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Lakes

Picnic Point Mound Group

Lakes

Picnic Point Mound Group

Highlight • Historical Site

Picnic Point Mound Group

Name: Picnic Point Mound Group
Rating: 2

Recommended by 3 hikers

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Location: Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin, United States

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Best Hikes to Picnic Point Mound Group

5.0

(2)

hikers

1. Lake Mendota – Picnic Point Mound Group loop from Shorewood

2.85km

00:43

10m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

5.0

(3)

hikers

2. Lake Mendota – Picnic Point Mound Group loop from Shorewood

2.68km

00:41

10m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

5.0

(1)

hikers

3. Picnic Point Mound Group – Howard Temin Path loop from State-Langdon

10.5km

02:41

40m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Intermediate

Tips

Tyler Sanders

March 11, 2024

Around 2,000 years ago, local inhabitants initiated the burial of their dead in the sacred mounds that scatter across the Point. At one time, Picnic Point boasted seven mounds, but relic hunters destroyed one mound before 1912. Today, the Preserve harbors numerous burial mounds and other ancient archaeological sites, reflecting the rich history and cultural significance of the area.

UrbanExolorer_Mando

June 7, 2025

Picnic Point Mound Group (DA121)
The sixth extant mound is a large hemispherical form visible on your right just before you reach The Narrows (where the main trail dips near the beach).

UrbanExolorer_Mando

June 7, 2025

There are four “extant” (still visible) mound groups you can visit on the main campus, all but one of them located within the boundaries of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve. Recently these mound groups were surveyed and entered in a special burial sites catalog maintained by the Wisconsin Historical Society. The label associated with each location includes a number used in the state Archaeological Site Inventory (ASI) maintained by the Wisconsin Historical Society. The site surveys establish a 25-foot preservation buffer around the mounds.

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Informations

Elevation 260 m

Weather

Today

Saturday 8 November

5°C

-3°C

100 %

If you start your activity now...

Max wind speed: 9.0 km/h

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See hikes here

Take Me There

Location: Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin, United States

Other Popular Places to Check Out

University of Wisconsin–Madison Arboretum

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Eagle Heights Mound Group (DA130)

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Lake Mendota

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Picnic Point Mound Group

1. Lake Mendota – Picnic Point Mound Group loop from Shorewood

2. Lake Mendota – Picnic Point Mound Group loop from Shorewood

3. Picnic Point Mound Group – Howard Temin Path loop from State-Langdon

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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