Aldo Leopold Nature Center

The Aldo Leopold Nature Center features oak savanna, wetland, prairie, and woodland ecosystems nestled in the heart of beautiful Monona, WI. Its a great location that is set between Woodland Park and Edna Taylor Conservancy. It has connecting trails on the Edna Taylor Conservancy marked by trail signs. The grounds feature approximately 1.5 miles of interconnecting trails. Its a really great place to bring little and big kids alike. There is the nature center that features indoor nature play nooks, restrooms, water fountains and more. You can even check out trailside exploring backpack before heading out to hike (this has a rental fee for non-nature center members). There are several access points behind the building to get on to the trail system. We often like to head out by the woods to the left of the building. There are several old branches and large sticks that are often used to build forts and huts around the wooded area. This is a great space to let kids play! Heading along to the back of the property along the tree/scrub line, you can access the Edna Taylor trails if you’d like, these are marked. We head over towards the “island” marked by taller trees in the wetlands. There is metal boardwalk to access the island, but note that there is often mud/water/ice just before you step on to the boardwalks depending on the season. There is a bench on the island if you’d like to nurse or take a rest. heading off the island you can take a number of trails across the wetland/prairie sections back to the nature center or around the grounds. There is a dock along the pond that is also a good spot to check out. The ground also feature a section of maple trees with picnic benches, and a replica of Aldo Leopold’s shack. This is a great area to explore and spend time hiking the grounds and then heading in before heading out to check out the play areas inside, or warm up on a winter day. You can find more information about the nature center here: http://aldoleopoldnaturecenter.org/monona-campus/