A beautiful park with plenty of trails criss-crossing some nice old growth forest. It's also just…read moreacross the street from other parks that you can chain together to create a long walking/hiking circuit. There are remains of the old insane asylum dating from 1880 there that give it some character and history. Nice rolling hills, places to fish, places to relax under treecover or in the sun, a good mix of everything.

This magical, somewhat hidden spot has been a longtime favorite. I started coming here as a kid and…read morenow bring my two kids here for some oneness with nature. It's small and there are only a few short trails, but it's as serene and lovely as can be. Fall is a perfect time to check it out, but wear shoes that can handle mud and slippery leaves. Be sure to head all the way down to the water. The beach is minimal, but the kids will entertain themselves for hours climbing on fallen trees, looking for the perfect rock and perhaps building a shelter out of branches. One last tip: On your way down the steep hill, borrow a walking stick that you'll find on the left hand side near the entrance. Just be sure to return it for the next explorer to use.

I came here all the time when I was a kid and had the pleasure of returning recently. There are…read moreseveral short hiking loops through the woods and a steep entry trail that goes straight down to the water. There is less beach than there used to be; perhaps it's an erosion issue. If you hike along the water, the beach opens up in a few places. It's very secluded! If you take the trails off to the north of the main one, you should stumble upon a bunch of old wooden benches, which are remnants of a long-gone outdoor church. High schoolers frequent this place to, well, do the things that high schoolers do. Don't worry though, they're more scared of you than you are of them. This is a wonderful place to get close to nature. It's generally very quiet. I've seen deer, bats, lots of interesting mushrooms, and many varieties of wildflower. The trail can be overgrown, but it is still quite clear. It's not possible to get lost, as the park is rather small, and all the trails are loops. Just be careful about wandering onto private property. No one seems to care too much, but there are "no trespassing" signs by the fences. If you want better beach, you might have to ignore the warnings, but you didn't hear it from me. Also, be careful along the shore here-- it can be tricky to traverse.

Oh my gosh what a great park nestled into Mequon. We moved to the northshore over a year ago and…read moreare still constantly finding new places to explore. Happy that a recent party invite brought us to this park, because we will be back! We visited the Pavilion located here, which has ton of picnic tables, bathrooms, and even a large kitchen space for hosting events. The open-air building is sat adjacent to the really lovely and large pond in the center of the park. There's a doc that sticks out, and plenty of benches so you can have your pick at where to sit and enjoy the nature. The park itself is pretty massive. Just so much wonderful greenspace. There's not just one, but two playgrounds here as well. Double-points for that! Will definitely plan to return, be it for a picnic, and event we host ourselves, of just to enjoy the great outdoors.

We stopped by here on a whim. Very beautiful! Not very busy at all when we stopped. ( It was a…read moreTuesday afternoon in April. ) The park and walking paths are very clean and well maintained.

I've been on the hunt for solid paddle boarding spots that aren't too far from Milwaukee…read more We tried the pond at Veterans Park on the lakefront in Milwaukee, but I was so worried about falling in the water (it's not clean...at all) that I didn't enjoy it. We tried Pewaukee Lake, but there was a bit too much motor boat action to enjoy paddle boarding. I was flummoxed, until I spoke to someone who lives in Delafield. She recommended Lower Nemahbin Lake. Yahtzee! With free parking and easy access to a kayak/paddle board dedicated dock, Lower Nemahbin Lake is the perfect lake for us! Clean lake water flanked by lush green without too much motor boat activity (it isn't a wake-free lake but boaters are respectful and aren't abundant), we couldn't ask for a better location for paddle boarding. It has an anchored dock in the middle of the lake that we love paddling out to for an afternoon picnic on the lake (and to let the kiddo get some dock jumping/swimming in). It's also kinda fun to paddle under the overpass. Last time we went through, we were able to see a birds nest with peeping baby birds. All in all, a great spot to spend a leisurely Sunday afternoon. Get to it!

Easy access: ***** Boat traffic: ***** (not a lot)…read moreWater quality: ***** Free access: ***** Lower Nemahbin Lake is located in Waukesha County in the Village of Summit. This review is for the lake in general for kayaking or paddle boarding. We have been kayaking and paddle boarding for three years now and been to 6 different lakes. I've lived on Okauchee Lake and grew up boating on many of these lake. The public access is down Sugar Island Road just off of I94 provides quick and easy access to the lake which is a bonus. Parking is limited but many cars don't seem to follow the signs which limits 10 cars to the parking lot. Without DNR manning and charging people this will happen. Still plenty of room to unload your gear and a short 100 feet walk or so to the kayak launch area with a short 20 feet pier. There is a public launch for boats but is for small fishing boats as it is a shallow launch and very shallow water for a long way past the island. The shallow water way has a sandy bottom so very little to no weeds and warmer water. Lower Nemahbin Lake is a 239 acre lake located in Waukesha County. It has a maximum depth of 36 feet. Visitors have access to the lake from a public boat landing. Fish include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike and Walleye. Overall a Great Lake to kayak, canoe or paddle boarding.

Beautiful just absolutely Beautiful day . Beach is kept up. People are so polite. Glad my…read moregranddaughter got in to swim And soak up the sun.

Nice place to spend a couple hours on a hot summer afternoon. Smaller sized beach with a nice…read moreswimming area that has seaweed removed everyday. Lots of parking is available at a very short walking distance. Tuesday and thursday evenings have water skiing shows going on. Tuesday , being the practice in thursday being the show. Every wednesday has live music located right next to the beach. Pontoon boats in kayaks are available for rental at a business right around the corner. Multiple food options located right across the street , from the beach. This beach is free and open to the public.

The boat patrol on this lake will harass you and pull you over constantly. It seems they are trying…read moreto drive out anyone who isn't using the lake for fishing or sailing. Tickets are always issued, no warnings. Ridiculous rules that are not well published. Seriously, such a shame to have this lake ruined by the people in charge.

For my 100th review I want to tell you about one of my favorite places ever. I am a little biased…read morebecause I have been swimming in Big Cedar since I was a baby, but this place is the shit. 45 minutes north of Milwaukee, this isn't a quiet Northern Wisconsin lake, this is a big, busy, loved lake. A few short weeks from now, the piers and boats will be out and fall colors will be in full swing. On a clear calm day the lake will reflect the tree's colors and the water will be smooth, this is the perfect time for a canoe ride. You could come out here on a frigid January day when the trees are bare and the lake is frozen. The ice fishers will be out with their trucks and shanties huddled around the good spots, fishing their hearts out. Months later spring's progress will be obvious by the slowly melting ice and the buds on the trees. Piers will go in but the lake will still be quiet until Memorial Day when summer at the lake officially starts. Then the water will be choppy with boat wakes and the smell of bbq will be in the air. The CL Yacht has fireworks on the 4th of July and the that night the bay is full of boats of spectators, on the boat ride home the firework fans on the lake shoot off aftershows from their piers. Most busy weekend afternoons in the summer the shallow sandy area on the east side of the lake is full of boats and swimmers playing frisbee, football, and soaking in the sun. Many of the cottage and lake home owners are from Milwaukee or Chicago but there are enough full time residents for you to notice their presence in the off-season. There are several boat ramps on both the east and west sides of the lake. At this point there are four restaurant/bars on the lake: Timmers, Padways, House of Heileman's and Old Cedar Inn. Most days the best plan is a cocktail cruise on the lake and a grill out. In general people keep to themselves but we are Midwest friendly and if you boat runs out of gas (or you can't figure out where neutral is) it isn't hard to find someone to tow you and your boat home. Stop by Big Cedar for a swim, a boat ride, a sunset, or a drink and fish fry at Timmers; chances are you'll come back again soon.

So thankful that organizations can hold events in this space. I went to yoga at this beach and it…read more was so nice. The views were so pretty. I felt like I could have stayed out there all night with the water and moon. It was also very easy to find parking in that huge lot.

McKinley Park is a short distance farther up the street from the Wisconsin Art Museum. There is…read moreplenty free of parking all over within three park. During warm months they have picnic tables setup and a public restroom is open. The boardwalk trail is beautiful and it's never too packed up. We enjoy coming here to do our walks.

Beautiful park for a nice walk. Very relaxing and quiet. We love just having a nice quiet,…read moreleisurely stroll through the park to reflect on the past day.