Indian Lake County Park and Halfway Prairie Wildlife Area are both open, but Hwy 19 is currently detoured and will be detoured through fall of 2024. Park users are encourages to explore other County Parks or public spaces during the construction but can still access Indian Lake County Park and the Halfway Prairie Wildlife Area via "local access." The best route to access Indian Lake County Park’s main parking lot and the Halfway Prairie Wildlife Area is from the east via Matz Rd. The route to access the Indian Lake County Park dog park/lake access parking lot is from the west. For more project information visit the WIS 19 (WIS 78 to US 12) project (WisDOT) webpage. Sign up for park closure notifications to receive updates throughout the summer as the project progresses.
The 148-acre Halfway Prairie Wildlife Area is a public hunting area located immediately north of Indian Lake County Park on STH 19. Land cover is a mix of crop fields and steep wooded hillsides. Deer and turkey hunting, foraging, hiking, snowshoeing and photography are the primary recreation opportunities. A prominent historical/cultural feature of the property is the former Matz Farmstead stone ruins that were built in 1907 and burned down in 1949.
For more information on hunting and trapping in Dane County Wildlife Areas, please visit our Hunting webpage.
Special hunting regulations: Areas within 100 yards on either side of the Ice Age Trail are closed to hunting.
This park is supported by Friends of Indian Lake.
Master Plan
Maps (all documents are PDFs)
The Matz Farmstead
This wildlife area was first homesteaded in 1852 and contains the stone remnants of the Matz family farmhouse. The Matz family raised oxen, cropped hay, and grew produce such as corn and potatoes on the land. The house was built of local stone about ten years later when Friedrich returned from his service in the Civil War. Unfortunately the house burned down in 1949. Dane County Halfway Prairie Wildlife Area, which features the Matz farmstead, officially opened to the public in 2012.
More information can be found on the interpretive panel located at the site.
