OPEN: (Updated 06/15/2020): Help us keep the courts open by following these adjustments and precautions. 

• Play with members of your immediate household only
• Pickup games are not allowed with persons outside of your immediate household since it is not possible to maintain 6ft physical distancing
• Stay home if you are ill.
• Consider wearing a face-covering.
• Use hand sanitizer and avoid touching common touchpoints. 

Sports Guidance and FAQs

View COVID-19 for all impacted City services. More information: Public Health Madison & Dane County 

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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. 

View all Basketball Courts

• Garner Park - Basketball Court

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

Madison Parks has several park shelters with working fireplaces.  You are welcome to use the fireplaces with your park shelter reservation.   Hoyt Park also has several refurbished outdoor fireplaces where you can enjoy toasted marshmallows and a quiet evening around a fire. Just remember to bring your own wood and extinguish the fire completely before leaving the park.  Please note, fires are not permitted in Vilas Park during the winter months.
  View all Fireplaces

Many of the athletic 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 266-4711. Find out more about athletic field reservations.

View all Lacrosse Fields

• Garner Park - Lacrosse

  Bleachers: No
  Lighted: No
  Setup: Adult
  Type: Game
  

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!

View all Open Fields

• Garner Park - Open Field Games

Parking lots are available in these parks for the programs or events in these parks.  Parking lots are available from 4:00 am to 10:00 pm. Overnight parking is not allowed.  Parking regulations specific to that park are posted at the entrance of the park. View all Parking Lots

Open with precautions and adjustments. 

PLAY IT SAFE!

Help keep pickleball courts safe and open during COVID-19 by practicing the following:

• Stay home if you are ill.
• Only two individuals per court at a time.
• Play is limited to every other court.
• Limit play to one game if others are waiting.
• Maintain at least 6 feet between people outside of your household at all times.
• Do not touch or share equipment or game balls.
• Do not leave trash behind!
• Consider wearing a face-covering.
• Use hand sanitizer and avoid touching common touchpoints such as gate, nets, etc.
• Avoid direct contact with others such as paddle tapping and hand contact.
• Bring a full personal use water bottle(s), drinking fountains not available.
• Avoid congregating off-court.
• No organized groups including lessons, team practices, or matches.

For more information on Parks updates and changes due to COVID-19, visit cityofmadison.com/parks/coronavirus

• Sports Guidance and FAQs
• View COVID-19 for all impacted City services. 
• More information: Public Health Madison & Dane County 

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Garner Park offers Madison's only dedicated pickleball courts, plus we have a number of tennis courts lined for pickleball throughout the city. Rules of the game, adopted by the USA Pickleball Association  may be found here. 

Pickleball courts may be reserved ONLINE.

PICKLEBALL LESSONS offered at Garner Park - June through September LEARN MORE

View all Pickleball Courts

• Garner Park - Pickleball Court

  Surface: Asphalt
  Lighted: No
  Number of Courts: 6
  
  Notes: Madison’s first dedicated pickleball court complex opened September 2016.

OPEN: (Updated 06/15/2020) Playgrounds are open with the following precautions: 

• Maintain at least 6' between people outside of your immediate household.
• Consider sanitizing common touchpoints.
• Use hand sanitizer after use. 

View COVID-19 for all impacted City services. More information: Public Health Madison & Dane County
 

View all Playgrounds

• Garner Park - Playground

CLOSED (for the 2020 season), except Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park - North, Warner Boat Launch, and Owen Conservation Park, which are open year-round. 
 

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Restrooms are located throughout the parks system and in most cases in a park with a reservable shelter.  Most of the restrooms are available only during the summer months. Restrooms available during the winter months include those open for winter activities at the following parks:   Tenney, Vilas, Elver, Olbrich, Warner and Westmorland Parks.

No firearms or weapons are permitted on this property. Violators are considered trespassers and subject to forfeiture or arrest.

View all Restrooms

• Garner Park Shelter

  Location: 333 S. Rosa Rd
  Lighted: Yes
  Open Year-Round: No
  

Many of the Madison Parks are located in ideal locations for sight seeing.  Enjoy the view! View all Scenic Overlooks

2021 SHELTER RESERVATIONS

• The Shelter Reservations Guide provides details on seating capacities, and amenities such as outlets, fireplaces, and picnic tables.

Shelter Open Schedule Exceptions:

• Open year-round:
  • Gates of Heaven
  • Highland Manor Park
• Open mid-April through mid-November:
  • John Wall Family Pavilion in Tenney Park
  • Elver Park (enclosed shelter) 
  • Warner Park
  • Olin Park (through October)

Note: 

• Picnic shelters are also reservable or available on a first-come, first served basis.
• 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. There are a handful of parks that are alcohol-free. In order to have alcohol in these parks, you must have a reservation and an alcohol permit, which can be obtained when placing your reservation.
• Public 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 visit Park Projects for a partial list of major capital improvement projects.
• Firearms or weapons are not permitted at any of the shelters. Violators may be considered trespassers and may be subject to forfeiture or arrest.
• The availability of Gates of Heaven may be checked online however, you will need to call to make your reservation. 

View all Large Shelters

• Garner Park Shelter

  Address: 333 S. Rosa Rd
  Capacity: Seats 80 people in main section, 60 people in upper section
  Restrooms: In shelter
  Water: Available in shelter
  Parking: Parking lot
  
  
  Shelter Details

Slacklining is a balance sport which uses nylon webbing, typically 1"-2" wide, suspended horizontally between two anchor points. Slacklining and hammocking, under policy are allowed at specific times and on specific park trees. In December 2017, the Board of Park Commissioners approved a policy and guidelines for slacklining and hammocking on park trees. The policy provides inforomation on when, where and how. Please review the following documents before tethering on any park trees. 

• POLICY & GUIDELINES
• TREE PROTECTION
• TREE IDENTIFICATION

View all Slacklining and Hammocking

Madison Parks offers many hills perfect for winter sledding. The locations listed below are few suggestions for ideal sledding with a good snow base. With the exception of Elver Park, sledding hills are not maintained by park staff.

For the safety of others during COVID-19, please wear a mask or face-covering and do your best to maintain 6' from anyone outside of your household. 

The Elver Park sledding hill is one of the most popular and is lit for nighttime sledding during the open season. Sleds are available to purchase or to rent from the Elver Park shelter when staffed. See website for schedule. Due to COVID-19 safety precautions, the shelter is closed to the public. 

PLEASE NOTE: For your safety, and to uphold the quality of our landscapes, please do not use the sledding hills without a significant snow base.

View all Sledding

• Garner Park - Sledding

  Warming House: No
  Concessions: No
  

Experience winter in Madison Parks like never before with snowshoeing!  This silent sport is a fantastic way to explore many of our parks during the winter months and is easy to learn. 

NEW - Snowshoe Rentals at Vilas Park
When the ice rinks are open and we are staffed at Vilas Park, stop over for a pair of snowshoes to rent. Be sure to check the ice skating page for the status, select the Vilas frozen lagoon or rink for hours - Wednesday - Sunday. 

RATES 

Snowshoe Rentals	Adult (16 & older)	Youth (15 & under)
Hourly	$5	$2
Additional Hour	$2	$2
Daily (24 hours)	$25	$10
Additional day	$15	$5

TIPS - Where is snowshoeing allowed?

• DO snowshoe anywhere in a general park with good snow-cover, except on a cross-country ski groomed trail (Door Creek, Elver, Odana Hills, and Yahara Hills).
• DO snowshoe on a trail in any conservation park, except those groomed for cross-country skiing (Cherokee Marsh South, Owen, and Turville Point) 
• DO snowshoe with sufficient snow (typically 4" or more).
• DON'T snowshoe off-trail in a conservation park. 
  • Snowshoeing, hiking, and skiing off-trail can destroy snow tunnels used by native small rodents (deer mice, shrews) by the trampling effect. These small mammals are an important part of the wetland and grassland ecology in our conservation parks. Destruction of these tunnel networks makes the small mammals more vulnerable to predation.
• When in doubt, it's always best to stay on a trail.
  • Our trail systems are designed to facilitate controlled public access while protecting environmentally sensitive areas and providing quiet refuges for wildlife away from people. Disruption of wildlife by human activity during the winter puts additional stress on them during a challenging time for their survival.
• Learn more about snowshoeing in Madison Parks:
  • Read Your Guide to Snowshoeing in Madison Parks
  • Subscribe to Winter Recreation News

View all Snowshoeing

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 266-4711.  Find out more about Athletic Field Reservations.
 

FIELDS, OPEN OR CLOSED?

The best and ONLY way to know if your field is open for play is to call the Rainout Line (608)267-8787. Weekdays the line will be updated by 2:00pm, weekends and holidays the line will be updated by 9:00am. The line will be updated if fields are questionable, if no update by times listed, fields are open for play.
 

View all Soccer Fields

• Garner Park - Soccer

  Bleachers: No
  Lighted: No
  Setup: Youth
  Type: Game
  

Most of the volleyball courts are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.  If you are planning a new league or tournament see Athletic Field Reservations.
 

View all Volleyball Courts

• Garner Park - Volleyball Court

  Surface: Sand
  Lighted: No
  Number of Courts: 1