Find the top rated trails in Watertown, 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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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...
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The Prairie Trail offers a 7-mile, paved route cupping the eastern boundary of Fond du Lac, a mid-sized city befitting its French name which means “foot of the lake” as it hugs the southern shore of...
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...
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...
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...
The Kiwanis Bike Trail, named for the Kiwanis Club that spearheaded the effort to build the trail, parallels the western bank of the Rock River through the southern Wisconsin community of Janesville....
The Pheasant Branch Creek Corridor Trail follows a lush wooded creek through Middleton, a northwestern suburb of Wisconsin’s state capital. Its east end is anchored by the beautiful Pheasant Branch...
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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 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 Starkweather Creek Path traces the waterway north from the Capital City State Trail through Madison’s eastern neighborhoods of Starkweather, Worthington Park, Eken Park and Carpenter-Ridgeway. The...
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...
If you can’t make it to Switzerland, then you can do the next best thing: take the Sugar River State Trail to “America’s Little Switzerland,” New Glarus, Wisconsin. Settled in 1845 by a small group...
All it takes is a short ride on Madison’s 5.6-mile South west Commuter Path to understand the critical role it plays in getting people around town. Not only does it pass within a mile of the State...
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...
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...
Rail-trail fans know that Wisconsin’s Elroy-Sparta State Trail is famous for its three tunnels. The Badger State Trail, which heads south from Madison to the Illinois state line (where it connects...
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 Cannonball Path runs on a railbanked Union Pacific corridor from near downtown Madison to Fitchburg, a southern suburb. A majority of the paved trail is complete between Madison's...
The Wingra Creek Path—also known as the Wingra Bike Path—runs along the winding waterway in Madison. The trail provides a critical link from the neighborhoods south of downtown Madison to the Capital...
Janesville's Spring Brook Trail provides an important non-motorized route to many of the city's popular recreational amenities. The pathway begins just off the eastern terminus of the Rock River...
If you can’t make it to Switzerland, then you can do the next best thing: take the Sugar River State Trail to “America’s Little Switzerland,” New Glarus, Wisconsin. Settled in 1845 by a small group...
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The Lake to Lake Bike Trail takes you through the beautiful terrain of the Kettle Moraine State Forest. It is a newer, well-maintained trail, with a wide, crushed limestone roadbed. It is used daily...
The Northwestern Trail begins near the public library in downtown Ripon, a charming small town in eastern Wisconsin. History buffs may want to head a few blocks south from this endpoint to explore the...
Stretching from Afton to Janesville, the northern section of the Peace Trail offers a paved, tree-shaded route paralleling the Rock River and an active rail line. At its northern end, the trail merges...
The Capital City State Trail contributes to the impression that you’re never far from a bike path in the Madison area. The paved trail meanders for 17 miles from the suburb of Fitchburg in the...
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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...
The Pheasant Branch Conservancy Trail forms a loop within the scenic Pheasant Branch Conservancy, a natural area containing a marsh, meadows, forest and hills. The area is home to a vast array of...
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...
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...
The Duck Lake Nature Area Trail follows the southern side of Lake Como between Lake Geneva and Como, Wisconsin, not far from the Illinois state line. The trail is more rustic than most rail-trails and...
This path runs along the north side of Highway 11 and south of the city of Janesville. The eastern end starts about 3/4 of a mile west of I-39 and runs all the way to S County Road D, crossing over...
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 Yahara River Bike Path, on the northeastern side of Madison, is anchored by Tenney Park on one end and the 17-mile Capital City Trail on the other. From one recreational amenity to the other, the...
Rail-trail fans know that Wisconsin’s Elroy-Sparta State Trail is famous for its three tunnels. The Badger State Trail, which heads south from Madison to the Illinois state line (where it connects...
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...
Fond du Lac's Brooke Street Trail follows a former rail corridor from the community's southern reaches to an endpoint not far from scenic Lake Winnebago. The city's location relative to the lake,...
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 Prairie Trail offers a 7-mile, paved route cupping the eastern boundary of Fond du Lac, a mid-sized city befitting its French name which means “foot of the lake” as it hugs the southern shore of...
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...
All it takes is a short ride on Madison’s 5.6-mile South west Commuter Path to understand the critical role it plays in getting people around town. Not only does it pass within a mile of the State...
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 Military Ridge State Trail finds the high ground as it rolls across 40 miles of idyllic farmland from the outskirts of Madison to the historic mining town of Dodgeville. It follows an American...
This path runs along the north side of Highway 11 and south of the city of Janesville. The eastern end starts about 3/4 of a mile west of I-39 and runs all the way to S County Road D, crossing over...
Blackhawk Path offers a convenient way to traverse Shorewood Hills, a western suburb of Madison nestled along Lake Mendota. Increasing its value as a commuting corridor are plans to extend 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...
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...
If you can’t make it to Switzerland, then you can do the next best thing: take the Sugar River State Trail to “America’s Little Switzerland,” New Glarus, Wisconsin. Settled in 1845 by a small group...
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 Lake to Lake Bike Trail takes you through the beautiful terrain of the Kettle Moraine State Forest. It is a newer, well-maintained trail, with a wide, crushed limestone roadbed. It is used daily...
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,...
Stretching from Afton to Janesville, the northern section of the Peace Trail offers a paved, tree-shaded route paralleling the Rock River and an active rail line. At its northern end, the trail merges...
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...
Madison’s Campus Drive Pedestrian and Bicycle Path is a short trail linking the city’s west side with the University of Wisconsin’s agricultural facilities. Both the heart of the university and the...
The Starkweather Creek Path traces the waterway north from the Capital City State Trail through Madison’s eastern neighborhoods of Starkweather, Worthington Park, Eken Park and Carpenter-Ridgeway. The...
The Capital City State Trail contributes to the impression that you’re never far from a bike path in the Madison area. The paved trail meanders for 17 miles from the suburb of Fitchburg in the...
The Pelishek-Tiffany Nature Trail runs for 6 miles along an abandoned railroad corridor, between the towns of Allens Grove and Clinton. The trail is open to snowmobiles, cyclists, horseback riders and...
The Seven Waters Bike Trail is a scenic corridor stretching more than 17 miles northsouth between Burlington and Muskego Lake into Waukesha County. The trail was originally three trails, locally...
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 Northwestern Trail begins near the public library in downtown Ripon, a charming small town in eastern Wisconsin. History buffs may want to head a few blocks south from this endpoint to explore the...
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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