2001 Wisconsin State Trails Network Plan
Trails Network for Southeast Region

Numbers on this draft map refer to proposed trail segments described below it. Click a number on the map to read the description.

This map is available in PDF format [PDF 305KB] for better printing.

Existing and Approved Trail Network, Southeast Region

Potential Network for Southeast Region

Southeast Region

Lake Michigan bounds the Southeast Region on the east; to the south it’s a rapidly growing northeastern Illinois metropolitan region, and on the west fertile agricultural lands. The eight counties within the region's boundary contain about 40 percent of Wisconsin's population.

A geologically prominent feature is the 10,000-year-old region known as the kettle moraine. This collection of hills, ridges, and depressions extends more than 100 miles lengthwise and ranges from 1-to-10-miles wide. Thousands of acres of this unique topography created by the Ice Age are protected within the Kettle Moraine State Forest's, Northern, Southern, Loew Lake, and Lapham Peak units. Five state parks, a state recreation area, an environmental education center, and 16 miles of the Glacial Drumlin State Trail also exist in the region. The Hank Aaron State Park Trail is under development along the Menomonee River in Milwaukee. When completed, the trail will stretch about seven miles, starting at Lake Michigan and linking to the Milwaukee County Oak Leaf Trail in Doyne Park at its West End.

Intensive growth and development presents a somewhat different scenario for trail expansion in this region. Good bicycling routes to be used for trips to work or as an alternative means of travel intensifies the need for trail designation and connectivity between municipalities. This same development limits the likelihood of rail abandonment and corridor availability in much of the region. Trail development, in some cases will take place within natural resource corridors, presenting additional challenges in acquisition. While they may not be optimum trail routes, in some instances it may be necessary to use roadways in order to reach the desired connections or destinations. Where this situation arises, the DNR is working closely with the Department of Transportation to designate routes on lightly traveled roads and wherever possible, develop paved shoulders or grade separated paths.

The Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC) provides planning services for seven counties in southeastern Wisconsin. SEWRPC developed a bicycle and pedestrian facilities system plan that includes DNR's entire Southeast Region except for Sheboygan County. Most of the following "backbone" trail corridor segments are adopted from that plan.

Segment 6—Green Bay to Illinois (Southeast Region)

This segment also serves as a link, via rail, to a potential Northeast Region corridor at the Manitowoc/Sheboygan county line. A shared-road segment along Highway LS has been developed by Sheboygan County from the county line south to the city of Sheboygan. The proposed corridor extends south through Sheboygan County into Ozaukee County where the county and local governments are developing an off-road segment on WEPCO utility right-of-way south to the Ozaukee/Milwaukee County line. A short on-road connector to Harrington Beach State Park, as well as a connector segment to Milwaukee County’s Oak Leaf Trail will be pursued in the future. West of Port Washington, a road corridor would link with the proposed Milwaukee River Trail (Segment 44) at Saukville.

Continuing southward the trail runs along the Oak Leaf Trail to South Milwaukee. The county is currently pursuing continuation of the trail along the previous North Shore right of way to the Milwaukee/Racine County line.

Racine and Kenosha Counties and municipal governments have developed a number of trails on parkway lands, utility company right-of-ways and on-street routes. The corridor links with Illinois’s North Shore Trail at the state line.

Segment 7—Green Bay to Plymouth (Southeast Region)

In Sheboygan County, the proposed 13-mile-long route along State Highway 67 would cross the county’s Old Plank Trail along State Highway 23 and would link the communities of Plymouth, Crystal Lake, Elkhart Lake, and Kiel; Sheboygan Marsh County Park, and the Osthoff multi-family residential development. The trail could be a separate trail along the highway, paved shoulder, on the parallel rail corridor, or some combination. See the description of the section that continues to Green Bay in the Northeast Region section of this plan.

Segment 31—Madison to Racine (Southeast Region)

From Racine to Delavan, all of this east-west proposed trail is rail line. The status of the rail line varies:

Segment	Miles	Status
Racine-Kansasville	14	Active Canadian Pacific rail line
Kansasville-Burlington	8	Inactive, but not abandoned; publicly owned
City of Burlington	2	Active rail line
Burlington-Elkhorn	13	Ownership transferring from DOT to DNR
Elkhorn-Darien	8	Owned by DOT, operated by Wisconsin & Southern Railroad

The state currently owns the section between Burlington and Elkhorn and is pursuing the potential for trail development through this corridor. From Delavan, the proposed corridor connects to the Turtle Creek Trail via city streets. Turtle Creek is a natural resource corridor that extends westward into Rock County and provides a potential link with the proposed South Central Region trail system.

A connector located on County Trunk Highway NN, Lake Geneva city streets, and State Highway 120 will provide trail users access to the City and nearby Big Foot Beach State Park. County Trunk Highway B is proposed as a connector to Richard Bong State Recreation Area.

Segment 35—Watertown to Oconomowoc (Southeast Region)

This proposed trail would link the Southeast and South Central regions. See description for Segment 35 in the South Central Region's section of this plan.

Segment 36—Beaver Dam to Pike Lake (Southeast Region)

From the intersection of the Ice Age Bike Route in Pike Lake State Park, this segment would be an important link to one of South Central Region's backbone trails, extending to Beaver Dam. Referred to as the Rubicon River corridor in SEWRPC's Bicycle/Pedestrian Plan, about half the route is on roadway and the other half is natural resource corridor.

Segment 37—Franklin to Illinois

This segment begins in the southwest corner of Milwaukee County at the east end of the Muskego Lakes Trail identified in SEWRPC's Bicycle/Pedestrian Plan (Segment 40). Part of this segment includes a natural resource/utility corridor proposed as the Waterford-St. Martins Trail. Racine County has developed four miles of this corridor, known as the Waterford-Wind Lake Trail.

The remaining corridor from Waterford south to the Wisconsin/Illinois state line, is referred to as the Fox River Trail. Racine County has developed the four-mile-long Burlington Trail on this segment. South of Burlington the corridor intersects the Southwestern Trail section of Segment 31 and continues south on a natural resource corridor along the Fox River.

Segment 38—Sturtevant to Richard Bong State Recreation Area

Beginning east of Sturtevant, this segment includes the 9.5-mile-long Pike Creek Trail about 3.5-miles of on-road connector to the Des Plaines River Trail, and then northwest 22 miles to Richard Bong State Recreation Area and a linkage with the Fox River Trail section of Segment 37.

Segment 39—Burlington to La Grange

From Burlington west, this segment uses SEWRPC's proposed 14.5-mile-long Sugar Creek Trail to Abel's Corners in Walworth County. The route continues north on roadways five miles to link with the Mukwonago River Trail section of Segment 40 east of La Grange. Continuing north on a short section of roadway on Segment 40 will provide access to the Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit and the Ice Age Bike Route section of Segment 42.

Segment 40—Oak Creek to Delavan

From its link with the Lake Michigan Trail section of Segment 6 in Oak Creek, this proposed corridor extends west on street routes to the Muskego Lakes Trail in the community of St. Martins. Muskego has completed a 2.5-mile-long segment on utility company right-of-way.

The corridor continues west on the Mukwonago River Trail section about 14 miles from the town of Vernon in Waukesha County to the town of Troy in Walworth County. None of this proposed corridor is developed.

From the west end of the Mukwonago River Trail, about four miles of the Ice Age Bike Route on U.S. Highway 12 and Tamarack Road are to be used as a connector to the Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit trail system. At the south end of the forest, a proposed connector to Whitewater would use town roads, of which about two miles are designated as Ice Age Trail. Also on the south end near Whitewater Lake, the Turtle Creek Trail is proposed as the final connecting link to Delavan and the South Central Region.

Segment 42—Plymouth to La Grange

Extending south from proposed Segment 7, Segment 42 will also run on rail line to Elkhart Lake in Sheboygan County.

From Elkhart Lake, the route will switch to local roadways and continue south through much of the Kettle Moraine State Forest-Northern Unit, paralleling the Ice Age Trail. At the Fond du Lac/Washington county line, the proposed corridor connects with the proposed Milwaukee River Trail and extends south to West Bend. From West Bend the remainder of the corridor, to its meeting with Segment 39 in the Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit, is on SEWRPC's Ice Age Bike Route.

From north to south, the corridor connects Kettle Moraine State Forest-Northern Unit, Pike Lake State Park, Loew Lake Unit, Lapham Peak Unit, Glacial Drumlin State Trail, and Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit.

Segment 43—Mequon to New Berlin

This proposed north-south trail corridor begins near Mee-Kwon Park in Mequon in Ozaukee Co. where it links with the proposed Milwaukee River Trail (Segment 44). It uses the route of the Little Menomonee River Trail as it continues south to the Menomonee River Trail near the confluence of the Menomonee and Little Menomonee rivers in western Milwaukee County. Part of the Menomonee River Trail proceeds northwest from this junction. Milwaukee County has developed about five miles of the Little Menomonee River Trail.

The trail proceeds south following the Oak Leaf Trail along Milwaukee County's western edge. It continues south until it links with the New Berlin Trail in Milwaukee County's Greenfield Park.

Segment 44—West Bend to Saukville

Beginning in West Bend, where it connects with the Ice Age Trail and Segment 42, this proposed trail route follows the Milwaukee River eastward into Ozaukee County, where it meets the Green Bay to Illinois trail (Segment 6) at Saukville.

2001 Wisconsin State Trails Network Plan

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