Some Milwaukee things come and go, while some become icons. Mandatory Milwaukee is all about the latter. This week: Getting out there and taking a fall hike (while you still can).
Despite the unseasonably summer-like feel in the city right now, fall is officially here. Since the season started approximately three weeks ago, we’ve already experienced a few days in the forties. The Packers beat the Bears and the Brewers are playing meaningful October baseball. We’ve already celebrated beets, flannel, and the general idea of harvests. Residents are starting to go all out for Halloween with impressive decorations. By this time next week, the sun will set before 6 p.m. and that will, sadly, remain the case until we spring ahead in mid-March.
Yes, fall is here, which means winter in all its cold, dark, barren, and soul-crushing nothingness isn’t far behind. With that in mind, we encourage you to get out there and embark on a fall hike while you still can. As brief and limiting as our…well, not-very-cold seasons can be, Milwaukee County is blessed to have an abundance of hiking trails within its borders.
The Oak Leaf Trail offers more than 135 miles of paved walkways in a wide variety of access points and with connections to other municipal trails. You can stroll beside the lake, as we did this morning.
You can take a scenic route.
And maybe even visit your favorite bench again before possibly saying goodbye until next spring.
You can take a more woodsy approach and peep some leaves as they continue to change colors.
Previous Mandatory Milwaukee article topic Seven Bridges Trail in nearby South Milwaukee is a perfect place for such a thing.
Beyond Milwaukee County Parks trails, there are a number of hike-able spaces both in the area and a short ride away. Milwaukee Magazine‘s October cover story is all about fall hikes and it runs the gamut of expected destinations in Milwaukee proper and day trip-worthy spots such as Lapham Peak and Devil’s Lake. The story isn’t online yet, but here are some of the staff’s favorite fall hiking options.
While you’re considering places outside of the city itself, we recommend getting some boots on the ground at places like the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center, the Cordwalk Trail at Kohler-Andrae State Park, Lion’s Den Gorge Nature Preserve, or whatever segment of the Ice Age Trail that’s closest to you. Hell, if time or transportation doesn’t allow for a full-on hiking excursion, just log some steps around your neighborhood.
Honestly, if you’re outside, moving, and enjoying nature here in Wisconsin this fall, you can’t really go wrong. We don’t know how long we have left before conditions get significantly worse, but we know it’s just a matter of “when,” so we implore you to—and we mean this in the best way possible—take a hike, Milwaukee. Do it while you still can because fall is here and winter is coming.
