Just outside Madison, there’s a beautiful natural area that’s hiding in plain sight. Patrick Marsh is a wildlife area that’s home to a glacial kettle pond, wild prairies, and scenic hiking trails. But thousands of drivers on an adjacent highway pass right by without realizing what they are missing. It’s worth a visit – here’s what’s waiting for you at Patrick Marsh Wildlife Area.

Patrick Marsh is a place that was long home to Native Americans who hunted, trapped, and fished on the lake here. It was also an important stop for people who used foot trails that passed through here.

You can see Patrick Marsh from U.S. Highway 151, and the nature preserve has a connection to this multi-lane highway. In the 1980s, when the state expanded the highway, it purchased the land as a way to mitigate the wetlands lost during the highway expansion.

The land was opened to the public, and today, the wildlife area has two miles of trails. The land is a destination for hiking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing.

The trails will take you along the edge of Brazee Lake, which is teeming with wildlife. In the spring, large numbers of migratory white pelicans visit the lake.

The marsh is a wild place, but there are a few amenities that help open the property to the public, including a viewing platform that offers a sweeping view of Brazee Lake.

The landscape is beautiful in any season and it offers a glimpse of Wisconsin’s landscape before European settlers arrived and farmed the land. The property includes examples of prairie and oak savanna.

Take a walk on the Patrick Marsh Wildlife Trail in this video from Travel with Brian:

There’s no admission to visit Patrick Marsh Wildlife Area. Learn more about the property and ongoing efforts to protect and preserve the land on the Groundswell Conservancy website. There are a lot of beautiful natural areas near Madison. Here’s a picturesque park that’s an undiscovered oasis.

To discover all of the wonderful hiking trails in the Patrick Marsh Wildlife Area, and anywhere else your boots will travel, try out AllTrails+. It's one of our favorite resources for hiking enthusiasts.