Skip to content
Governor Nelson State Park, Westport (near Waunakee), WI

Photo: Jhodkiewicz, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sports & Outdoors

Governor Nelson State Park

A Wisconsin state park on the north shore of Lake Mendota with beaches, trails, and effigy mounds.

Westport (near Waunakee), WI

About Governor Nelson State Park

This state park sits on the north shore of Lake Mendota, where lake recreation and natural areas meet with views of the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison. It functions as a day use park, with a sand beach, boat launch, fish cleaning facility, picnic areas, and playground. Visitors can explore restored prairie and savanna, more than eight miles of trails, and Native American effigy mounds along the Woodland Trail. A swimming area for pets is also available.

  • #state park
  • #lake Mendota
  • #beach
  • #hiking trails
  • #effigy mounds

What's around here?

The closest stops to Governor Nelson State Park, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Museums

    L. R. Ingersoll Physics Museum

    No admission fee

    Hands-on physics museum on the second floor of Chamberlin Hall at UW–Madison, with over 65 exhibits.

    4.5 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Museums
    Rainy-Day Pick

    Chazen Museum of Art

    No admission fee

    Wander two linked buildings of free galleries at UW-Madison, with European, American and Asian art, drop-in tours and a cafe.

    4.6 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Museums

    National Mustard Museum

    No admission fee

    A Middleton, Wisconsin museum showing a large collection of prepared mustards, with free admission.

    4.7 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sports & Outdoors

    Yahara River Parkway

    Check prices

    A riverside city park in Madison, Wisconsin, offering fishing access along the Yahara River.

    5.0 mi awayMore like this

  • Sports & Outdoors

    George Reger Park

    Check prices

    A roughly one-acre city park in Madison, Wisconsin, that includes a playground.

    5.3 mi awayMore like this

  • Sports & Outdoors
    Local Gem

    Olbrich Botanical Gardens

    No admission fee

    Sixteen acres of free outdoor gardens near Lake Monona, with a Thai pavilion and a tropical conservatory under a glass pyramid.

    Transit: reachable by public transit

    5.9 mi awayMore like this