fen Oak Drive, Room 234

Madison, WI 53718

(608) 224-3763

james@countyofdane.com

Dane County Parks will begin working on a property plan that will propose future management, recreation use and park facility development for Indian Lake County Park and the adjacent Halfway Prairie Wildlife Area. The park and wildlife area have extensive Native American and early European settlement history that will also be documented in the plan. The County currently owns approximately 800 acres within the recreation park boundary and 150 acres within the wildlife area boundary. Both properties are located in the Town of Berry along STH 19 approximately 2 miles west of USH 12.  

“Indian Lake County Park is one of the most popular parks in the system, with all of this use we need even more trails to give people a good outdoor experience,” said Dane County Park Commission Chair Dave Ripp. “The Commissioners are looking forward to hearing what residents have to say about the park and their ideas for future facility development.”

Indian Lake County Park currently offers a timber frame shelter with restroom and playground picnic area, scenic overlook, historic chapel, group camp with warming cabin, approximately six miles of hiking and cross country ski trails, an off-leash dog park and small lake access facility. The park is used extensively in the winter for cross country skiing, and in the summer and fall for hiking, fishing and dog walking. Halfway Prairie Wildlife Area provides hunting, foraging, hiking and snowshoeing recreation opportunities. The park and wildlife area are located in the non-glaciated driftless area of the County and include a segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail that offers spectacular scenic views of the lake and surrounding hills.

Some of the potential improvements to existing park and wildlife area facilities that may be considered include upgrades to parking lot areas, re-routing steep cross country ski trails, dog park improvements and improved access to the group camp. The plan will also explore potential future recreation use and access to the 290 acre property immediately south of the park that was purchased in 2020.