Pickleball in Onalaska, Wisconsin

Onalaska sits just north of La Crosse, and its pickleball runs on two public outdoor sites, an indoor program run by the city's Parks & Recreation department and the courts at the R.W. Houser Family YMCA. This page lists what the city, the YMCA and the main court directories say about each one. Where they disagree, both versions are shown. Times change by season, so treat every schedule here as "as listed on the named source, checked October 2026" and confirm before you go. For La Crosse itself, see the La Crosse-area guide.

Locations at a glance

• Outdoor court
• Indoor court
• Count in dispute

1. Oak Park / Pickle Patch Park: 6 dedicated outdoor courts (city Adult Programs page and three directories).
2. Parkridge Park: 4 pickleball courts lined on tennis court(s), played with tennis nets.
3. Houser YMCA: 4 indoor courts in Pickleheads, Bounce and MyPickleballConnect; the YMCA's own pages give no count.
4. Dash Center, Lyche Gym: "3 courts can be set up" (City of Onalaska).
5. First Free Church: 3 indoor courts (Sparta Area Pickleball Association) or 4 (Pickleheads, MyPickleballConnect).

Oak Park (Pickle Patch Park)

The city's main outdoor site goes by two names. The city's Adult Programs page calls it the Oak Park Pickleball Courts and says it was "recently expanded to hold 6 courts in 2022." The city's parks directory lists the park at 2011 Craig Lane West as Pickle Patch Park, "the premier destination for pickleball in the Onalaska community," while its own detail page is titled "Oak Park #1." The Adult Programs page prints the address as 211 Craig Lane West; the parks directory and every directory site use 2011.

• Setting: a 1.48-acre mini park. The courts sit between backyards and are reached by a paved trail between homes; parking is on the street (city park detail page). The Sparta Area Pickleball Association adds that the park is behind residential homes, with a small sign near a bike path.
• Courts: Pickleheads and Bounce list 6 outdoor hard courts with permanent lines and permanent nets, free to play.
• Restrooms: the city lists restrooms; the Sparta association mentions a portable toilet in summer.
• Lights: none of the pages opened mention lights, and the posted evening sessions run "to dusk."

Oak Park open play, as listed

The city calls these "Mentored Open Play" nights, free and open to the public, for players who have finished its beginner clinics. The two sources disagree on the Saturday ladder time, so check before going. Ladders are explained in how ladder leagues work.

Learn to Play clinics. The city runs beginner clinics at Oak Park with instructors from La Crosse Area Pickleball: $5 per person, 6:00–7:30 p.m., 8 to 24 players, paddles and balls provided, pre-registration required. The page lists May 13, June 10 and July 8 without a year, so expect new dates next season.

Parkridge Park

Parkridge Park, at 1123 10th Ave North, is a 3.42-acre neighborhood park that the city describes as "mostly pickleball courts," with a small parking area beside them and a narrow driveway in between home lots. The city's Adult Programs page lists 4 pickleball courts lined on a tennis court, using tennis nets. The Sparta Area Pickleball Association describes it as 4 tennis courts with pickleball lines painted on them. Either way, you play over a tennis net, which hangs higher than a pickleball net; see net height. No schedule is published for Parkridge.

R.W. Houser Family YMCA

The Houser branch is at 400 Mason Street (608-782-9622) and is open 5 a.m.–9 p.m. weekdays and 7 a.m.–6 p.m. weekends, per the YMCA. The Y's pickleball page says "Pickleball is FREE for our members" and that the Y provides all equipment. Pickleheads lists 4 indoor hard courts with permanent lines and portable nets, membership required, plus court reservations.

Houser open pickleball, week of Oct. 19–25, 2026

This is the Gym 2 schedule shown on the Y's Houser Pickleball page, as listed when checked:

Directories lag. MyPickleballConnect lists Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday sessions with no Wednesday. The Sparta association lists Sunday 9–noon, Monday 10–1, Tuesday 8–11 and 1–3, Wednesday–Friday 9–noon and no Saturday play, and advises calling because "times do change." Use the Y's own schedule.

Dash Center (city indoor program)

The city runs indoor pickleball in the Lyche Gym at the Dash Center, 515 Quincy St, where up to 3 courts can be set up. Paddles and balls are provided if you need them. As listed on the city's Adult Programs page:

• Drop-in: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 6–8 a.m. Daily fee $3; monthly $10 residents / $15 non-residents; 3 months $25 / $35.
• Open Pickleball Membership: $20 for September–December, for open play Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–1 p.m., registration online or in person.

First Free Church

Listings for the church gym at 123 Mason St do not agree. The Sparta Area Pickleball Association lists 3 indoor courts and play from 6–9 p.m. with setup from 5:30, and points to the church's Facebook page. Pickleheads and MyPickleballConnect list 4 indoor courts; Pickleheads says membership is required and shows a season of Nov. 6, 2022 to April 30, 2023, which is likely out of date, and MyPickleballConnect shows no documented open play. Contact the church before you go.

Before you go: checklist

• Check the source that sets the time: the city's Adult Programs page for Oak Park and the Dash Center, the Y's schedule for Houser.
• Outdoor play is weather-dependent and posted sessions run to dusk; plan on daylight.
• At Oak Park, park on the street and walk the trail in; the courts sit between backyards.
• At Parkridge, expect a tennis-height net.
• Houser is for YMCA members; at the Dash Center, pay the daily drop-in fee or buy a pass.
• New players: register for a city Learn to Play clinic before joining mentored open play; the beginner walkthrough covers the basics.
• Questions go to Onalaska Parks & Recreation, 608-781-9560, or the venue. This site cannot take sign-ups.

Nearby: La Crosse courts and indoor venues · Winona, MN.