Check out the hoops in your neighborhood! Most of the basketball courts are available on a first-come, first-served basis. If you are planning a new league or tournament RESERVE ONLINE

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• Wingra Park and Boat Livery - Basketball Court

  Surface: Asphalt
  Lighted: No
  Number of Courts:
  

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Launch Area Parking Rules and Tips (Ordinance 8.16)

• Long stalls are for parking vehicles with trailers only. 
• Regular-size stalls are for parking vehicles with no trailer only. 
• Parking on the grass is prohibited.
• When the launch parking lot is full, you must find an alternative launch site
• Violators are subject to a citation. 

Year-Round Piers

• Yahara River at Cherokee Marsh South and Olin 
• Lake Mendota at Marshall and Spring Harbor boat launches
• Brittingham Bay near Brittingham shelter
• Starkweather Creek kayak launch at Olbrich
• Lake Monona at Olbrich boat launch

View all Boat Launches

• Wingra Park and Boat Livery - Boat Launch

  Location: 824 Knickerbocker St.
  Lake Access Permit Required: No
  
  Notes: Access Lake Wingra. No trailer parking available.

Madison Parks offers various locations to launch a canoe or kayak and is allowed at all of Madison Parks motorboat launch sites. Additionally, the parks listed below have a specially designated area for launch.

If you are looking to store your kayak or canoe in a park, please visit the storage webpage.
  View all Canoe & Kayak Launch Sites

Interested in getting out on one of Madison's lakes but you don't have your own watercraft? No problem! We have partners at locations throughout the city offering these great lake amenities!

View all Canoe & Kayak Rental

• Madison Boats at Wingra Park

  Location: 824 Knickerbocker St
  Telephone: (608) 233-5332
  More Information: Madison Boats at Wingra Park
  Notes: Available: Canoes, single and tandem kayaks, stand up paddleboards, paddle boats, water mats, fishing boats and pontoon boats

Madison Parks offers seasonal and year-round fishing piers. Year-round locations include Brittingham Park (near shelter), Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park, South (School Road), Olbrich Park (Starkweather Creek), and Spring Harbor Park. 

An accessible pier is located in Vilas Park, on Lake Wingra and at Warner Park, on the Warner Park lagoon.  

Wisconsin residents aged 16 years old or older need a fishing license to fish in any waters of the state. Nonresidents aged 16 years old or older need a nonresident fishing license to fish in Wisconsin waters with hook and line. Visit the Wisconsin DNR website for more information. View all Fishing

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

• Wingra Park - Soccer

Playground News

• Temporary Closure Notice: The playground at Nakoma Park will be temporarily closed for maintenance starting Monday, July 14. Due to recent rain, the project is slightly delayed and anticipated to be completed and the playground reopened by Friday, July 25.  

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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. 
 

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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

• Wingra Park and Boat Livery - Playground

Restroom Updates

• Rennebohm Park - due to mechanical issues with the locking system, the restrooms at Rennebohm Park are closed. We apologize for this disruption of service and are working with the contractor to repair this issue. In the meantime, we have placed a portable unit on-site. 

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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

• Wingra Park at Madison Boats

  OPEN
  
  Notes: Restrooms are open when Madison Boats is open. Hours vary, see www.madisonboats.com