Sometimes called Milwaukee’s Central Park, the Milwaukee River Greenway is 878 acres of river valley protected within a mile of downtown. There are currently over 28 miles of hiking, biking, and water trails along 6 miles of the Milwaukee River. Twelve public parks are linked together through proposed and existing public easements on private land; 70% of the land is owned by Milwaukee County Parks.
The Greenway includes:
The Milwaukee River Greenway is the result of a community-driven effort to protect and responsibly manage the river valley. This grassroots advocacy effort started in 2006 to write legislation to preserve the “viewshed” – the view one has when on the water or along the trails that has no visual intrusions, such as buildings or smoke stacks or power lines. You’d never know you were in the city! The Milwaukee River Greenway Coalition, working together in partnership since 2006, assists Milwaukee County Parks (through an MOU) and municipalities to steward this natural urban gem for all to enjoy. Hundreds of citizens, the City and County of Milwaukee, the Village of Shorewood, Rotary Club of Milwaukee and the following organizations have collaborated on the Greenway:
Restoring Lands is the lead organization in the Milwaukee River Greenway Coalition, which worked with the Village of Shorewood and the City of Milwaukee to adopt protective ordinances, which passed in 2006 and 2010 respectively, that permanently protect the Milwaukee River Valley from insensitive development. The Milwaukee River Greenway Master Plan was completed in 2010 with much public input and provides a comprehensive vision for the river as a unique urban wilderness containing restored natural communities and shared recreational opportunities.
In 2020, we acquired trail easements from four private landowners and created the Westabrook Trail. Located within the Greenway, the trail is 1.3 miles along the west side of the river across from Estabrook Park. Please see the Westabrook Trail page for more information.
Because of its history of significant environmental harm from human activities, which has prevented people and wildlife from fully using or enjoying the waterway, the Milwaukee Estuary was named an Area of Concern in the 1980s. Over the next few years, the Greenway will be undergoing some big cleanup projects to remove contaminated sediment from floodplains and bring back a healthier environment where plants, animals, and people can thrive. There are two main projects set to take place in the Greenway:
The Milwaukee River Floodplains Cleanup site includes 34 acres of wetlands and a 3.5-mile section of the river located between the former Estabrook Dam and former North Avenue Dam. Officials from federal, state, and local units of government are working together with the community to ensure public health and safety is protected, and to determine next steps for the ongoing river cleanup efforts. Visit the Milwaukee Waterway Partners for more information.
The Milwaukee River Greenway Wildlife Enhancements Project will restore unique natural communities to benefit targeted native wildlife in seven parks (Lincoln, Kern, Pleasant Valley and Gordon Parks, Milwaukee River Parkway Section 5 (managed by Restoring Lands), Riverside Park (leased and managed by Urban Ecology Center) and Hubbard Park). Restoration and wildlife enhancements will take place on approximately 100 acres within the project area. With careful planning and a little TLC, the Greenway can once again support healthy populations of native wildlife.
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