Madison Parks ranks #1 in the nation for the number of basketball hoops per resident, come check out the hoops in your neighborhood! Most of the basketball courts are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you are planning a new league or tournament RESERVE ONLINE

• Hiestand Park - Basketball Court

  Surface: Asphalt
  Lighted: No
  Number of Courts: 1 full
  

Season Updates

• Hiestand Park Disc Golf will remain open through the 2024-25 winter season, as conditions allow. 
• Elver Park Disc Golf is closed for the season. 
• After careful course evaluation, Yahara Hills Disc Golf will not open for the 2024-25 winter season as anticipated. Due to the completion of the Millpond Rd construction since the course's last open season, some tees and baskets will need to be moved and redesigned. 

Disc Golf News

• Free Fun Weekend - No permit is required!
  • Saturday & Sunday, January 18-19, 2025
  • Saturday & Sunday, June 7-8, 2025
• Elver Park Disc Golf the redesigned holes 2, 3 and 4 Elver Park NEW Disc Golf Map 
  • Read about the Elver Disc Golf Course Redesign project. 
• Hiestand disc golf course visitors may see construction work nearby due to the Autumn Ridge Path project, led by the City's Engineering Division. We anticipate minimal disruptions in play. 
• Check out a disc golf kit for free with a valid Madison Public Library card. Get the DETAILS.
• FREE-to-use year-round disc golf baskets at Heritage Heights (1), High Point (1), Lake Edge (3), Rennebohm (1), Westhaven Trails (4) and Wexford (3).  

• Elver Park (*new*)
• Hiestand Park

A daily or annual permit is required for anyone age 16 years or older and may be purchased online. 

2025 Fees

• 2024 permit is valid through December 31, 2024. 
• 2025 permit is available for purchase starting Nov. 1, 2024 and valid from the time of purchase through Deccember 31, 2025. 

• Hiestand Park Disc Golf Course

  Location: 4302 Milwaukee Street
  Bleachers: No
  Lighted: No
  Setup: Adult
  Type: Game
  

Open or Multipurpose Fields are reservable athletic fields with no game-specific design or limitations. Often used for soccer, ultimate, lacrosse or football, yet open to your imagination. Multipurpose Fields are located throughout the city and may be used on a first-come, first-served basis if not already reserved. RESERVE ONLINE

SPECIALIZED FIELDS
Specialized fields include soccer, cricket, ball diamonds - baseball or softball and both fenced and non-fenced, may be viewed on the individual pages. See the sidebar on the Athletics webpage. 

• Hiestand Park - Soccer East

• Hiestand Park - Soccer West

• Hiestand Park - Multipurpose Field

Picnic shelters, also called sun shelters, are smaller, open-air structures that provide a little shade and typically some seating. They do not protect from severe weather, such as lightning. A picnic shelter may be reserved or used on a first-come, first-served basis if not previously reserved. 

• Madison Parks does not guarantee absolute privacy to any group.  Your reservation will reserve only the facility you are using, not the entire park or other facilities within the park. If you are interested in reserving the entire park, please visit Special Events.
• Alcohol is permitted in most Madison Parks, as long as there is no glass. A handful of parks are alcohol-free and require a permit to bring alcohol. You must have a reservation to obtain an alcohol permit.
• All picnic shelters are open year-round, however, if the picnic shelter has restrooms, these are open seasonally and closed for the winter typically October - April.
• In the event of severe weather, picnic shelters are not lightening protection areas. Please seek an alternative location. 
• Firearms or weapons are not permitted at any of the shelters. Violators may be considered trespassers and may be subject to forfeiture or arrest.
• Park improvements and/or construction may be underway during the time of your reservation.  The City of Madison Parks Division makes every attempt to schedule around events and shelter reservations whenever possible, however, this is not a guarantee.  Please keep in mind improvements to parks and infrastructure continues throughout the year.  Please see Park Projects for park improvement that may impact a nearby shelter.

• Hiestand Park Picnic Shelter

  Restrooms: No
  Lighted: Yes
  Notes: Solar lighting
  

With more than 175 playgrounds throughout Madison, you are never too far from a playground. According to the Trust for Public Land, Madison ranks #1 in the nation for the number of playgrounds available. The traditional swings and slides are always an option, as are new play elements and fully accessible playgrounds. 

PLAYGROUNDS FOR EVERYONE
Through the Madison Parks Foundation initiative, Madison Parks offers accessible playgrounds in Brittingham, Elver, Rennebohm and Warner parks.  An accessible playground is anticipated in Reindahl Park in the near future.

PLAYGROUND REPLACEMENTS: HOW AND WHEN
Madison Parks is responsible for maintaining more than 175 playgrounds and began a system-wide replacement initiative in 2013. With current staff and funding resources, replacements are scheduled to continue through 2033. Playgrounds are routinely inspected to assess the equipment's conditions and repair any safety concerns. Based on the age of the equipment and current conditions, each is given an audit score. The number of playgrounds replaced each year is based on budget allocations, staffing resources, and using the current playground audit score for prioritization. 

REPLACEMENT PROCESS: NEIGHBORHOOD INPUT
At the start of the replacement process, notices are sent to the District Alder, neighborhood association representatives, and surrounding residential addresses. Information is also posted to the project website. Generally, two public meetings are held to review surfacing and equipment options and make final selections.

If you have questions about a specific playground or see something broken, please let us know. 

• Hiestand Park - Playground

Madison Parks offers seasonal and year-round restrooms throughout the park system. Indoor restrooms are open daily, approximately 10am to 8pm. Seasonal restrooms open mid-to-late April and begin closing in October.  The systemwide process to open/close restrooms takes several weeks depending on the weather and staffing. 

Open Year-Round (does not include popular winter recreation locations, TBD)

• Door Creek Park+
• Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park - North*
• Elver Park enclosed shelter*
• Owen Conservation Park*
• Warner Park boat launch* 

• Heritage Heights+
• Olbrich (Garrison St.)*
• Tenney Park*
• Vilas Park*
• Warner shelter*
• Westmorland*

• Hiestand Park Portable Restroom

  Location: near disc golf
  
  OPEN

Madison Parks offers many hills perfect for winter sledding with a good snow base. Except for Elver Park, we do not monitor or maintain sledding hills but suggest locations on this page. Elver Park offers a steep, evening-lit hill with sleds available to rent or purchase from the warming shelter when staffed during the season. 

Elver Park Warming Shelter and Sleds
Typically if the Elver Park ski trails are listed as open, the warming shelter at Elver Park is open and staffed Wednesday through Sunday only. Concessions and sleds are available to rent or purchase unless otherwise posted in the alert. Hours are subject to change. All winter activities are dependent on the weather and conditions. 
 

• Hiestand Park - Sledding

  Warming House: No
  Concessions: No