8 Wehr Nature Center Trails

The wildlife is abundant along this network of trails that combines woodlands and wetlands, prairie and savanna, for a nature lover’s perfect package. The center also offers a schedule of guided hikes and events.

Distance: 2.8-mile loop

Approximate hiking time: 1.5 hours

Difficulty: Easy to moderate due to some rough trail and steepness

Trail surface: Cedar chip, packed dirt, some boardwalks

Best seasons: Spring, summer, fall

Other trail users: None

Canine compatibility: Dogs not permitted

Fees and permits: No entry fee but a daily parking fee is charged

Schedule: Trails are open year round from 8 a.m. to dark; the visitor center and parking lot close at 4:30 p.m.

Maps: USGS Hales Corners, posted at the trailhead and available in the nature center

Trail contacts: Wehr Nature Center, 9701 West College Ave., Franklin 53132; (414) 425-8550; www.countyparks.com; www.friendsofwehr.org

Special considerations: Plank walkways in the woods can be very slippery when wet.

Finding the trailhead: From downtown Milwaukee take I-43 south toward Beloit. Exit at WI 100/US 45/108th Street and go south. Take a left on College Avenue, heading east. The park entrance is on the right (south) inside Whitnall Park. Proceed to the parking area. The trailhead is to the left (east) of the nature center, which offers water and restrooms. GPS: N42 55.52' / W88 02.15'

The Hike

Woodland, oak savanna, prairie, and wetland are all neatly packed into this nature park within the larger Whitnall Park. A labyrinth of trails awaits, with an abundance of active wildlife—from songbirds and waterfowl to deer and their fawns—and a variety of wildflowers. There are a number of loop options depending on your interests and time. The route suggested here makes a circuit of the entire natural area, passing through a portion of all loops, but certainly you have the option of lingering in one loop or another.

This is a park worth returning to often. Stop in at the nature center for information about what’s to see each time you visit.

The trail begins just to the left (east) of the center, and at the first juncture goes to the right (southwest) along Mallard Lake. You’ll pass a boardwalk and observation platform over the water on your left. At the next juncture keep left (south) and the boardwalk begins. You’ll cross a second boardwalk before the trail becomes natural surface.

Skirt the edge of a golf course to the right (south), finally joining a crushed stone road. Hike 100 feet and watch left (northwest) for a trail post to follow the trail into the woods again. Come around the lake and pass the waterfall on your left (west). Narrow dirt paths skirt along the river’s edge while the main trail stays on a better surface. You’ll come out into a mowed area close to the park road and use the street bridge to cross the river. Then keep left (south) along the woods and get back onto the path covered with cedar chips.

Stay left (south), passing a prairie path on the right (west), and then arrive at a four-way juncture. Take the right (west) turn and climb a bit as you cross the prairie, then the park road, and enter into oak savanna. At the first trail juncture here you will take the branch to the right (north). This heads into the woods before looping back across the savanna to the woodland trails.

At the edge of the trees, take the trail to the right (west), and then the next left-leading trail into the woods (heading south). Follow the woodland path to the wetland trails.

Take the next two paths heading right (south, then west), and you will go uphill to the top, where the route turns left (south). Begin a descent to another plank walk. This will connect back to the trail you came in on at Mallard Lake. Go left (west), take the plank walk at the next left, and the path will take you on another boardwalk that loops back to the main trail. Again go left, and take the next left on a trail that will return you to the back side of the nature center, passing the amphitheater along the way.

Miles and Directions

0.0Start by heading toward Mallard Lake.

0.7Pass the waterfall.

1.0Cross the street bridge.

1.4Cross the park road.

1.8Enter the woodland trail area.

2.5Get on the boardwalk on the return path.

2.8Arrive back at the nature center.