Whitnall Park in Franklin

 

At 627 acres, the Milwaukee County Parks flagship park is also the largest. Home of Whitnall Golf Course, Boerner Botanical Gardens and Wehr Nature Center. The park’s diverse habitats include prairie, oak woodlands, a variety of wetlands, oak savanna, and Mallard Lake. Over five miles of trails pass through and link these diverse habitats.

 

With its numerous habitats, the park offers excellent opportunities for birding and has been identified by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology  eBird.org program as a birding hotspot with 200 species observed.

 

The Oak Leaf Trail loops through the park, connecting it with the adjacent Root River Parkway. In winter the golf course is popular for sledding and a groomed cross-country ski trail. Other amenities include a playground, picnic areas, restrooms and numerous community events through the Friends of Wehr and Friends of Boerner Botanical Gardens.

 

For Milwaukee County Park map, click here.

For Wehr Nature Center trail map, click here.

 

Story links:

An Autumn Foray and a Season of Fragility

Accessibility is front and center for the Wehr Nature Center Healthy County Challenge!

Area Nature Centers Tap Maples for Syrup—and Fun!

Vernal and Ephemeral: These Ponds Are Essential Habitats!

 

Gallery (click to enlarge)