“The Oak Leaf Trail System is probably the single most popular recreational facility provided by the Milwaukee County Park System,” said Guy Smith, deputy regional manager of Milwaukee County Parks

The longest biking and recreational trail in Milwaukee County, The Oak Leaf Trail, is getting even longer this fall. The new extensions, going west towards the Beloit Road underpass and southwest into Franklin, will be finished by the end of the fall season.

Generally considered to start in Veteran's Park on the lakefront, the current 108 mile trail has ending points at various edges of the county. Approximately half of the trail is on paved off-road paths, with the remainder of the trail sharing parkway drives and municipal streets.

Evenly distributed throughout the county, the system is easily accessible by virtually all county residents. All of the county’s bike trails, excluding park paths, are part of the Oak Leaf Trail.

The trail system updates are part of a Trail Network Plan, which the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors approved this year, and became a part of the trail’s 15-year master plan.

“We also have plans to extend the trail closer to UWM on the west side of the river by the new dorms connecting to Gordon Park next year,” said Guy Smith, deputy regional manager of Milwaukee County Parks, “Additionally the trail will be expanding from Brown Deer Park to the Ozaukee County line in this upcoming spring.”

The Milwaukee County bike trail system was first laid out in 1939, promoting bicycling as a source of health and recreation benefits in addition to its obvious transportation uses. The trail was routed around the outside edge of Milwaukee County utilizing the lakefront and river ways as much as possible. The then 64-mile trail was considered a comfortable distance for a day’s tour. In 1996 the trails system was given its current name, the Oak Leaf Trail.

Milwaukee County has been constructing off-road trails since 1967. The major development of the Oak Leaf Trail System over the past 10 years has primarily been funded through federal transportation programs. The Trails Network Plan was approved this year through the County Board of Supervisors.

Federal funds are provided on an 80 percent federal and 20 percent local cost-share basis. Other sources of funding include the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and, recently, private groups supporting the trails’ continuation.

“The Oak Leaf Trail System is probably the single most popular recreational facility provided by the Milwaukee County Park System,” said Smith. “The trails are designed to support a variety of recreational activities such as bicycling, jogging, skating, and walking. It is widely used for utilitarian purposes such as commuting, and the trails provide scenic access to many of Milwaukee County’s natural resource treasures.”

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