Visiting Wisconsin (Milwaukee, Madison, Lincoln: house, construction, university)

[Becki in Tx.]

My husband and I like to visit different states and are considering Wisconsin. We have never been up that way at all. We like to do outdoor things like hiking, although my husband cannot hike anymore due to a disability. We still want cool outdoor activities. He can do short walks and read a book/phone while I go on longer walks. I don't think their are actual hiking trails in Wisconsin are there? If so what part? We are looking at Bayfield based on internet search. Any other ideas? Is end of August good time weather wise?
Sorry for all the questions, excited to see your great state!

[sub]

State parks are good for hiking.
Point Beach State Forest.
Kohler-Andrae.
Peninsula.
There are various places you can park and take the Ice Age Trail in eastern Wisconsin.
Pretty much any part of the state will have something. It’s very outdoorsy here.

[ManApplet]

Trails abound. Take this nearly 1,200 mile lil guffer for example ... https://www.nps.gov/iatr/index.htm State parks and national forests abound as well. Forget anything in the way SE unless you seek metro/congestion/concrete/traffic/pollution. I think of the tourist ops divided into Great lakes flavor and inland. The great lakes things are geographically obvious. Inland takes closer looking. Vilas county and other chains of lakes (and lakes all over) and the not great lakes parks and forests/trails/stuff. We also have the dells type places (water parks stuff) mostly for family/kids. Not that any particular person isn't welcome but I don't see the point You can satisfy your stated intents here. August is of course (typically) the hottest muggiest month here but used to be no problem anywhere N or W of the metros. Today it is warm and muggy all over the place. Times have changed. Coming from TX this might not be an issue for you.

[bostonguy1960]

Originally Posted by ManApplet

Trails abound. Take this nearly 1,200 mile lil guffer for example ... https://www.nps.gov/iatr/index.htm State parks and national forests abound as well. Forget anything in the way SE unless you seek metro/congestion/concrete/traffic/pollution. I think of the tourist ops divided into Great lakes flavor and inland. The great lakes things are geographically obvious. Inland takes closer looking. Vilas county and other chains of lakes (and lakes all over) and the not great lakes parks and forests/trails/stuff. We also have the dells type places (water parks stuff) mostly for family/kids. Not that any particular person isn't welcome but I don't see the point You can satisfy your stated intents here. August is of course (typically) the hottest muggiest month here but used to be no problem anywhere N or W of the metros. Today it is warm and muggy all over the place. Times have changed. Coming from TX this might not be an issue for you.

How far can one walk along Lake Michigan if around the art museum? Is it paved for walkers and bikers for miles and miles, or just a short stretch?

Will I encounter unsightly or unsafe segments? Any parts unsafe even in daylight, or at dawn or sunset?

How extensive is any walking trail around the river downtown?

Curious, as I may visit Milwaukee and Madison next month.

[Empidonax]

Originally Posted by bostonguy1960

How far can one walk along Lake Michigan if around the art museum? Is it paved for walkers and bikers for miles and miles, or just a short stretch?

Will I encounter unsightly or unsafe segments? Any parts unsafe even in daylight, or at dawn or sunset?

How extensive is any walking trail around the river downtown?

Curious, as I may visit Milwaukee and Madison next month.

The entire East Side lakefront, including the Art Museum area, is walkable. There's a promenade on the eastern side of the museum, right along the water.

If you walk south, you'll snake around Harbor House (a restaurant), Discovery World (another museum), and then into Lakeshore State Park (which has a walking loop).

If you walk north, you'll find yourself walking past the War Memorial building (designed by Saarinen) and then into Veterans Park. You can continue along the lakeside promenade at Veterans Park, or you can take a pathway leading toward a large lagoon (Juneau Lagoon) and then the streetside sidewalks going north along Lincoln Memorial. Either way, you'll eventually wind up at the sidewalk, and that will take you up past the marina and then to some more lakeside parkland, and eventually McKinley Beach and then Bradford Beach. (You can keep walking north along the sidewalk, but more pedestrians who make it that far will cross Lincoln Memorial and head for Lake Park or the Water Tower area.)

Across from the marina and Veterans Park (across from the northern end of the lagoon) there's a nice cafe (Colectivo) in an old pumping station:

https://colectivocoffee.com/cafes/lakefront

This set of paths and sidewalks is generally a part of the Oak Leaf Trail:

https://county.milwaukee.gov/EN/Park...Oak-Leaf-Trail
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/w...ukee-lakefront

In back of Colectivo is a pathway, still part of the Oak Leaf Trail, that is used heavily by cyclists.

The river area downtown has its own set of walkways:

https://www.visitmilwaukee.org/artic...-do/riverwalk/
https://city.milwaukee.gov/DCD/Projects/RiverWalk

There is some construction happening on a couple of segments, but it's easy to get around those spots and continue the walk. It's a good way to see parts of the downtown and the Third Ward (just south of downtown), including some of the historic buildings.

Downtown is quite safe, though you should still exercise street smarts. The downtown area east of the river is generally safer, more active, and more developed than the area west of the river. There are some seedy areas west of the river, especially as you go westerly toward Marquette University.

Marquette makes for some nice exploration, but I would be cautious in surrounding areas at night--it would be best to walk with people in adjoining areas, especially to the west of campus, if you go that far. The area between Marquette and the river, however, is seedy in places but fine.

[EllieKay56]

We live in Northcentral Wisconsin. We have many wonderful trails. There is one in town that is cleared all winter. It runs along the Wisconsin River. I would walk it most days.

[ToriaT]

Door County. Lots of cute towns and things to do. Small walks on paved sidewalks in Sister Bay by the lake. The Ridges has handicapped accessible board walks. Pretty lookout sights light Ellison Bay bluff that don't require a lot of walking.

I don't know why you think there are not hiking trails in Wisconsin. It has a network of State and County park where hiking trails abound.

[Master Jay]

Empidonax, good morning!

What a great display of information!

Thank you for sharing. I'm sure the OP will find that to be helpful!

Good work, Sir!!