Mendota County Park was established in 1951 and is located off County Road M near the intersection of County Roads Q and M in the Town of Westport, just a few miles southwest of Governor Nelson State Park.
This 19-acre park features a campground* and a five-unit boat-in camping area, a reservable shelter, and an unsupervised swimming beach with a Clean Beach Treatment System and an accessible swimming ramp. Additional amenities include volleyball courts, play equipment, and a shallow launch suitable for small boats, kayaks, and canoes. Limited canoe/kayak storage is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
For information about the water quality at the beach, please visit the Lake Mendota County Park Beach webpage from Public Health Madison and Dane County.
In 2025, the park received major improvements thanks to a $1.5 million philanthropic gift in honor of Thomas and Karen Ragatz. Upgrades included a new park shelter and pathways, dark sky–friendly lighting, an accessible and inclusive playground, a paved walking trail with benches and fitness nodes, a new basketball court, and a new boat landing ramp.
The playground offers a blend of traditional and nature-inspired play features—climbing, swinging, spinning, and balancing—designed for a wide range of ages and abilities. Visitors can also enjoy a walking loop with fitness stations (“nodes”) and a timed 40-yard sprint track for quick, fun speed challenges.
*The campground includes 30 reservable sites (one fully accessible), each with 30-amp electrical hook ups. Please note an extension cord may be needed to connect some recreational vehicles to the electric pedestal. Camping amenities include bathroom and shower facilities and a dump station.
Before European settlement, numerous Winnebago Indian villages and camps could be found on Lake Mendota's shores. About 350 effigy mounds built by the Winnebago have been identified around Lake Mendota and over 1,000 in the four lakes area. A bird effigy on the Mendota hospital grounds is one of the finest and has a wing spread of 624 ft.
The Winnebago called the Four Lakes Region Tay-cho-pe-ra. They called Lake Mendota Wonk-shek-ho-mik-la. In 1849 a Madison surveyor, Frank Hudson, named the lake “Mendota” after the Sioux term meaning "mouth of the river."
More information can be found on a historical marker at the park.
