Dunns Marsh Park

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Last Updated: December 5, 2025

Dunn's Marsh Park is a 35-acre park located in Madison, Wisconsin.


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Summary

The park offers visitors a chance to explore wetlands, prairies, and woodlands that are home to a variety of wildlife, including birds, frogs, turtles, and muskrats.

One of the main attractions of the park is the Dunn's Marsh Trail, which is a 1.5-mile loop that takes visitors through the wetlands and provides scenic views of the surrounding area. The trail is also wheelchair accessible.

In addition to the trail, there are several other points of interest in the park, including a fishing pier, a boardwalk, and a picnic shelter. The park is also a popular spot for birdwatching, with over 100 species of birds observed in the area.

Interesting facts about Dunn's Marsh Park include that it was once used as a landfill and was transformed into a park in the 1990s through a joint effort between the city of Madison and local environmental groups. Additionally, the park is part of the Lake Waubesa Wetlands, which are one of the largest remaining wetland complexes in Dane County.

The best time of year to visit Dunn's Marsh Park is during the spring and summer months, as the wetlands are teeming with life and the weather is mild. However, the park is open year-round and offers visitors a chance to experience the beauty of nature during all four seasons.

       

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Park & Land Designation Reference

National Park
Large protected natural areas managed by the federal government to preserve significant landscapes, ecosystems, and cultural resources; recreation is allowed but conservation is the priority.
State Park
Public natural or recreational areas managed by a state government, typically smaller than national parks and focused on regional natural features, recreation, and education.
Local Park
Community-level parks managed by cities or counties, emphasizing recreation, playgrounds, sports, and green space close to populated areas.
Wilderness Area
The highest level of land protection in the U.S.; designated areas where nature is left essentially untouched, with no roads, structures, or motorized access permitted.
National Recreation Area
Areas set aside primarily for outdoor recreation (boating, hiking, fishing), often around reservoirs, rivers, or scenic landscapes; may allow more development.
National Conservation Area (BLM)
BLM-managed areas with special ecological, cultural, or scientific value; more protection than typical BLM land but less strict than Wilderness Areas.
State Forest
State-managed forests focused on habitat, watershed, recreation, and sustainable timber harvest.
National Forest
Federally managed lands focused on multiple use—recreation, wildlife habitat, watershed protection, and resource extraction (like timber)—unlike the stricter protections of national parks.
Wilderness
A protected area set aside to conserve specific resources—such as wildlife, habitats, or scientific features—with regulations varying widely depending on the managing agency and purpose.
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Land
Vast federal lands managed for mixed use—recreation, grazing, mining, conservation—with fewer restrictions than national parks or forests.
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