 Picnic
Point
Picnic Point, a nearly mile-long peninsula along Lake Mendota's south
shore, is among Madison's most distinctive features and is probably the
most popular destination in the Preserve. Each year thousands of students
and Madisonians visit the Point for outings. In a hectic world of university
life or city living, it's nice to know that this natural area is just
a short distance from where you live.
Human History
 Sweeping
views, fertile soils, and easy access to marshes and bays rich with wildlife
has made the Picnic Point area an attractive destination-for at least
12,000 years. Recent archaeological surveys have uncovered evidence of
ancient habitations throughout this part of the Preserve.
Several farms were established on the Point following European-American
settlement in the early 19th century. A farmhouse, barn, and outbuildings
were built near the northeast corner of what is today Bill's Woods. The
farm house (at left) was sited on a small rise with a commanding view
of the bay to the southeast.
 During
the early 1900s, the Picnic Point farm fields were being rented out to
tenant farmers and the farm house was occupied by several families not
primarily engaged in farming-including Professor William W. Daniells,
the first superintendent of the University Farms.
Edward Young, a prosperous Madison lumberman and entrepreneur, purchased
the property in 1924 and set about a major renovation of the old farm
house (at right). Around this time the barn was removed and a stable for
the family's horses was constructed. The Young family moved into the farm
house—which had become a rambling 15-room mansion—in 1927.
Young loved to work on the Point when his busy schedule allowed. He was
often found working alongside his hired hands in the large apple orchard he
planted, building a network of bridle paths (now our walking paths) or
constructing the distinctive stone
entrance gateway.
 Sadly,
the Young residence burned in a spectacular fire in 1935. All that remains
from the house today is the brick path that once led up to the house-now
barely visible beneath the leaves and undergrowth (shown in image at left).
After the fire, the Young family moved into a new home in Shorewood Hills
and eventually sold their Picnic Point property to the university in 1941.
Interestingly, the property sale between Young and the university included
a land swap. The university traded 33.5 acres of Eagle Heights and the
lakeshore west of Raymer's Cove—along with a cash payment of $230,000—for
the 129-acre Picnic Point property. It would be several decades later
before the university could reacquire this land from the Young family.
Today, these parcels—Wally
Bauman Woods and Eagle
Heights Woods—are integral to the western end of the Preserve.
 To learn more about the human history of Picnic Point:
Browse our "Video"
page in the Preserve Library for a short clip
on the history and geography of Picnic Point.
 Read a newspaper article about the disastrous fire that destroyed the
Youngs' farm house. "Fire
Razes Young Picnic Pt. Home," Capital Times, Sept 5, 1935
(.pdf).
View a plan (shown at right) for residential building sites on Picnic Point—laid
out by the prominent urban planning firm of Hegemann and Peets in 1922.
None of these sites was ever developed. The north-to-south road on the
left margin of the plat is Lake Mendota Drive. See Plat
Map of Picnic Point, Original in Possession of Facilities Planning and
Management, 1922 (.gif)
Read a magazine article describing Picnic Point history and recreational
opportunities in the early years of university ownership. "Like
a Beckoning Finger." Wisconsin Alumnus. 49.8 (May, 1948):
19 (.html)
Read about the archaeological research that has identified the locations
of ancient Native American sites. "2004
Archaeological Investigations on the University of Wisconsin-Madison
Campus, City of Madison, Dane County Wisconsin," George Christiansen
III, Great Lakes Archaeological Research Center, 2005 .pdf
Read a historical overview of Picnic Point written by Tom Brock, longtime
Friend of the Preserve and well-know local historian: Thomas
D. Brock, "History of Picnic Point," FCNA News, 3:2 (Spring
2004), 3-4.
Natural History
Like many places in the Preserve, Picnic Point has been the subject
of ecological and historical research. In the early 1970s, graduate student
Richard McCabe led a wide-ranging historical and ecological research project
documenting the entire University Bay area. His unpublished manuscript,
a "Niche in Time," provides an excellent overview of the biological
and cultural attributes of Picnic Point and the surrounding area. It is
available in the UW Archives at Steenbock
Library.
 The
opportunity to observe birdlife in the woods and fields of the Point and
out across University Bay makes this area a favorite destination for birdwatchers.
Roma Lenehan (an avid birder and indefatigable volunteer with the Friends
of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve) has produced an excellent checklist
of bird species that have been observed in the Preserve at Picnic Point
and elsewhere. Her Preserve bird overview and bird checklist is on this website, and additional results of her work
can be studied on the Friends
of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve website.
A 6-acre wetland, Picnic
Point Marsh, (formerly called the "Beaver Pond") can be accessed
along the north side of the Picnic Point peninsula, just off of the
Lake Mendota Lakeshore Path. This area is also a particularly good spot
for bird watching.
Learn more about the Natural History of Picnic Point:
 Read Jill Baum's master's thesis on the natural history of Picnic
Point Marsh. [Posting soon]
Read Richard McCabe's final report detailing the many research activities
undertaken by the University Bay Project [Posting soon]
Visiting and Recreation
Picnic Point is a wonderful quick getaway from the bustle of campus
life. Boating, hiking, and quiet contemplative strolling are popular activities.
 Since
the earliest years of European settlement in the region, Picnic Point
(originally called Gooseberry Point) has been a destination for recreational
outings. By 1865, there was even regular ferry service from the Madison
isthmus to the Point, where a visitor could enjoy a refreshing alcoholic
beverage at a conveniently located dance hall!
Although Picnic Point was owned privately until 1941, students and Madisonians
have long treated the property as if it were a public park. Not a few
visitors who ventured out to the Point for picnics, camping, and boating
trips were chased away by the resident cows (left).
Although they were technically trespassing, student visitors to Picnic
Point in the 1920-30s were generally tolerated by the Young family—the
owners of the property at the time. Edward Young did employ a caretaker
to keep an eye on things—and run off students who remained after
sunset. In this humorous  1937
bird's-eye view of campus activities (detail below, click to enlarge), look closely and
you will note a shotgun-wielding caretaker chasing away students who are
furiously swimming away from the Point! We doubt this ever really happened...
For many years the beach, at The
Narrows midway down the Point, was a popular place for swimming.
While swimming is still permitted here, the university no longer provides
lifeguard supervision.
See a large view in PDF format of this humorous map >
One last note about "recreational" opportunities: Picnic Point
has a long-and well earned reputation as a romantic getaway. Many
visitors tell us about marriage proposals inspired by a stroll out to
the end of the Point. As further proof of the Point's romantic magic,
on February 9, 1992 the San Francisco Examiner (in a scientific study,
no doubt!) did a survey of the ten best places to kiss in the world, and
announced that Picnic Point "may just be the kissing-est spot in
North America." It said that for more than a century, "thousands
of couples have found themselves in each other's arms...at the tip of
the peninsula, where the kissing tradition was born." Visitors may
wish to plan accordingly.
Learn more about Recreational activities on Picnic Point:
 See a 360-degree panoramic photograph of Picnic Point
Read a newspaper story about the commercial sailing yacht St. Louis which
made regular excursion trips to "Pic Nic Point" in 1865. "A
Trip on the St. Louis," Wisconsin State Journal, August 2, 1865
(.pdf)
See a short video clip about the Narrows at Picnic Point
Read about one of the top ten places to kiss-in the world! "Romance
on the Road: 10 Great Places to Kiss," Joy Schalben, San Francisco
Examiner, Feb. 9, 1992
Restoration and Plans
The 2006
Preserve Master Plan envisions several exciting projects at the
Point that will significantly enhance the visitor experience. After
careful consideration, planners have proposed an entry station that
may one day provide visitors with information display, an observation
platform, and restroom facilities.
At the end of Picnic Point, planners have proposed a gathering circle/council
ring, discreetly blended into the landscape, and a stone stairway down
to the water's edge. It is hoped that this project will help accommodate
groups who come to the tip of the Point for campfires, storytelling, and
camaraderie. These new amenities should be able to serve the
many people who already visit the tip of the Point, and also protect
the very resource from the effects of such popularity.
 Getting Here
Getting to Picnic Point is easy: hop on your bike, grab a bus or jog
on over!
By bus:
Campus
bus #80 makes regular stops across from the entry gate of Picnic
Point on University Bay Drive.
By bicycle:
Take the Lakeshore Path from Oxford Road (west end of path) or Park
Street (east end of the path) to the Picnic Point entry. Consider parking
your bike at the entry, though responsible bicyclists who ride at the
speed of a moderate jogger are permitted to ride out to the end of the
Point. In this part of the Preserve, bicycles are ONLY permitted on
the main path out to the tip of the Point. This is a popular walking/jogging
route, so please respect pedestrians by riding carefully and at the
speed of slow jogger. (We encourage you to review bike
use guidelines so that all visitors can use this path safely.)
On foot:
In addition to the main path out to the tip of the Point, there are
several easy walking paths
throughout this area—both gravel and paved. You may encounter
the occasional work vehicle on service drives used by groundskeepers
and others conducting research in the Preserve.
By boat:
Visiting the Point by canoe or sailboat has long been a popular adventure.
The Narrows, midway on the
peninsula, is a convenient landing and portage spot. Canoes
can be rented from Memorial Union's Outdoor Rentals program.
By car:
Park at nearest convenient lot. See the parking
page.
Text and Photo credits:
- Text: Daniel
Einstein. Sep 8, 2006.
- Photo: Picnic Point, Barn And Silo,CLP-U0128. Mrs. George
Schlotthauer; original in
UW-Madison Archives; negative 19959-c-2; circa 1920
- Phot: Picnic Point, Farm House,CLP-U0027. George Schlotthauer;
original in UW-Madison Archives;
negative number 21362-c-2; circa 1910-20s.
- Photo: Picnic Point, Farmhouse Brick Path. Daniel
Einstein, 2005.
- Photo: Picnic Point, Cows At Narrows,CLP-U0081.Edith
Jones; original in
UW-Madison Archives; negative 35494-c-2; circa 1923.
- Photo: Natural History. Bird Walk. Michael Rothbart,
UW Communications. http://photos.news.wisc.edu/view.php?id=1489
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