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Hiestand Park

Hiestand Park
Address: 4302 Milwaukee St.
Hours: 4:00am - 10:00pm
Park Type:> Community
Acres: 46.27
Restroom: Yes
Drinking Water: Yes

Park History

Hiestand Park, which has grown to 47 acres from a few acres in 1970, is named for the Hiestand family, whose farm was just south of Milwaukee Street. The Hiestand family is important in agricultural history because Jacob R. Hiestand, who was born in Ohio in 1823, was the first to successfully grow tobacco as a cash crop in Wisconsin.
From the Wisconsin State Journal "Just Ask Us"


Q: Why is Hiestand Park on Milwaukee Street more often referred to Radar Hill?

A: Hiestand Park and Woods are the central focus of the Hiestand neighborhood on Madison's far east side, developed in the 1970s. The hill in Hiestand Park has legendary status among sledders, a fact noted on several websites that list the best sledding hills in the area.

According to the Hiestand Neighborhood Association Plan of 2006, which includes a well-written history, "Radar Hill" gets its name because it was once the site of the "Truax Communications Facility Annex," the highest point of Hiestand Park. It was used for many years by the federal government for operations by the U.S. Air Force.

In 1972, the 8.13-acre site was declared surplus. The city won with its bid over Madison Area Technical College to turn it into a park. In 1979, the city bought more acreage and today the park, including the popular sledding hill, totals 57.8 acres of park and open space. READ MORE

At this Park

  • 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

    View all Basketball Courts

    • Hiestand Park - Basketball Court

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

  • Season Updates

    • Hiestand is open as of Thursday, April 24. 
    • Elver is closed to improve the ground conditions, allow seeding to occur, and allow the fairways to begin to establish for maximum usability. Once open, a temporary layout with original holes 2-4 will be in place while newly designed holes 2-4 are temporarily closed to allow time for the freshly reseeded fairways to grow and establish. 

    Disc Golf News

    Course Maps

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

    2025 Fees

    Daily $7
    Annual $45
    Annual Senior (65+) & Disabled $25
    Annual Military/Veteran  $25
    Replacement $12
    • 2025 permit is valid from the time of purchase through December 31, 2025. 
    • 2026 permits go on sale November 1. 

    View all Disc Golf Courses

    • 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. 

    View all Multipurpose Fields

    • 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. 

    • See SHELTER PRICES for 2025 rates.
    • BEFORE reserving, be sure to see Parks Projects. We are continually improving our park system and some of these improvements may impact a nearby shelter. 
    • RESERVE Three Ways
      • ONLINE
      • Calling (608)266-4711
      • In-person at the Parks administration office 
    • Full payment is due at the time of processing your reservation, along with any required permits.   
      • Credit card is the only accepted method of payment. 
    • Need to CANCEL? All reservations are subject to our standard cancelation policy. 
    • Opening day to reserve a park picnic shelter for the following year begins on the first business day in November. 
    • 2025 reservations are open as of Friday, November 1, 2024.
      • IMPORTANT: Canceling a reservation made on opening day will result in a 50% refund and must be submitted at least 11 or more days before the event date. No refunds are given if the request is submitted 10 days or fewer before the event. 
    RULES & TIPS
    • 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.

    View all Picnic Shelters

    • 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.

    NATURE PLAYGROUNDS
    A nature playground uses natural materials such as logs, rocks, plants, and the surrounding land to create a play environment that encourages children to explore and connect with nature. Nature play elements can combined with traditional playground equipment like slides, swings and climbers. Check out Brittingham Park and Olbrich Park to get you started, other parks include Paunack, Garner, Tenney, Westmorland and Wingra. 
     

    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. 

    View all Playgrounds

    • Hiestand Park - Playground

  • Restroom Updates

    • Seasonal restrooms are expected to reopen on Saturday, April 26. Open hours are approximately 10am to 8pm.   
      • This city-wide process takes weeks to complete and staff may discover unexpected issues that may delay the opening of a specific location. This webpage will be updated.
      • The opening is timed for when the overnight temps are traditionally and consistently above freezing, to allow the water to be turned back on safely, and we have additional staff to clean the restrooms. 
      • This does not include beach restrooms. 
    • Bubblers and drinking fountains: Our goal is to have bubblers and water fountains turned on by the Memorial weekend. This is a city-wide process that takes weeks to complete.
    Madison Parks offers seasonal and year-round restrooms throughout the park system. Indoor restrooms are open daily, approximately 10am to 8pm. 

    Open Year-Round 
    • Brittingham Park (2) at beach house and boat house+
    • Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park - North*
    • Door Creek Park+
    • Elver Park enclosed shelter*
    • Owen Conservation Park*
    • Warner Park boat launch* 
    *Indoor
    +ADA Accessible Portable

    NOTE: Portable toilets not identified on this page are most likely arranged by a user group, such as an athletic organization and may not be accessible. All portable restrooms identified on the page are arranged by Madison Parks and are ADA accessible. 
     

    View all Restrooms

    • Hiestand Park Portable Restroom

      Location: near disc golf
      OPEN
  • Many of the Madison Parks are located in ideal locations for sight seeing.  Enjoy the view! View all Scenic Overlooks

  • Sledding in Madison Parks

    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, typically when the warming shelter is staffed for cross-country ski rentals.  

    Sleds & Concessions
    During the winter season, sleds are available to rent or purchase in the staffed warming shelter at Elver Park.
     
    Sleds Price
    Rent by the hour $2
    Purchase $20

    View all Sledding

    • Hiestand Park - Sledding

      Warming House: No
      Concessions: No

About This Park

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