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 57 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
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Basketball Court
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 see Athletic Field Reservations.
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Hiestand Park - Basketball Court
Surface: Asphalt
Lighted: No
Number of Courts: 1 full
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Disc Golf Course
TEMPORARY CLOSURE NOTICE
Elver and Hiestand Closed September 16 and 17
Due to a permitted event, Elver and Hiestand disc golf courses are closed from 7am to 6pm on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 16 and 17, 2023.
DISC GOLF NEWS (updated 08/30/2023)
- Read about the Elver Disc Golf Course Redesign project.
- Check out disc golf 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).
A daily or annual permit is required for anyone age 16 years or older and may be purchased online.
2023 Fees
Daily $7 Annual $45 Annual Senior (65+) & Disabled $25 Annual Military/Veteran (New!) $25 Replacement $12 - 2023 permit is valid through December 31, 2023.
- 2024 permit is available for purchase starting Nov. 1, 2023.
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Hiestand Park Disc Golf Course
Location: 4302 Milwaukee Street
Bleachers: No
Lighted: No
Setup: Adult
Type: Game
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Open Field
Madison Parks are a unique blend of active recreation and passive recreation spaces. Open Fields are just that - open, not pre-designed as a softball diamond, or football field. These open fields are available in these parks to spark your imagination, play a game of tag, or follow the leader - or anything you can think of! Enjoy your parks!
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Hiestand Park - Open Field Games
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Picnic Shelter
Picnic shelters are smaller, open-air structures that provide a little shade and typically some seating. They do not provide protection 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 2023 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 cancellation policy.
- 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.
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Hiestand Park Picnic Shelter
Restrooms: No
Lighted: Yes
Notes: Solar lighting
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Playground
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 all-inclusive playgrounds in Brittingham, Elver and Warner parks. The Foundation has a goal of 5 fully accessible playgrounds.
PLAYGROUND REPLACEMENTS: HOW AND WHEN
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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
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Restroom
OPEN RESTROOMS
Listed on this page are restrooms open daily, approximately 10am to 8pm. All other restrooms are CLOSED.
SPRING THROUGH FALL- April - October
- Restrooms throughout the park system are open seasonally from mid/late April through early to late October. The systemwide process of opening/closing restrooms takes several weeks and depends on the weather and staffing.
- Daily 10am to 8pm
- Open restrooms are listed on the page and open daily approx. 10am to 8pm.
- Beach restrooms are also open daily, approx. 10am to 8pm from May 27 through September 4, 2023. *This date may be extended based on seasonal staff availability to maintain daily cleaning. See BEACHES for any season updates.*
Once winter recreation begins, in addition to the year-round locations, Vilas and portable restrooms are provided in select winter recreation locations, once the amenity is open for the winter season. Please check Winter Fun for the status of winter recreation at a specific park.
YEAR-ROUND- Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park - North
- Elver Park enclosed shelter
- Owen Conservation Park
- Tenney Park at the John Wall Family Pavilion
- Warner Park boat launch
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Hiestand Park Portable Restroom
OPEN
Notes: near parking lot
- April - October
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Scenic Overlook
Many of the Madison Parks are located in ideal locations for sight seeing. Enjoy the view! View all Scenic Overlooks -
Sledding
Madison Parks offers many hills perfect for winter sledding. With a good snow base, here are a few suggested locations. Elver Park offers lighting in the evening, during the open season. Sledding hills are not monitored or maintained.
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Hiestand Park - Sledding
Warming House: No
Concessions: No
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Soccer Field
Many of the soccer fields are programmed with youth and adult league play. If you would like to reserve a field or facility, please call the Athletic Scheduler at (608)266-4711. Find out more about Athletic Field Reservations.
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Fields, open or closed?
If a field reservation is canceled, a notification is emailed to the user who made the field reservation. Notifications are sent by 2:00 pm Monday through Friday and by 9:00 am on weekends and holidays.-
Hiestand Park - Soccer East
Bleachers: No
Lighted: No
Setup: Adult
Type: Game
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Hiestand Park - Soccer West
Bleachers: No
Lighted: No
Setup: Adult
Type: Game
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