William G. Lunney Lake Farm County Park (LLFCP) is a unit of the Capital Springs Recreation Area. Lunney Lake Farm County Park is Wisconsin outdoor recreation, natural habitat and history at its finest! Recreational options abound at this 328-acre Dane County park boarding beautiful Lake Waubesa. Mr. Lunney, among his many accomplishments as leader Wisconsin conservation and community service, is also a founding member and current vice-president of the Friends of Capital Springs Recreation Area Board.
Park Map | Cross-Country Ski Map
New! LLFCP Bird Checklist see Fauna page for more information about this and other birding park hotspots.
OFFICIAL COUNTY PAGE: LUNNEY LAKE FARM COUNTY PARK
To Get There
Exit US Hwy 12/18 at South Towne Drive and go south. Turn left onto Moorland Road. Moorland will turn into Lake Farm Road. Campground entrance is on Lake Farm Road. To reach the Park and shelters, continue on Lake Farm Road and turn east onto Libby Road.
Features
LOWER YAHARA RIVER TRAIL: This paved bike and hiking trail meanders through multiple habitats and has a boardwalk (.9 mile) that stretches across Lake Waubesa to McDaniel Park in McFarland. Get a map here.
SHELTERS: Lake Farm offers three open-air picnic shelter facilities for rent, two of which provide beautiful views of the Lake, along with playground equipment and lookout tower. The Park also maintains hiking trails throughout the property, notably the Lake Farm Heritage Trail and Whitetail Trail (see map) offering views of the Lake, woods and prairies.
BOATING: If you’d like to spend time on Lake Waubesa and Upper Mud Lake, Lunney Lake Farm has a barrier-free boat launch, canoe/kayak launch and a fish-cleaning facility located at the end of Libby Road.
CAMPGROUND: Lunney Lake Farm CP also offers a modern 54-unit campground. Choose sites with shower/bathroom facilities or a group campsite for larger gathering. To make reservations and a campsite map, go to please visit Dane County’s Lunney Lake Farm Park site.
BIRD WATCHING: There’s no end to the natural beauty and wildlife to be found at Lunney Lake Farm. If you enjoy bird watching, be sure to check the Park during spring migration. Visitors take pleasure in restored prairies, a wildlife pond, and two trails that meander through woods and along the shores of Lake Waubesa. Be sure to take it all in from atop the Park’s lookout tower. (Great-crested Flycatcher can be found at LLFCP). See the fauna page for more information about this and other birding hotspots.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
W.G. Lunney Lake Farm County Park and the Capital Springs Recreation Area are ancestral homelands of the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin. The area is in the heart of the Teejopeja (the Ho-Chunk word for Madison’s “Four Lakes” Region).
The area has great historical significance, and the critical importance of cultural preservation was recognized nationally in 1980, when the area was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated the Lake Farms Archaeological District.
Scientific investigation found archaeological evidence of human habitation as early as 10,000 years ago and a very large, significant presence during the Late Archaic through the Late Woodland periods, dating back 3,500 – 7000 year ago.
These studies suggest use of the land almost continually for thousands of years, taking advantage of a complex of natural resources provided by lake, marsh, and upland areas.
Hike the Lake Farm Heritage Trail (an easy 2.1 mile-long trail) with interpretive signage to learn more about these early inhabitants.
