Lewis Nine Springs E-way

My favorite spot:) Not many people know about this spot. It’s definitely a hidden gem. I have seen tons of wildlife here, especially birds! If you’re a birder, this is the best spot for shorebirds and sandhill cranes. Go in the morning or evening to see the beautiful sunset or sunrise. The colors over the water are incredible.

Walking Review: Nice place for a stroll. Good choice between easy hills in open prairie, and paths along shaded woodland paths that end up along the 9 Springs creek. Path crosses over the creek several times via bridges. This area is rather exposed, so you want wind protection in the winter, and sun protection and water for the summer.

Kayaking Review: One of the best kayak areas in the Madison area. Pitching at the canoe launch just East of the parking lot, to the left of the first bridge we choose to paddle upstream the 2+ miles to the Syene Road portage, and turn around at the actual spring locations. You can portage over Syene Road, but it only goes a little further up to Fitchburg road area. Turning around here, we paddle/float with the current back to the starting point. Total time is around 2:30-3 hours, depending on wind and water level. DO KNOW before starting, there are several log jams you will have to portage over or around. Also, the road tunnels for HWY MM and HWY 14 can be very difficult to pass depending on water level. We have on multiple occasions had to crouch and use our hands on the cement to push through the tunnels. Overall a great paddle with lots of opportunities for kingfishers, blue herons, monster carp, ducks, turtles, muskrats, and geese, all up close.

Great place for bird watching. Don't forget your binoculars, bird guides, a hat and a bottle of water and get ready to count and id several species of birds! I saw pelicans, bufflehead, mallards, gulls, sandpipers, great egrets, and more!

Turtles. Frogs. Cattails. Geese. Herons. Bring boots as can be wet and slippery. Has restroom. Garbage/recycling bin. On bicycle trail. Arched bridge spanning flooded creek (certain times of year). Information board with map. Climb hill to see State Capital Dome.

Lovely little quiet place to walk to and have a little snack while watching the wildlife.
Many waterfowl and cranes frequent this spot.
Handicap accessible.
Only 4 stars because it is pretty close to civilization so you can see buildings and traffic also.
Otherwise I love it here.