Find the top rated trails in Germantown, whether you're looking an easy walking path or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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The Root River Pathway uses a combination of off-road trail and on-road route to form a crescent around the City of Racine. The trail closely follows the bends of the Root River, making it a great...
Broad blue skies strung with white cloud wisps; gem-green fields harboring cattails and butterflies; canopied glens giving way to cavernous quarries. It's all part of the ride on the Bugline...
The Kenosha County Bike Trail is open in two sections separated by dense neighborhoods in the City of Kenosha. The northern segment runs northeast from 35th Street in the city to 1st Street at the...
The Peebles Trail is a nearly 6-mile pathway, linking Fond du Lac at the southern edge of Lake Winnebago with St. Peter (Taycheedah) to its east. The trail also passes through the unincorporated...
The paved New Berlin Recreation Trail runs straight as an east–west compass bearing for 7 miles through the western Milwaukee suburbs, from New Berlin to Waukesha. While it is void of trestles,...
The Glacial River Trail provides bikers, pedestrians, and in-line skaters with a 55.8-mile off-road/on-road rural route winding through farmland, prairie, wetlands, and woodlands as it passes through...
The Muskego Recreation Trail follows a corridor originally used by the Milwaukee Electric Railway & Light, an interurban railroad in southeastern Wisconsin. The corridor was later acquired by...
The Kohler Memorial Drive Path is a straight paved path that rides adjacent to the Kohler Memorial Drive. Starting at the American Red Cross, you can ride for just under a mile on the outskirts of the...
The Shoreland 400 Rail Trail opened in 2013 on a former Union Pacific Railroad corridor through the heart of Sheboygan. More than 30% of Sheboygan County’s residents live within a mile of the trail,...
Meadowbrook Trail parallels Meadowbrook Road offering a useful and convenient off-road route through northwest Waukesha. It begins at a connection to Lake Country Recreation Trail, a 15-mile east-west...
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Racine’s southeastern neighborhoods are home to the North Shore Trail, which extends south to the Racine–Kenosha county line. Because Racine County standardized its signs several years ago, you won't...
The Oak Leaf Trail is the jewel in the crown of Milwaukee County’s extensive trail system. The trail meanders for more than 120 miles in and around the city of Milwaukee on a changing terrain of flat...
In 1957, baseball legend Hank “The Hammer” Aaron led the Milwaukee Braves to the first of two consecutive World Series appearances and a championship over the usually dominant New York Yankees. In...
The Cushing Park Road Recreational Trail begins on the western outskirts of Delafield, a small community about 30 miles west of Milwaukee. From Delafield's Main Street, the trail heads south,...
The Brown Deer Recreational Trail runs through the Village of Brown Deer, a suburb of Milwaukee. The tree-line route parallels an active rail line through commercial and residential areas. Mid-way,...
Racine County's eastern edge is home to the MRK Trail, a rail-with-trail that extends north from the City of Racine to the Village of Caledonia. Because Racine County standardized its signs several...
The 13.5-mile Lake Michigan Pathway keeps you in close touch with the sixth-largest freshwater lake in the world as it links rail-trails north and south of the port city of Racine. Along the way, the...
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The Fox River Trail runs diagonally along its namesake waterway through Waukesha in southeastern Wisconsin (just outside of Milwaukee). A trailhead at the E.B. Shurts Environmental Education Center in...
The 53-mile Glacial Drumlin State Trail between Cottage Grove and Waukesha provides a glimpse into the past when glaciers bore down on southeastern Wisconsin in the last Ice Age. Those gigantic sheets...
The Milwaukee RiverWalk provides a pleasant way to get around Milwaukee from the Historic Third Ward, through downtown, and north to the Lower East Side. It also has easy connections to three other...
The Milwaukee RiverWalk provides a pleasant way to get around Milwaukee from the Historic Third Ward, through downtown, and north to the Lower East Side. It also has easy connections to three other...
The Root River Pathway uses a combination of off-road trail and on-road route to form a crescent around the City of Racine. The trail closely follows the bends of the Root River, making it a great...
The Lake Geneva Bike Path runs through the scenic resort city, offering connections to many of the community’s amenities. The trail has five unique, color-coded segments. The Blue Route is the...
The Beerline Trail, so named because the corridor was once used by freight trains transporting the ingredients for beer to some of Milwaukee’s famous breweries, has contributed to the revitalization...
The Brown Deer Recreational Trail runs through the Village of Brown Deer, a suburb of Milwaukee. The tree-line route parallels an active rail line through commercial and residential areas. Mid-way,...
The Glacial River Trail provides bikers, pedestrians, and in-line skaters with a 55.8-mile off-road/on-road rural route winding through farmland, prairie, wetlands, and woodlands as it passes through...
The Harbor View Trail occupies a former rail bed—now shared with overhead electric transmission wires—on the southern edge of Lakeside Park in Fond du Lac. The trail parallels Harbor View Drive for...
Racine County's eastern edge is home to the MRK Trail, a rail-with-trail that extends north from the City of Racine to the Village of Caledonia. Because Racine County standardized its signs several...
Broad blue skies strung with white cloud wisps; gem-green fields harboring cattails and butterflies; canopied glens giving way to cavernous quarries. It's all part of the ride on the Bugline...
The Fox River Trail runs diagonally along its namesake waterway through Waukesha in southeastern Wisconsin (just outside of Milwaukee). A trailhead at the E.B. Shurts Environmental Education Center in...
The Peebles Trail is a nearly 6-mile pathway, linking Fond du Lac at the southern edge of Lake Winnebago with St. Peter (Taycheedah) to its east. The trail also passes through the unincorporated...
Racine’s southeastern neighborhoods are home to the North Shore Trail, which extends south to the Racine–Kenosha county line. Because Racine County standardized its signs several years ago, you won't...
The White River State Trail is composed of two separate segments: a 12-mile stretch that runs between Elkhorn and just west of Burlington in Walworth County, and a 7-mile section that connects the...
Note: In 2015, portions of the Lake Country Trail will be temporarily closed as part of the Quad County Electric Reliability Project; please see the American Transmission Company’s website for updates...
The Eisenbahn State Trail gives a nod to Wisconsin’s German heritage in its name—Eisenbahn is German for “railway.” The strict translation, “iron road,” refers to the iron rails originally used as...
The WE Energies Trail, so named because it uses a Wisconsin Energy Corporation utility corridor for much of its route, links Racine and Oak Creek in Racine and Milwaukee counties. Despite the presence...
The Wild Goose State Trail is a premier rail-trail, spanning approximately 35 miles in Dodge and Fond du Lac counties. If you are looking for a peaceful and beautiful place to visit, this trail has it...
The City of Franklin Hike and Bike Trail follows a corridor originally used by the Milwaukee Electric Railway & Light, an interurban railroad in southeastern Wisconsin. The corridor was later acquired...
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The Downtown Trail—also known as the River Trail and Riverwalk Trail—runs alongside the Fond du Lac River for nearly 2 miles in the heart of Fond du Lac. The vast majority of the trail is smooth...
Kinnickinnic River Trail (called the KK River Trail by locals) runs just over 2 miles in southern Milwaukee, following the river through a densely populated and industrial corridor. The trail links...
In 1957, baseball legend Hank “The Hammer” Aaron led the Milwaukee Braves to the first of two consecutive World Series appearances and a championship over the usually dominant New York Yankees. In...
The WE Energies Trail, so named because it uses a Wisconsin Energy Corporation utility corridor for much of its route, links Racine and Oak Creek in Racine and Milwaukee counties. Despite the presence...
The Oak Leaf Trail is the jewel in the crown of Milwaukee County’s extensive trail system. The trail meanders for more than 120 miles in and around the city of Milwaukee on a changing terrain of flat...
The Peebles Trail is a nearly 6-mile pathway, linking Fond du Lac at the southern edge of Lake Winnebago with St. Peter (Taycheedah) to its east. The trail also passes through the unincorporated...
The Sheboygan Interurban Trail follows the route of an electric railway that once ran between Milwaukee and Sheboygan from the early 1900s to 1951. The trail begins at Pebble Beach Road on the Ozaukee...
The Muskego Recreation Trail follows a corridor originally used by the Milwaukee Electric Railway & Light, an interurban railroad in southeastern Wisconsin. The corridor was later acquired by...
The Eisenbahn State Trail gives a nod to Wisconsin’s German heritage in its name—Eisenbahn is German for “railway.” The strict translation, “iron road,” refers to the iron rails originally used as...
The paved New Berlin Recreation Trail runs straight as an east–west compass bearing for 7 miles through the western Milwaukee suburbs, from New Berlin to Waukesha. While it is void of trestles,...
The Mascoutin Valley State Trail is divided into two segments along a former corridor of the Chicago and North Western Railway. The eastern section runs 10 miles between Fond du Lac and Rosendale. The...
The 53-mile Glacial Drumlin State Trail between Cottage Grove and Waukesha provides a glimpse into the past when glaciers bore down on southeastern Wisconsin in the last Ice Age. Those gigantic sheets...
The Downtown Trail—also known as the River Trail and Riverwalk Trail—runs alongside the Fond du Lac River for nearly 2 miles in the heart of Fond du Lac. The vast majority of the trail is smooth...
The Glacial River Trail provides bikers, pedestrians, and in-line skaters with a 55.8-mile off-road/on-road rural route winding through farmland, prairie, wetlands, and woodlands as it passes through...
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The Old Plank Road Trail parallels State Route 23—a road originally built out of wooden planks in the 1800s—from the western edge of Sheboygan to the Village of Greenbush. The trail was one of the...
The Root River Pathway uses a combination of off-road trail and on-road route to form a crescent around the City of Racine. The trail closely follows the bends of the Root River, making it a great...
The Beerline Trail, so named because the corridor was once used by freight trains transporting the ingredients for beer to some of Milwaukee’s famous breweries, has contributed to the revitalization...
The Shoreland 400 Rail Trail opened in 2013 on a former Union Pacific Railroad corridor through the heart of Sheboygan. More than 30% of Sheboygan County’s residents live within a mile of the trail,...
Although short, the West Allis Cross Town Connector represents an important start to a future link between three trails in Milwaukee County. Currently, the trail begins at a junction with the New...
Racine’s southeastern neighborhoods are home to the North Shore Trail, which extends south to the Racine–Kenosha county line. Because Racine County standardized its signs several years ago, you won't...
If you’re going to visit the historical communities that lie just west of Lake Michigan, why not use the former route of the venerable interurban railroad? The Ozaukee Interurban Trail stretches the...
The Cushing Park Road Recreational Trail begins on the western outskirts of Delafield, a small community about 30 miles west of Milwaukee. From Delafield's Main Street, the trail heads south,...
The Oak Leaf Trail has so many branches and so many good places to ride. I was riding the Grant Park-South Shore section since I was a kid when it was the 76 trail. We ride that section a lot still but it can be crowded with bikes, runners, and walkers. Most bikers are polite and understand the need to ride single file, but it seems like a lot of groups when there are more than a few just don't get it. One of the best things is riding from Grant Park to the South Shore Beer Garden!
We also ride from Drexel Ave. to County Line Rd. Beautiful, especially once you get south of Ryan Rd.
Another leg we enjoy is from the Milwaukee County Sports Complex on Ryan Road to Whitnall Park, especially now that there's a permanent beer garden there as well. On this leg of the trail once you get about 1/4 mile north of the sports complex it follows the Root River. You hardly see any houses or busy roads and you really feel like you're out in the sticks.
Unfortunately, our bike ride was a big disappointment. This trail is not maintained at all--weeds growing over most of the paved areas. This is most definitely not a trail to take your young children on. It wasn't marked clearly and we struggled with where it actually went and sooner than later, gave up and headed back to the Veterns Park where it was suggested that we start from. There were also too many roads with lots of traffic to cross over with little kids.
I rode a southern leg of the trail from Oak Creek to the Racine County line and back. There's marked street parking on Drexel Avenue, where the trail intersects. The trail is wide and blacktopped all the way south through well-kept neighborhoods and wildflower fields. There are some minor hills in Oak Creek, as the trail dips down and then rises back up as it crosses roads. The trail heads east for a while along Ryan Road until it continues south through scenic wetlands to County Line Road, where there is a parking lot and conservancy hiking trails across the road.. I took a ride along County Line Road westward, skirting the Root River, and connected with a trail spur that continued west to Howell Avenue. I stopped there, but met a bicyclist who said that the trail now continues into an industrial park for a mile or two. But I retraced my tracks back to my car at Drexel Avenue. The hills in Oak Creek seemed a little harder on the way back. But all in all, it was a pleasant 16 mile round trip on a summer day.
The combination of open fields, swamps, and creeks makes this path a calm and pleasant ride.
The trail is perfect. I can go wherever, whenever on my bike or by my foot. The thing is, it's too small. Groups of three or more are too common here, and that leads to some very close calls. When there is a group of 20 seemingly professional bikers who look like they're going at a speed I will never be able to get to, vs. me who's biking at a super casual speed, surrounded my pools of mud, and nature is not so nice in that situation. It's happened to me. It wasn't nice. Otherwise it's a perfectly nice trail.
Deep gravel washout near Kansasville parking lot but doesn't go on for long. Hard for me to pedal through that bit as I'm 57 and not terribly athletic. Generally compacted flat trail. Straight as an arrow and vegetation groomed back from the edges. Probably would need bug spray if you hiked it during mosquito season. No restrooms at the Kansasville parking lot, or really anywhere close by and I'm not sure that I'd park there on my own. When I drove by to find the parking lot last week there was a guy lying down in his car that poked his head up to look at me as i pulled in and pulled out. Maybe just taking a nap....or waiting for a friend, but it was a coupe with no bike rack. Trail closed at 142 in Burlington for roadwork but there is an unmarked path into park across from HS per grounds guy that we missed. Because we didn't know where to go we rode up McCanna to State/Adams. There is a bike trail on the north side of road giving way to sidewalk, after crossing the river, ride north to Chestnut turn west and went to Chestnut and Pine Coffee House for coffee and sandwich. There is a bike rack across the street. Nice trail though and I will go again. Good hard surface except the spots where this year's 400 year rain got to it. The coffee shop had good sandwiches too!
The Oak Leaf trail from Grant Park north to Milwaukee has to be one of the nicest stretches in the entire 120 mile system. On a sultry summer day, I parked in the golf course lot at Grant Park in South Milwaukee and headed north on the trail. It winds through woods and fields and offers beautiful views of Lake Michigan from the tall bluffs. There was a welcome cool breeze off the lake. The trail was smooth blacktop all the way, with a few hills. Later, it passes along the lake through the towns of Oak Creek, Cudahy, St. Francis and Bay View. At South Shore Park in Bay View, the trail heads down to the beach and the South Shore Marina, a good place to stop and take a break. I rode up to Bay View before the Hoan Bridge and then headed back. A great ride of 18 miles.
The Oak Leaf Trail has both positives and negatives, however positives do outweigh the negatives. This trail allows users to travel through the heart of Milwaukee, however the lack of bike lanes and signage when the trail segments off makes it difficult for people unfamiliar with the area to find their way around. Being a resident of the Milwaukee area for 16 years, the trail is not so challenging for me to figure out, but this does prove to be a downfall of using the Oak Leaf Trail. On the other hand, the trail is nicely paved, full of wildlife, and the users tend to be friendly, so it does make for a great atmosphere! My advise when using the Oak Leaf Trail would be to review the map and o plan your route beforehand, especially if you are unfamiliar with the Milwaukee area.
I've biked the whole trail in various sections. For the most part the gravel is well maintained, there are a few small sections where there is larger or sandier gravel to cover some storm washouts. You'll have to watch out for the occasional chipmunk hole and bridge transitions, but otherwise it's a smooth ride.
Riding later in the day will allow you to see a wide variety of wildlife, especially around the marshes near London and Sullivan. On all 4 days I rode on the trail, I encountered at least one deer on the trail along with turkeys, woodchucks, minks, all colors of birds and more. The wildlife thins out after Dousman (when the trail is paved) but the view gets better as the trail is quite a bit higher than the surrounding area. Wales to Waukesha is downhill and fast, but not too much of a hassle pedaling the other way. Your mileage may vary.
There are also some great river and lake views as you go across Rock Lake outside of Lake Mills and over the Crawfish and Rock Rivers between there and Jefferson.
The only other issue for people who don't like hills is the road detour around Jefferson. It's a bit of a climb on either side to get over Hwy 26, and the road that takes you to the next section of the trail is hilly also.
I road this trail on a sunny Monday afternoon, and it was a great ride. I parked at the paved parking lot on St. Martin Road in St. Martin. Took the Franklin Bike and Hiking trail southwest to connect with the Muskego Recreation Trail and rode it to its dead end about 7 miles away. Lots of wildlife on the trail, many rabbits and yellow chickadees. A hamburger and root beer at the Culver's restaurant in Muskego was a welcome break. Took a few side roads to see Muskego Lake and Bass' Bay. The trail bed varied from smooth asphalt to crushed limestone and crushed asphalt, and it wasn't a problem. A very pleasant summer ride, about 15.5 miles round-trip.
I road this trail on a sunny Monday afternoon, and it was a great ride. I parked at the paved parking lot on St. Martin Road in St. Martin. Rode the trail southwest to connect with the Muskego Recreation Trail and took it to its dead end about 7 miles away. Lots of wildlife on the trail, many rabbits and yellow chickadees. A hamburger and root beer at the Culver's restaurant in Muskego was a welcome break. Took a few side roads to see Muskego Lake and Bass' Bay. A very pleasant summer ride, about 15.5 miles.
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