Havenwoods is truly a hidden gem on the north side of the city. There is a large parking lot at the entrance to the park, and a beautiful visitor center with an auditorium, classrooms, and some fun creatures. If you visit when the center is not open, there is a porta-potty adjacent to the parking log. Many free workshops for both kids and adults are offered on the weekends throughout the year. There are several walking trails throughout the park. It is easy to get disorientated and I highly recommend grabbing a map at the entrance. There were beautiful fields of wildflowers, a marsh area, and forest. The biodiversity is amazing - I counted 7 species of butterflies and moths! The trails are dog-friendly, just make sure you bring plenty of poop bags and pick up after your pup. We saw very few other visitors on the trails, and it was such a relaxing little hike. This would be a great place to bring visitors as you get the "outdoors Wisconsin" experience without having to drive far. Also, no park pass is required! :) read more

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Finally made it back to this park twice over the holidays. Conditions were great, doggy bags were offered, and it was lightly patrolled by the park service. The dogs loved it and it wasn't too busy. I still can't believe this park exists in the city. There's so much to explore! Thumbs down to the several people who left their dog poop on the trail. Thumbs up to the lady (who didn't even have a dog with her) picking up dog poop in the parking lot. read more

I was driven kind of through this state forest before being dropped off at the airport (2/19/20). Why? Don't know. I'm a long time Washingtonian / PacNW resident so I'm accustomed to vast evergreen forests. Washington is referred to as The Evergreen State, not its moss/lichen covered residents, lol. Just glad it is protected and isn't razed for some giant development. Plopping a Walmart here would be an ecological nightmare! Protect wild open spaces for wildlife to thrive and people to enjoy...a plus for Wisconsin! read more

Havenwoods State Forest - Signage (2/19/20) - Parks Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Someone else wrote about this place feeling nostalgic and I also feel like its somewhere in the back of my brain as a girl scout field trip/camping trip location i never ended up going too. Anyhow...yes its a state forest in the middle of the city because...well why not? Its got a nice combo of forest, prairie/grasslands, and a meandering creek or two. There's a train track on one side. I biked through here and don't think I saw all of it...fairly quiet but I ran into a handful of dog walkers. As mentioned, it's scenic but not **that** scenic. Kind of your typical wisconsin scenery. That said, really nice to have this so close to the city. Location location location. read more

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A hidden gem in MKE. No park pass needed. Lots of nice trails and vistas. We will be back. read more

Havenwoods State Forest - Parks Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Yes, this is a State Forest smack dab in the city! Strange, well yes. Slightly odd, well yes to that too but hands down a cool preserve centrally located to all things Milwaukee. Dogs are allowed, only leashed though and only on the main trails... I found that to be a bit odd and not really sure why you aren't supposed to venture around off the beaten path but whatever. I would still venture through this place any day. It's nice because if you're looking to get away without having to get away (far that is) then this is the place to go. An oasis in the city. There are bridges scattered throughout the space and lots of tall grass fields surrounding. It is just a breath of fresh air from the normal strip malls and buildings that are littered through the city of Milwaukee. The main walk is fairly easy as it is made up of crushed stone for the entire route. It's a piece of peace coming to Havenwoods and built to be enjoyed. read more

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A State forest within the City limits! Havenwoods SF is a great respite for hiking and activities on the north side of Milwaukee. Stop in to the nature center for information on its past history as an army prison barracks, to Nike missle site, to its natural preservation by citizen activists. The nature center has lots of info on local wildlife, and frequent activities for kids and ranger-led hikes for the general public. My son and I stopped in on a cold rainy Saturday in fall, and they have Garmin GPS units and a cache finding activity which was a great way for me and my teen to explore the area. The ranger did a great job teaching us how to use the Garmin (which isn't as intuitive as a smart phone). Havenwoods is large! Put on those walking/hiking shoes and explore. We spent a ton of time doing the GPS thing, and found the elusive Nike missle site cache, which felt like quite an accomplishment. We'll be back to hike and explore the State forest. It kind of blows my mind that this State forest is within the City of Milwaukee, and we'll return often. read more

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Dilemma time: You are a hard core city slicker, but you want to go for a hike, in a real wood like setting. What do you do? Well if you are in the great city of Milwaukee, you my friend can get in you car and drive into the middle of the urban climate and find Havenwood National Forest. Right smack dab in the middle of busy roads, apartment complexes and businesses is a small oasis of tranquil woods and wetlands that doesn't require more than 15 minutes to reach from any part of the city. The main hiking trail is crushed limestone paved, approximately 2.5 miles making this a perfect trail to walk for almost anyone. Smaller adjunct trails of grass are available to explore as well. Red winged black birds, monarch butterflies and finches swirled around us as we walked. The air was crisp and clean despite being so close to the city. Lots of trees, wildflowers and prairie grasses dotted the vast and verdant landscape. A fricken Disney princess could live in her pre-prince charming here. Flanked by old railroad tracks to the south that BEG to be followed ala Stand by Me. A beautiful brook runs throughout. There are nice benches along the paths to sit, rest and observe. There are community gardens onsite. A section is for the UW Heritage Garden and the veggies grown there are harvested and donated to local food pantries. Also onsite is a Visitors Center with bathrooms and informational pamphlets. Another great detail is that although they are a State Forest, they are no parking fees unlike almost every other. This is truly a gem and I'd be willing to bet there aren't many metropolises in the country that have a National Forest planted in the center. Just another reason to love Milwaukee. read more

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I've only been to Havenwoods once, but this place makes me feel all weirdly nostalgic. The main gravel path and the close proximity to the train tracks remind me, for some reason, of being a little kid and heading to my grandma's house out in the middle of nowhere. Maybe it's that the rolling prairies imply the hills near where I grew back. Maybe it's because the occasional whistling of a train or the click-clack of wheels passing over the tracks call back to a time when that's what I would hear while I drifted off to sleep. Maybe it's because the stream which passes through the park reminds me of the secret "thinkin' spot" of my adolescent years--a small creek that past through a neighbor's property which was accessible which a walk down a field lane. Maybe the creaky wooden bridge with the hornets nest nestled in the trestle makes me think of the dilapidated infrastructure of my native Columbia County. Anywho... Strictly as an arboretum, I hesitate to say it compares favorably to some of the others in the area. It's not bad, so much as it's not terribly varied and most of the trails are nothing more than places where they've knocked down the tall growth with a lawnmower. It's easy to get turned around, but there are maps posted at many trail intersections. If you get tired, there are benches dotting the entire park and you're never too far from one. This park does have one thing on many of the others in the area: as far as wildlife goes, it's easier to spot wild amphibians, reptiles, birds, and butterflies here than at just about any other natural area in Milwaukee County. They just seemed so much more active here than at some of the other places in town. When I went, there were maybe two other groups using the trails. This place was dead, and that's just the way I like it. I barely bumped into anyone. If you haven't explored the natural areas in Milwaukee, this is a good option. I wouldn't say it'd be my first suggestion--I'm partial to Wehr and the Urban Ecology Center--but this place is another solid addition to Milwaukee's natural gems. read more

This is the PERFECT place when you have a few hours to spend in outdoorsy solitude but don't want to drive an hour to get to the woods. The paths are just long enough for a nice walk, a variety of views, and a touch of exploration. There's a great little pond with a nice clean dock to relax on. There's air you can take deep breaths of. It's delightful. read more

Havenwoods is an unexpected oasis in the city. At 9:30 on a Friday morning, we had the place all to ourselves. (minus the workers.) Walking along one of the side trails, I felt like we'd driven miles and miles away from home. It's incredible. The trails aren't paved with concrete, but the fine, compact gravel worked well for the jogging stroller I was using that day. read more

Solitude in the middle of the city. I love taking my kids here and exploring the forest. There's section of pines that were planted by a boy scout troop years ago. read more