The Hank Aaron State Trail (HAST) follows the Menomonee River from Lake Michigan west about 13.5 miles. Before settlement, the river valley was a wild rice marsh and home to Native Americans. In the 1800s the valley was filled in to pave the way for industry. The Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad once thundered through, carrying passengers and goods to other parts of the country. HAST now occupies much of that rail bed.
The well-used trail provides an ideal travel route bicyclists, walkers, runners and inline skaters. It begins at Lakeshore State Park near the Henry W. Maier Festival Grounds in Milwaukee and heads west through the historic Third Ward, past Miller Park, ending in Elm Grove at Blue Mound Road.
Interpretative signs along the trail relate the cultural, social, industrial and natural history of the Menomonee Valley, and you will enjoy the trail art, which honors Wisconsin's Native Americans.
The Hank Aaron State Trail links to Milwaukee County's 96-mile
Oak Leaf Trail, at S. 84th Street, at Florida and 2nd streets, across the Young Street bridge, and at Blue Mound Road. HAST also joins the Oak Leaf Trail at Discovery World on the pier.
Nice trail. Good change of scenery along the way. Just enough curves in the road, slight elevation changes for the most part (although there is one tougher hill in the Valley), adequate tree cover from the sun on hot days. A little iffy getting from the ...
I really do not like the fact that you are on "the side walk along Canal Street". West of 35th street it is a nice trail. However you need to ride on the 35th street bridge and Canal street to 6th street where again you need to ride on the 6th street ...
....every year. The offroad nature of most of the trail makes it ideal for safe commuting, It goes off-road at the Menomonee River at Selig drive and stays that way all the way to 6th street. At that point it becomes more problematic. However I only ride ...