A satisfying hike doesn’t need to be strenuous. Just getting out in nature is its own reward, and, lucky for us, the Milwaukee area abounds with trails for short, simple strolls, whether you want to counteract the effects of your Thanksgiving feast, get some steps in before the Packers game, or just escape from the hustle and bustle for a few moments. These are five great local hikes you can do in under an hour.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
1. Forest Exploration Center Nature Trail
1 MILE, LEASHED DOGS ALLOWED | 1800 FOREST EXPLORATION DR., WAUWATOSA
Tucked between downtown Tosa and Mayfair Mall near County Grounds Park, this urban oasis loops through southern hardwood forest and is especially pretty when the afternoon light filters through the trees. The crushed stone path is fully ADA accessible for folks with disabilities, while educational signs and interactive media make the trail a great place for a family outing.
2. Kame Terrace Trail
2 MILES, LEASHED DOGS ALLOWED | W329 N846 COUNTY HWY. C, DELAFIELD
Ancient glaciers put their stamp on the land that now comprises Kettle Moraine State Forest. Ten thousand years later, the payoff is some of the best hiking in Southeastern Wisconsin. For a trek that’s moderately more challenging than the others on this list, set off down Kame Terrace Trail from the Homestead Hollow parking lot. You’ll wind through forest, prairie and the terrain that gives this trail its name – a ridge of sand and gravel found on the side of a glacial valley.
3. Lake Loop
1.4 MILES, DOGS NOT ALLOWED | WHITNALL PARK, 5879 S. 92ND ST., FRANKLIN
In the middle of Franklin’s Whitnall Park, the trail circling Mallard Lake packs a lot into its roughly mile-and-a-half. Walk along its mix of dirt, gravel, woodchips and boardwalk, and you’ll encounter wetlands, lowland forest, and even the edge of a prairie. At the lake’s north end, a small waterfall flows out of the lake and into Tess Corners Creek. On the west side, the trail passes Wehr Nature Center, where a short spur leads to a lakeside observation blind.
4. Lake Terrace Loop
0.8 MILES, DOGS NOT ALLOWED | 1111 E. BROWN DEER RD., BAYSIDE
Hiking is as much about your eyes as your feet, and few walks give you as much to gaze at as this one. Hugging a bluff above Lake Michigan, the Lake Terrace Loop at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center is punctuated with benches with lake views. For an even better vista, climb the 60-foot observation tower at the north end of the loop or tramp down one of the stairways that leads to the shore. Keep an eye out for feathered friends, too; this is an important habitat for migratory birds. Note that there’s an admission fee to the nature center for nonmembers.
5. Three Bridges Park Loop
1.8 MILES, LEASHED DOGS ALLOWED | 610 S. 35TH ST
For a little urban adventure, combine the Hank Aaron State Trail, Sumac Trail and North Bank Trail to do a loop through Three Bridges Park, winding past grassy hillocks, train tracks, and the Menomonee River. Don’t miss the terrific mural that decorates the Valley Passage Pedestrian Bridge and celebrates the area’s natural and cultural heritage. This land was once a railyard for the Milwaukee Road and a marsh where Indigenous Americans gathered wild rice.
