Exploring the Milwaukee River Greenway in Summer Register

Date and Time:
Sat, Jul 19, 2025; 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM (Central)

Add to Calendar Exploring the Milwaukee River Greenway in Summer

We will meet at the Estabrook Park Pavilion and hike over to the West Bank of the Milwaukee River, head down to the historic site of Humboldt WI, cross Capitol Drive and return through Estabrook Park. Wear good hiking shoes and bring a water bottle. Along the way we will discover ecologically and historically significant sites along this roughly 4-mile round-trip hike, and learn how the Milwaukee River Greenway will be preserved and enhanced for generations to come. We will discuss the native people who traveled and lived along the river for at least 2,000 years, the mining of limestone in the mid-1800s, the former site of the Estabrook Dam and nearby sculpture site, The Blue Hole and Cement Lake, and ongoing work on the new fish passage at Estabrook Falls. Here is a summary of the fish passage project from the MMSD website: "The project team has been refining a design to modify the Estabrook Falls to allow native fish to migrate past the falls, allowing them to access spawning and nursery habitat upstream. The modifications to the falls will include breaking apart the bedrock to cut a channel through the falls in the western portion of the river and lowering the falls on the eastern side of the river. This will achieve water depths and speeds at a wide range of flows that many native fish will be able to swim through. We expect to complete most of the design work this year and construct the project in 2025."When we return to the Pavilion, we have the option of continuing our discussions at the Beer Garden above Estabrook Falls.In case of heavy rain, the hike will be rescheduled. Thanks to Catie Petralia of the Land Trust for helping organize this hike.

4600 Estabrook Pkwy, Milwaukee, WI 53217, USA

Webinar URL:

43.17976200,-87.90738000 Dan McKinley dan.mckinley@gmail.com MM/DD/yyyy amOUuwqNAzpGSXwtHmnd12740

Organized By: Great Waters Group

Location: 4600 Estabrook Pkwy, Milwaukee, WI 53217, USA

Map | Directions

Event Organizers:
Dan McKinley
dan.mckinley@gmail.com
(414) 467-2911

We will meet at the Estabrook Park Pavilion and hike over to the West Bank of the Milwaukee River, head down to the historic site of Humboldt WI, cross Capitol Drive and return through Estabrook Park. Wear good hiking shoes and bring a water bottle.
Along the way we will discover ecologically and historically significant sites along this roughly 4-mile round-trip hike, and learn how the Milwaukee River Greenway will be preserved and enhanced for generations to come. We will discuss the native people who traveled and lived along the river for at least 2,000 years, the mining of limestone in the mid-1800s, the former site of the Estabrook Dam and nearby sculpture site, The Blue Hole and Cement Lake, and ongoing work on the new fish passage at Estabrook Falls.
Here is a summary of the fish passage project from the MMSD website: "The project team has been refining a design to modify the Estabrook Falls to allow native fish to migrate past the falls, allowing them to access spawning and nursery habitat upstream. The modifications to the falls will include breaking apart the bedrock to cut a channel through the falls in the western portion of the river and lowering the falls on the eastern side of the river. This will achieve water depths and speeds at a wide range of flows that many native fish will be able to swim through. We expect to complete most of the design work this year and construct the project in 2025."
When we return to the Pavilion, we have the option of continuing our discussions at the Beer Garden above Estabrook Falls.
In case of heavy rain, the hike will be rescheduled.
Thanks to Catie Petralia of the Land Trust for helping organize this hike!

Level: Moderate

Cost: NA

Signup Instructions: Register to get notified of any last-minute changes.

Bring: Water bottle

Signup Restrictions: Limit of 25 hikers

Additional Directions: We will meet at the Beer Garden Pavilion

Cancellation Policy: Heavy rain cancels

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