Hank Aaron State Trail Will Be Closed For RNC, State Fair

Hank Aaron State Trail and S. 76th St. Photo by Graham Kilmer.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will shut down access to the Hank Aaron State Trail during the Republic National Convention (RNC).

The trail will be closed between S. 76th and S. 89th streets from July 15-20 “to accommodate security operations associated with the RNC,” according to DNR, which controls and maintains the trail.

The trail will also be closed between S. 72nd and S. 89th streets from Aug. 1 – 11 for the annual Wisconsin State Fair. It’s the third year in a row that the trail will be shut down for security reasons during the fair.

“In recent years, State Fair Park Management and Police have worked diligently to secure the entire perimeter of the park by adding metal detectors at all admission entrances, installing more secure fencing, instituting bag size restrictions, and reconfiguring gates, entrances, and exits,” the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources said in a statement Thursday. “Allowing an elevated trail that runs directly over visitors and vendors at State Fair Park to stay open during the State Fair severely compromises this secure perimeter.”

The trail runs east-west for 14 miles across Milwaukee County, roughly from the harbor to the western county line. It was built in 2000, and has been expanded over the years to become the county-spanning trail it is today.

The expanse of the Hank Aaron makes it a popular trail for both recreation and commuting. Bicyclists can safely travel across the county without having to navigate vehicle traffic along the way. For this reason, the Wisconsin Bike Fed has criticized the decision to close the trail in the past.

“This decision is an unfortunate byproduct of ongoing incidents of violence at public gatherings both locally and nationally,” the nonprofit organization said last year. “However, we encourage State Fair and DNR to seek a future solution that does not involve the closing of the Hank Aaron Trail.”

The trail closure is, in fact, bigger this year. In 2023, it was only closed between S. 76th and S. 84th streets. The DNR has proposed a detour for trail users, primarily running along W. Main Street and W. Schillinger Avenue., and will put up signage mapping out the alternate routes.