Oak Leaf Trail – Lake Loop

The beautiful and pawpular Oak Leaf Trail - Lake Loop is a 3-mile stretch of the greater 125-mile Oak Leaf Trail which encircles Milwaukee. Pedestrians, peddlers, and pups come from all over to take a walk, run, or ride on this breathtaking trail. Hiking the Lake Loop offers just the right amount of exercise and outdoor time for a morning jog or evening stroll. The trail is a multi-use urban trail, serving thousands of Milwaukee residents every day to commute to parks, downtown, or to marvel at the woofderful Lake Michigan. The Oak Leaf Trail Lake Loop welcomes curious canines to enjoy its scenic trail on-leash!

The best place to start is from the Milwaukee Art Museum, which sits just north of Grant Park. The Lake Loop section of the Oak Leaf Trail is mainly paved with smooth asphalt and will take you across several famous parks, where you can take a break with your bark friend and use the on-site restrooms provided at each park. Beginning from the south trailhead going north, you and Fido will pass by O'Donnell Park, Veterans Park, McKinley Park and Beach, Back Bay Park, Bradford Park, and finally reach Lake Park at the northern end. In addition to several rest stops, bathrooms, and parks, there are plenty of other activities to stop and enjoy. Why not pack a picnic lunch and woof it down at one of the scenic lookouts along the trail? As the locals say, this part of the trail offers some of the best views of Lake Milwaukee there are!

The Oak Leaf Trail - Lake Loop is a fun, relatively short trail to enjoy if you hike without breaks. But, we highly recommend to take a couple hours to stop and enjoy the scenery and the countless amount of things to do and see along the trail. Remember to pick up after your pooch and properly dispose of any waste. Enjoy exploring the much-loved Oak Leaf Trail - Lake Loop with your pup!