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TRAVEL FACTS
TRAIL INFORMATION:
To learn more about the trail
(and download a map that covers two new sec-
tions completed in 2011), go to the Friends of Hank
Aaron State Trail website:
www.hankaaronstatet
rail.org
. You’ll also find a listing of special events.
GETTING THERE:
To the east, the Hank Aaron trail
starts at DiscoveryWorld science center on Lake
Michigan (adjacent to downtown Milwaukee on
Michigan Street). It connects here to the Oak Leaf
Trail, which runs parallel to the lake for many miles
through Milwaukee and its northern suburbs.
To the west, the trail begins at West
Underwood Parkway, just off Bluemound Road
near Interstate 94 in the suburb of Wauwatosa.
It also connects to the Oak Leaf, a trail that winds
100 miles through Milwaukee and surrounding
communities. This trailhead can be reached by bus
(Milwaukee County Transit System Route 10). All
buses have bike racks.
Seven trains a day run from Chicago to
Milwaukee (and one fromMinneapolis-St. Paul
and theWest Coast). Amtrak and most bus com-
panies will carry your bike for a small additional
cost. The downtown Milwaukee Amtrak Station
(which also is served by Greyhound and other bus
companies) is convenient to the Hank Aaron State
Trail. Just a few blocks west of the station is the
Sixth Street North Bridge. Turn left, take the bridge
across the river, and you’ll find the trail one block
away, running adjacent to Canal Street.
For flights, General Mitchell International
Airport is less than 10 miles from downtown
Milwaukee. The airport services a number of
major carriers.
BIKE RENTALS:
Milwaukee is exploring a bike-
sharing system, and plans are under way to open
a bike shop near the trail. For now the best bet for
bike rentals is Ben’s Cycles, which has been operat-
ing two miles south of the trail at 1018W. Lincoln
since 1928 (
www.benscycle.net
; 888.275.5111). Ben’s
rents a wide selection of bikes by the day or week.
together to create the Hank Aaron State
Trail. The first four miles of the rail-trail
opened in 2000, followed by a 5.25-mile
extension in 2010, and another 2.5 miles
last November. Today, the trail heads
west, away from the river and the indus-
trial center into residential districts along
the old Milwaukee Road tracks.
The Hank Aaron is truly a collabora-
tive effort, built by the state using federal
and state funds. With state help, a group
of Milwaukeeans rolled up their sleeves
and began the hard work of restoring the
Menomonee Valley’s ecological and eco-
nomic health. State and local officials car-
ried out extensive environmental reme-
diation, removing chemicals from the
water and carting off contaminated soil.
Volunteers help take care of the restored
prairie along the river.
The three main goals of the project
involve giving inner-city residents bet-
ter access to nature, recreation and
jobs. These goals have largely been real-
ized. Since 1998, when the trail was
planned, 29 companies have moved
to the Menomonee Valley industrial
area, and seven others have expanded,
accounting for 4,700 new jobs. Nearly
10,000 people now work in the area at
100 firms, a number of which emphasize
green practices. One of them is Ingeteam,
a Spanish-owned company that makes
windmills. More than a million square
feet of sustainably designed facilities cur-
rently operate in the area, boasts Laura
Bray, executive director of Menomonee
Valley Partners, an organization that
plays a major role in area business
development.
“There has been so much energy and
cooperation on this project,” says Cook
as she picks up litter along the trail she
manages. “We get tremen-
dous support from the busi-
nesses here. They really see
the value of the trail for their
workers. And you can’t over-
look the important contribu-
tions of the neighborhoods,
which work hard to make
it happen and use the trail
for both transportation and
recreation.”
I join Brady, the new
president of Friends of Hank
Aaron State Trail—a vol-
unteer position—for a ride.
He admits that when the
trail opened he wasn’t sure
he would use it for his daily
commute. “It’s a bit longer
for me,” he explains. “But
from the first day, I knew
it was the way to go. Every
morning I am greeted by
this elderly Hispanic couple
taking a walk, and people
jogging, going to work, walk-
ing dogs. It’s the life of the
community.”
Taste of Milwaukee
Besides being a great com-
munity and economic asset,
the trail also provides visi-
tors with a rich sampling of
Milwaukee’s history, culture
and neighborhoods—a close
look into the soul of this con-
vivial city.
I start my exploration
on a September morning
near the lakefront trailhead
at the Discovery World sci-
ence museum. Nearby is the
Milwaukee Art Museum,
featuring Spanish architect
Santiago Calatrava’s interna-
tionally famed addition that,
from the outside, resembles
the skeleton of a giant prehis-
toric bird.
Next I hop aboard my
city bike and loop 1.7 miles
rails
to
trails
u
spring/summer.12
11
The Hank Aaron has
helped revive an industrial
riverfront corridor that was
contaminated and largely
deserted in the 1980s.