Our family of 5 took an amazing road trip through Wisconsin this summer. We love doing a little bit of everything on our vacations, and this one was no exception. We hiked, swam, explored different cities, checked out several museums, and tried lots of new places to eat. But on our drive home, I asked everyone what their favorite experience from this trip was, and we were all in agreement that 7 bridges trail in Milwaukee was our absolute favorite part of the trip.
Our neighbors lived in Milwaukee for several years before moving to Kansas, and prior to our trip they gave us some tips on things they loved to do with their kiddos when they still lived there. She mentioned this hike several times, and said if we had to pick one thing to do in Milwaukee, this was it. We packed a lot into our 3 days there, and we ALMOST cut this hike out of our itinerary, just for the sake of time. Man, I am so glad we didn’t. This truly is a hidden gem, and an absolute must do in my opinion!
The 7 Bridges Hiking Trail is located in Grant park in the southern part of Milwaukee, a 15 minute drive from the downtown area. We visited the park first thing in the morning, arriving around 9am. The parking lot is relatively small, but it was nearly empty when we arrived.
We started our hike by checking out the large map, then taking pictures by this really neat bridge right at the entrance of the trails. Even though it’s called 7 bridges, there are actually 10! The main loop of the hike is about ½ mile long each way, but there are several additional paths that are longer, if you’re looking for a more challenging hike. There are some stairs, and some uneven spots on the path, but overall it is very kid friendly, although I would not recommend bringing a stroller or wagon. My 2 year old walked most of the way, and my older kids, 4 & 6, loved running around the paths and exploring the bridges and creek. We saw tons of birds and chipmunks.
The hike is beyond beautiful. The bridges are nestled into these huge trees, and the foliage is so green and lush. There is a little stream that runs along the path, and it is so serene to hear the birds chirping and the babbling of the water.
The hike ends by leading you out of the trees onto this huge, secluded sandbar right on Lake Michigan. We were absolutely amazed at how beautiful this beach was. The water was crystal clear, and there were huge stones in the bottom that were all different shapes, sizes and colors. The water was pretty cold, but it was a warm day and it felt great to wade out in it. My kids had an absolute blast collecting the stones from the water. We also discovered this is a great place to find sea glass, and we spent lots of time searching for that! We found several pieces in all different colors; so much fun, and such a cool souvenir to take home!
I knew from my friend’s recommendation that the trails led us right out onto Lake Michigan, but I wasn’t sure how hard or far the hike was, or if the beach was even one we would want to spend much time at, so we all wore our tennis shoes and left our sand toys and swimming suits in the car. Once we got to the beach, we realized what an amazing little area this was for our kiddos to explore, and my husband hiked back to the car to get swimsuits and sand toys. Next time, we would just hike in our water shoes and bring all our stuff with us! Trust me, this is a beach you will want to spend a few hours at, so come prepared!
We had packed our backpack full of snacks, and spent the entire morning, and part of the afternoon, at this amazing beach. Several other families joined us, but it was never crowded by any means. When we were all hungry and ready for lunch, we hiked the ½ mile back to the car.
We visited at the beginning of August, and the weather was perfect. I can only imagine how beautiful this area would be in the fall, once all the leaves were starting to turn, or in the spring when everything was just starting to bloom. If you are taking a trip to Milwaukee, I would definitely put this stop at the top of your must do list!