Edna Taylor Conservation Park
Nature preserve
22 acres1.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Corey Coyle · CC BY 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Monona
22% of Monona’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 22% of Monona’s land is conserved, about 455 acres. 482 acres are parks and preserves, 57 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns · #4 of 362 in Wisconsin. What drives it
Conserved land
22%
455 acres · of 3.3 sq mi of land
Trails
3.4 mi
1.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
482 ac
57 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
12 mi
11 mi lanes · 0.9 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
1
2 beaches · 6 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Monona?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild22% of the land is conserved; a typical Wisconsin town, 4%.Parks close to homeVirtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park.A trail town1.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 81% of U.S. towns.History along the way6 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Monona have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Monona is ahead of 98% of U.S. towns, #4 of 362 in Wisconsin. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, trail miles lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Monona’s overall grade.
Conserved land22% of the land · typical WI town 4% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (3 mi) · WI 0.4 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land57 acres of park per 1,000 residents (482 acres) · WI 31 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to homeVirtually all residents within a half mile of a park · WI 90% · U.S. 72%A+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 98%
LessMore
Wisconsin towns of 2,500+ (362)#4 of 362
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Edna Taylor Conservation Park, with 1.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
All 18 parks & preserves
Edna Taylor Conservation Park22 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsWoodland Park18 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsWinnequah Park45 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsMaywood Park8 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsLottes Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsAhuska Park24 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBridge Road Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Monona Wetland Conservancy241 acres · City of Monona
DirectionsUpper Mud Lake Unit78 acres
San Damiano Park10 acres · City of Monona
DirectionsOneida Park4 acres
DirectionsFrost Woods Park2 acres
DirectionsSchluter Beach Park2 acres
DirectionsWaterman Park2 acres
DirectionsArrowhead Park1 acres
DirectionsFrost Woods Beach Park1 acres
DirectionsStone Bridge Park1 acres
Grand Crossing Park1 acres · City of Monona
DirectionsWho protects it
455 conserved acres
22% of Monona’s land. Who manages Monona’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city432 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits21 ac
Local Conservation Area · 334 acLocal Park · 119 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monona Wetland Conservancy Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 313 | Open |
| Winnequah Park Local Park | Town or city | 35 | Open |
| Ahuska Park Local Park | Town or city | 22 | Open |
| Monona Woodland Park Local Park | Town or city | 21 | Open |
| Aldo Leopold Nature Center Local Conservation Area | Land trusts & nonprofits | 21 | Open |
| Three Meadows Park Local Park | Town or city | 12 | Open |
| Maywood Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Fireman'S Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Oneida Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| Lottes Park & Boat Launch Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
27 places to go in Monona
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Monona
Frost Woods Beach
DirectionsSchluter BeachIn Schluter Beach Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Monona
Firemen's ParkIn Winnequah Park
DirectionsM.Y. Dream ParkIn Winnequah Park
DirectionsPlus 12 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Monona
Monona Dog Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Monona
Winnequah Trail Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 5 boat launches without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Monona
3 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Monona
1 community garden without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
1 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
12 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
11 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
0.9 mi
off-road bike paths
0.6 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
11Tennis
8Baseball
4Pickleball
2Soccer
1Beach volleyball
1Volleyball
1Skate park
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →6 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Outlet MoundSite · listed 2003
About itTompkins-Brindler Mound GroupSite · listed 2003
About itKohl's Food StoreBuilding · listed 2022
About itRay S. and Theo P. Owen HouseBuilding · listed 2022
About itSchroeder-Bohrod HouseBuilding · listed 2023
About itWillard and Fern Tompkins HouseBuilding · listed 2023
About itWhen to get out
September is the best month for walking in Monona
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.3 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.1 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 28 | 32 | 44 | 58 | 70 | 79 | 83 | 81 | 74 | 61 | 45 | 33 |
| Rain (in) | 1.5 | 1.5 | 2.1 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 5.5 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 2.9 | 2.3 | 1.6 |
January is the driest month (1.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 5.5 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Monona →
Next door
Monona and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monona | 22% | 1.0 | 57 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Madison | 12% | 1.8 | 24 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Blooming Grove | 33% | 3.7 | 281 | 98% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Monona
Where can I hike in Monona?
The longest trail networks: Edna Taylor Conservation Park, 1.4 miles; Woodland Park, 0.9 miles; Winnequah Park, 0.3 miles; Maywood Park, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Monona is conserved land?
22% of its land, against a typical 4% for a Wisconsin town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Monona’s trails?
Edna Taylor Conservation Park and Woodland Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Monona?
12 miles of bike routes are on the map: 11 of painted or protected lanes, 0.9 of off-road paths and 0.6 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Monona?
19,999 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Monona or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 482 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Monona have?
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #4 of 362 in Wisconsin. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Monona neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →