Dane County Parks to Begin Property Planning Process for Indian Lake County Park and Halfway Prairie Wildlife Area
May 02, 2022
Chris James
Land & Water Resources
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Chris James, Dane County Parks
(608) 235-2252 - james@countyofdane.com
Dane County Parks to Begin Property Planning Process for Indian Lake County Park and Halfway Prairie Wildlife Area
Public information meetings will be held on May 16 in Madison & June 6 in the Town of Berry
MADISON, WI – May 2, 2022 – Dane County Parks will begin working on a property plan that will propose future management, recreation use and park facility development for Indian Lake County Park and the adjacent Halfway Prairie Wildlife Area. The park and wildlife area have extensive Native American and early European settlement history that will also be documented in the plan. The County currently owns approximately 800 acres within the recreation park boundary and 150 acres within the wildlife area boundary. Both properties are located in the Town of Berry along STH 19 approximately 2 miles west of USH 12.
“Indian Lake County Park is one of the most popular parks in the system, with all of this use we need even more trails to give people a good outdoor experience,” said Dane County Park Commission Chair Dave Ripp. “The Commissioners are looking forward to hearing what residents have to say about the park and their ideas for future facility development.”
Indian Lake County Park currently offers a timber frame shelter with restroom and playground picnic area, scenic overlook, historic chapel, group camp with warming cabin, approximately six miles of hiking and cross country ski trails, an off-leash dog park and small lake access facility. The park is used extensively in the winter for cross country skiing, and in the summer and fall for hiking, fishing and dog walking. Halfway Prairie Wildlife Area provides hunting, foraging, hiking and snowshoeing recreation opportunities. The park and wildlife area are located in the non-glaciated driftless area of the County and include a segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail that offers spectacular scenic views of the lake and surrounding hills.
Some of the potential improvements to existing park and wildlife area facilities that may be considered include upgrades to parking lot areas, re-routing steep cross country ski trails, dog park improvements and improved access to the group camp. The plan will also explore potential future recreation use and access to the 290 acre property immediately south of the park that was purchased in 2020.
Two public information meetings will be held to begin the planning process to gather public input. The first will be held on Monday, May 16th, 7:00 p.m. at the Lussier Family Heritage Center, 3101 Lake Farm Rd, Madison, WI 53711. A virtual participation option will be available at this location – preregistration required. A recording will also be available on the project website.
A second public information meeting will be held at the Town of Berry Town Hall shelter on Monday, June 6th beginning at 5:30 p.m. The Town Hall is located at 9046 WI-19, Mazomanie, WI 53560. No virtual option will be available for this meeting.
For more information about these meetings, project documents or to take a short survey, visit the project website: https://www.danecountyparks.com/propertyplan/detail/Indian-Lake-Halfway-Prairie.
For further information about the upcoming meetings and the project, contact Chris James, Dane County Parks Senior Landscape Architect at (608)235-2252 or james@countyofdane.com.
About Dane County Parks
Dane County Parks offers a variety of recreational opportunities for the outdoor enthusiast and natural environments for quiet getaways or special events. Dane County Parks takes an active role to enhance and preserve the county’s finest natural resources.
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