Find State Parks Near Milwaukee to Enjoy with Your Family!
Find Milwaukee Area State Parks to explore this Summer with your family! Want to go alone? Take a hiking day for yourself. Date night? Why not! What’s more romantic than a trail walk around the lake? There are so many great parks and nature areas to choose from, whether you are looking for a beach, great hiking, an easy walk, boating, or camping.
Important Things to Know
- You need a WI State Park Pass to use the State Park System. You can buy an annual pass online, and use the receipt until your sticker comes in. Day passes, and annual passes are not for sale onsite.
- The current hours of operation are from 6 am to 11 pm daily.
- Restrooms, shelters, and other amenities are open, but keep these special considerations in mind before heading out.
- Ticks are a common concern every year. Wear long pants in the woods and long grass, use repellant, and check for ticks. For more info, check out this post from Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin about dealing with ticks.
Take Care of the Space
Please do not litter or destroy natural areas. We may be used to play places and parks with cleaning staff and convenient trash cans. However, the state park system relies on the Leave No Trace principles to keep the Milwaukee Area State Parks clean and healthy. Please be respectful and lead by example. Teach your children to respect nature, other visitors, and how to be good citizens! We can’t trash the trails and expect them to pick up their toys. Please use care and remember that you would want others to keep it clean for you.
Milwaukee Area State Parks
There are many beautiful State Parks in the Milwaukee Area. See below for a list of favorites! To find somewhere new to explore, you can visit the DNR site for the full list of Wisconsin State Parks.
Aztalan State Park, Lake Mills
Aztalan State Park has gorgeous trails running along the lake and through 38 acres of forest. This park is a historical site for ancient Native American civilizations. My kids loved exploring somewhere that had so much history and so many cool things to learn. There are two mounds still intact. Most of the park is open prairie, with lots of room to run and play. There is also a small museum and access to fishing, boating, and shelters.
Big Foot Beach State Park, Lake Geneva
Big Foot Beach is located by Geneva Lake. Watersports, beach access, and camping are all popular at this park. There are also trails and play areas, which are both great options for kids! If you are looking for a family-friendly spot to camp and hang out at the beach, this is your park!
Harrington Beach State Park, Belgium
Harrington Beach State Park is one of the many great spots along Lake Michigan. This park features beach access, swimming, canoeing, and kayaking. If you want to stay on land, there is access to hiking, biking, and horse riding trails. If you are an avid stargazer, you might enjoy visiting The Jim and Gwen Plunkett Observatory.
Havenwoods State Forest, Milwaukee
Havenwoods State Forest has a really interesting history and has become a gorgeous piece of nature in the city. Take a hike or job on over six miles of trail, or bike on the limestone trail. Check out the wetlands, grasslands, and gardens. There are picnic areas in the Urban Arboretum. This is a great day out for anyone in the city who wants to get away! The Environmental Awareness Center features seasonal exhibits and runs various programs throughout the year.
Kettle Moraine State Forest
The Kettle Moraine State Forest is a state forest in southeastern Wisconsin. The chief feature of the reserve is the Kettle Moraine, a highly glaciated area. The area contains very hilly terrain and glacial landforms, such as kettles, kames and eskers.
Lapham Peak Unit, Delafield
The Lapham Peak Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest is by far my favorite place to take my kids. There is a butterfly garden, prairies to run or explore, easy trails, difficult trails, paved trails, and gorgeous scenery. I hike there with my kids year-round. There are also trails for snowsports, biking, and running.
Northern Unit, Campbellsport
The Kettle Moraine Northern Unit has fantastic hiking. My kids love the New Fane Trail area. It is easy for them to hike, and they can run around between mown and dirt paths. Cell service is always a bit of a problem for me in that area, so be sure to know your way home!
Pike Lake Unit, Hartford
Pike Lake Unit in the Kettle Moraine State Forest is a gorgeous natural area of hiking trails and camping on and around Pike Lake. This park has everything you could possibly want in a vaca spot or afternoon getaway. Bring your family for a weekend of camping, a beach day, canoeing and boating, hiking, or fishing.
Kohler-Andrae State Park, Sheboygan
Kohler-Andrae State Park is another amazing park on the shoreline of Lake Michigan. This park has beautiful areas, camping, trails, biking, fishing, and a nature center. Kohler-Andrae is one of the Milwaukee Area State Parks you could easily camp at for a week, with plenty to do during the day.
Lakeshore State Park, Milwaukee
Lakeshore State Park is in downtown Milwaukee, right on Lake Michigan, with access from the Hank Aaron State Trail and the Oak Leaf Trail. Walk along the shoreline and take in the views of Lake Michigan, the Milwaukee Skyline, the short grass prairies.
Great list, thanks Jess!