Which trail will you take?

In this week’s column, we’re going to wrap up some loose ends around Milwaukee County.

The Oak Leaf Trail is the mainstay of the county bike system, but it is not isolated from the surrounding communities. Try out a few of these connector trails on your next ride.

Heading north on the Oak Leaf,  you can connect to the Ozaukee County Interurban trail, which has seen some new improvements since we last rode that section of trail.

One of our readers sent this comment concerning connection with the Interurban:

“As of mid-August 2011, Phase I of the connector between the Oak Leaf Trail and the Ozaukee Interurban is now open–and it’s a very nice trail! Riding south, one can now take the Interurban to County Line Rd., the Brown Deer Trail to Brown Deer, and the Phase I connector to Brown Deer Park. From the park, it is an easy ride on very low-traffic roads (first Range Line Rd. south, then Green Tree Rd. east) to the Oak Leaf Trail at Kletzsch Park. From there, one can take the Milwaukee River Parkway/Oak Leaf Trail all the way to the MAM. Or, if one is interested in riding north, one could park at Brown Deer Park and catch the new connector north.”

Thank you for the update!

Heading over to the west side of Milwaukee, we encounter a couple of connections into Waukesha County. South of Bluemound Road there is a connection to the Brookfield Greenway Trail. The Greenway Trail system is envisioned to connect Brookfield parks and recreation areas with off-road trails.

At Greenfield Park riders can connect to the New Berlin Recreation Trail, a 6.5 mile paved path running straight west parallel to the railroad tracks. The official end of the trail is at Hwy 164/59. Crossing the highway, there is a short connecting path to city streets in Waukesha, where you’ll find signs directing you to the Fox River Trail or the Glacial Drumlin Trail – both scenic tours of the county.

The end of August may mean the end of traditional summer activities, but it doesn’t have to mean the end of your biking. September and October are wonderful months for exploring the city on two wheels. Wherever you choose to ride this weekend, enjoy yourself and be safe.