Ozaukee Interurban Trail

The Ozaukee Interurban Trail (Brown Deer Recreational Trail) is an excellent 30-mile, paved path through the communities of Cedar Grove, Belgium, Port Washington, Grafton, Cedarburg, Mequon and Theinsville. The majority of this trail follows an old electric rail line corridor, though there are on-road portions as you navigate through the downtown areas of Port Washington and Grafton and Cedarburg. An additional 2 miles of trail are on the dirt Brown Deer Recreation Trail at the corridor's southern end.

Begin your trip in Oostburg (Sheboygan County) and head south. This section to Port Washington is largely farmland. An active rail line runs adjacent to the trail. In Port Washington you must navigate the well-signed roads and some steep climbs before the trail resumes outside of town. Arriving in Port Washington the trail goes up a ramp and ends on Highland Drive. Bear right at the end of the ramp and follow the bike signs that will lead you to a stop sign. Turn right and go under Interstate 43. Turn right again onto E. Seven Hills Road and travel 0.25 mile, cross to the other side and pick up the trail where it resumes in a field next to a corporate parking lot.

Approaching Grafton you will have another on-road, unsigned detour. The trail brings you to the doorstep of a residential community where you will turn right and travel down North Street; turn left on 1st Street. Take 1st Street to Washington; cross over Washington Street and pass Wildwood Park on your right. Several blocks after the park, the off-road trail into Grafton resumes on your right. In Grafton a 0.5-mile on-street section is well signed and will direct you back to the trail.

The trail from Grafton to Cedarburg crosses many residential streets with scenic views of neighborhoods and parks. It only gets better as you enter the charming community of Cedarburg. Old bridges carry you over Cedar Creek, and you'll be tempted to explore the inviting restaurants and shops. South of Cedarburg the trail becomes rural again, passing through the communities of Thiensville and Mequon. Halfway between Cedarburg and Mequon the trail crosses an active rail line and provides a model pedestrian crossing and rail-with-trail design. The trail travels alongside the active rail line until its end at the Brown Deer Recreation Trail. This short trail isn't much in the way of scenery—it ends at a utility substation—but it makes a nice connection to extend your trip into the village of Brown Deer.

To reach the Ozaukee Trail's northern entrance from Milwaukee, take Interstate 43 north to State Route 32 west, which turns into Union Avenue (County Road D). The trail entrance is on your left as you approach Cedar Grove.

The southern endpoint for the Ozaukee (and the start of the Brown Deer trail) can be reached from Interstate 43 north; go west on County Line Road Q (at the border of Ozaukee and Milwaukee counties) for approximately 2.5 miles and look for the trail as it crosses the road. The Ozaukee goes north from here; the Brown Deer goes south.

There are a wide variety of trail access points in the towns along the way but no designated trail parking lots.