 |
| Franklin Wirth Park, Brookfield, Wis. |
The brilliant yellows, oranges and red of maples to the scarlet and russets of oaks...the crisp, fresh autumn air and the last warm rays of sunlight before winter arrives...the crunch of fallen leaves and acorns beneath your boots...stopping to enjoy a warm mug of apple cider or a caramel apple pulled from your backpack – it all calls for an afternoon on the trail.
Fortunately, there are plenty of great autumn trails around Milwaukee to hike. Some are right out your back door, while some are a day trip that you can do in an afternoon.
Franklin Wirth Park (Brookfield)
Orange-, tan- and russet-leaved oaks await day hikers during an autumn walk
at Franklin Wirth Park in Brookfield. The 135-plus acre parks offers a number of walking paths, including a trailhead to the Greenway Trail System. For a total immersion in the forest, try the 0.4-mile Backwoods Adventure Trail, which loops
in the park’s northwest corner as crossing Underwood Creek. From the junction of Interstate 94 and South Moorland Road, take the latter north. After U.S. Hwy. 18/Bluemound Road, it becomes Pilgrim Parkway. Use the second entry to the park on the left/west.
Homestead Hollow County Park (Germantown)
Leaves of yellow, crimson and tan await hikers during autumn at Homestead Hollow County Park in Germantown. The 105-acre farmstead, converted to a park during the early 1980s, gives off a rural-like vibe as the red barns were converted to shelters while the fields were replanted to prairie. The Blue Trail, with access to it via the Green Trail, runs a mile round trip, and stays in the old farm’s woods most of the way. From the junction of Interstate 41 and Freistadt Road/County Road F, take the latter east. The park’s entry is on the right/south.
Greenfield Park (West Allis)
Day hikers can enjoy autumn colors at Greenfield Park in West Allis. Orange, yellow and russet leaves line a segment of the Oak Leaf Trail, which runs 0.8 miles through a woods between two parking lots. You can extend the hike by continuing on the Root River Parkway to the south or around a willow-shaded pond to the north. From the junction of Interstate 94 and Wis. Hwy. 100, take the latter south. Turn right/west on West Rogers Street. The road enters the park and ends at a parking lot, from which where the trail heads south.
Engel Conservation Area (Muskego)
Woodlands, prairie and wetlands come alive with color each autumn at the Engel Conservation Area in Muskego. A 155-acre site, 29 acres of it are upland woods with the rest as prairie and wetlands. During autumn, the oak leaves turn tan and russet while the prairie grasses glow fiery red and the wetlands grasses shimmer gold in the sunlight. The 0.9 miles of trails directly east of the entry road and parking lot mostly remain in the woodlands. Other trails head through each of the ecosystems. From the junction of Interstate 43 and County Road Y/Racine Avenue, take the latter south. Go right/west onto Henneberry Drive then right/north into the center.
Wehr Nature Center (Franklin)
A walk through a rainbow of harvest hues awaits at the Wehr Nature Center in Franklin. The looping 1-mile Woodland Trail passes sugar maple, aspen and oak lit up in amber, orange, russet and red during fall. From the junction of Interstate 43 and Wis. Hwy. 100/South 108th Street, take the latter south. Turn right/east onto West College Avenue then once in Whitnall Park go right/south onto Nature Center Drive.
Seven Bridges in Grant Park (South Milwaukee South Shore)
Day hikers can traverse a wooded ravine with great views of Lake Michigan at Seven Bridges in Grant Park on Milwaukee's South Shore. The 0.4-mile round trip Seven Bridges Trail, with its stone steps and footbridges, makes for a great autumn hike. Along the way are yellow-leafed American beech and birch, amber-, orange- and red-colored maples, and gold to maroon white ash. From the junction of Interstates 94/41 and College Avenue, take the latter east. Go right/south onto South Lake Drive then left/east onto Grant Park Drive. Park in the spaces off the road at the Seven Bridges Trailhead.
Hoyt Park (Wauwatosa)
Day hikers can amble through a maple-beech forest in the heart of Wisconsin's largest metro area at the Forest Exploration Center in Wauwatosa. During autumn at the 60-acre woods in Hoyt Park, hikers can enjoy the amber, orange and reds of sugar maple and the golden-bronze of beech. This type of forest used to dominate southeast Wisconsin along Lake Michigan. From the junction of Interstate 41 and West North Avenue, take the latter east. Turn right/south onto Menomonee River Parkway, then right/southwest onto Underwood Parkway, and then left/south onto Forest Exploration Drive.
Big Bay Park (Whitefish Bay)
Autumn colors with a view of Lake Michigan awaits at Big Bay Park in Whitefish Bay. A short 0.44-mile round trip path heads along the tree line, atop the bluff, while another heads to the Lake Michigan shore, where there's a concrete pier. In fall, yellow-, olive- and russet-colored leaves brighten the walk. From the intersection of Interstate 43 and West Hampton Road, take the latter east. Turn left/north onto North Lake Drive then right/north onto North Palisades Road. Park on the street.
Schlitz Audubon Nature Center (Milwaukee North Shore)
An observation tower offers great views of Lake Michigan and 185 acres of forest right in the Milwaukee metro area. The 0.26-mile Green Tree Accessible Loop at the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center heads through a woods of beech, sugar maple, basswood and red and white oak. On the loop’s northeast side is a 60-foot high tower that you can go to the top of. From Interstate 43, head east on E. Brown Deer Road. Turn right/south onto E. Bay Road and into the center. Park in the lot at the road’s end. Walk east from the road to the trailhead.
Havenwoods State Forest (Milwaukee)
Day hikers can enjoy autumn leaves at a state forest smack dab in the middle of Wisconsin’s largest urban area. The 1.28-miles round trip self-guided Nature Trail loops through Havenwoods State Forest in Milwaukee. A grove of Norway maple sits at the trail entry. The maple typically turns yellow but some will glow orange-red. Another part of the woods along the trail includes box elder, which turns brilliant gold, elm for a mix of yellow, russet, bronze, orange and wine, white ash to amber and maroon, and hawthorn to hues of purple. From Interstate 43 in Milwaukee, go west on West Silver Spring Drive. Turn right/north onto North Sherman Boulevard then left/west onto West Douglas Avenue. Park in the lot at the nature center.
Kettle Moraine State Forest-Lapham Peak Unit (Delafield)
Hikers can head through a colorful oak woods and to the top of an observation tower on the county’s highest point at Kettle Moraine State Forest-Lapham Peak Unit. The ADA accessible 1.8-mile Plantation Path loops past prairie and through a woods of black, red and white oak, shagbark hickory, red maple, aspen, basswood, paper birch, white pine, and black cherry. A connector trail to the Ice Age National Scenic Trail leads to the observation tower atop Lapham Peak, which rises to an elevation of 1,233 feet. From Delafield, take County Road C south. Turn left/east toward the park office. Park in the Homestead lot.
Lion’s Den Gorge Nature Preserve (Port Washington)
Migrating raptors and fall colors set against the backdrop of beautiful Lake Michigan await at Lion’s Den Gorge Nature Preserve. After passing a wetlands popular with waterfowl, the 2-mile round trip Lion’s Den Trail enters a deep, verdant gorge. Aspen stands and mature white birch with their fluttering yellow leaves abound. The trail then delivers you to a long, secluded beach. From Port Washington, drive south on County Road C/Lake Shore Road. Turn left/east onto High Bluff Drive, which enters the park. When the road becomes a roundabout, park in the first/southern lot.
