2 Havenwoods State Forest
Though there are indeed rich woods within the park, the prairie flowers may steal the show and the wetlands offer even more variety. You may forget you are in the city as you walk down what feels like a classic country road.
Distance: 2.5-mile circuit
Approximate hiking time: 1 to 1.5 hours
Trail surface: Crushed limestone, grass, some asphalt
Best seasons: Late spring, summer, early fall
Other trail users: Bicycles on limestone and asphalt portions
Canine compatibility: Leashed dogs permitted on designated trails
Fees and permits: None required
Schedule: Open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily
Maps: USGS Thiensville and Milwaukee; park map available at the Havenwoods Environmental Awareness Center
Trail contacts: Havenwoods State Forest, 6141 N. Hopkins St.; Milwaukee 53209; (414) 527-0232; www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/parks/specific/havenwoods/; www.friendsofhavenwoods.org
Special considerations: Be careful of wild parsnip, the oils of which can react with the skin, causing a chemical burn activated by sunlight.
Other: The Havenwoods Environmental Awareness Center is open from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mon through Fri, and from 9 a.m. to noon on Sat. It offers a variety of printed materials, including wildlife checklists, a seasonal program calendar, and Wisconsin Explorer activity books for kids. Accessible restrooms are inside the building.
Finding the trailhead: From I-43 take Silver Spring Drive west to North Sherman Boulevard. Go right (north) to Douglas Avenue. Go west 1 block, where the street ends at the entrance to the park. The trailhead and kiosk are at the southwest corner of the parking lot right next to the education center. GPS: N43 07.71' / W87 58.18'
The Hike
This 237-acre state forest is right inside the city limits. Homesteaders occupied this space in the nineteenth century, but then the county’s correctional facility took over. Army barracks and a Nike missile site also used the space before it became a preserve. The trails show abundant wildflowers in the prairie and woodland areas, and some restored wetlands round out the mix.
The trail described here is primarily crushed limestone, with a short stretch of asphalt. The other segments are mowed grass, which can hold a lot of dew in the mornings. Dogs are allowed on 8-foot leashes on the limestone path; consult the park map, found at the kiosk or education center, for other trails in the park that allow pets.
A few paces from the kiosk the trail splits: Follow the limestone trail that heads straight south. You will pass several optional spur trails into the woods to your left (east). Just after the first spur trail on your right (west), follow the limestone loop trail into the woods on your left (east). This will cross an intermittent creek twice before returning you to the main track.
Continuing (southwest) on the main trail you will reach the property boundary and a map board. The path looks like a country road and heads right (northwest), paralleling the railroad tracks through the brush on your left (southwest).
Cross Lincoln Creek and a grassy trail on the right (north), and keep straight, passing the next limestone path on your right. The main trail loops right (east) and brings you to a juncture. The right branch would complete a loop and take you back to the railroad tracks; instead take the grassy trail to the left (northeast). Climb a short hill and cross the creek on a long metal bridge. The next trail on your right (south) leads down to a boardwalk and platform overlooking one of the four ponds in the park. Dogs are not allowed on this portion of the trail or in any other part of the wetlands.
Backtrack from the pond out to the main trail, where it becomes an asphalt service road. Follow the road to the education center and loop to the right behind the building to return to the trailhead, or simply walk straight out on the road to the parking lot.
Miles and Directions
0.0Start from the trail kiosk on the limestone path.
0.4Explore the woodland loop.
1.2Cross Lincoln Creek.
1.9Cross a long metal bridge.
2.1Reach the boardwalk and observation platform.
2.5Arrive back at the trailhead.