Meadow Ridge Conservation Park
Madison, WI 53704 Directions
Acres: 9.87
Meadow Ridge Conservation Park and the adjacent Meadow Ridge Park offer trails through woods and restored prairie. The ridge provides views of Lake Mendota through the woods. Birdlife includes barred owl in the woods and eastern bluebirds in the prairie.
Half mile of trails in total. A trail at the north end of the park connects to trails in Cherokee Marsh - Mendota Unit.
Land Management
This park is situated on ancestral Ho-Chunk land. The ridge holds an effigy mound constructed by Native Americans before European settlement.
Management has included the removal of invasive buckthorn, honeysuckle, garlic mustard, and dame's rocket to open the understory and maintain wildflower populations.
Burial Mound Policy
Created with assistance from the Wisconsin Historical Society and the Ho-Chunk Nation, and approved by the Board of Park Commissioners in October 2019, the policy provides guidelines and procedures for managing burial mounds located in Madison Parks. Burial mound locations are also included in the policy.
At this Park
Native American Burial Mound
A mound in the shape of a bear is located at the woodland edge near the top of the rise. After consulting with an archaeologist, a Parks crew restored portions of the head and front feet and filled a large hole in the belly area.
The mounds are considered sacred by modern Native Americans and should be treated with respect.
Trails
Explore the many scenic trails and pathways throughout Madison Parks.