Whitnall Park

Big big fan. This park is expansive and well maintained. AND it’s near my home! Nestled within is a golf course, archery range, playgrounds and picnic areas. You can also find the Wehr nature center and Boerner Botanical Garden and Ross Lodge.
Whitnall extends seamlessly into the Root River Parkway making for several miles of trails and walking paths. There is easy access as well to the Oak Leaf Trail that is a whole different beast to explore. Around the park are several overlook parking areas for scenic views and roads wide enough for street parking. Please be mindful of the signs as some areas are not safe for parking on the side of the road.
Leashed dogs are allowed in the park and they should also have an up to date license and rabies tag. Though I have never been stopped to check, I do feel it’s safer and common sense to have your dogs protected in case of theft or random wild animal bites (not sure how many rabid chipmunks are out there but still.) I know I clean up after my dog, but it seems that most others do as well which is nice. I’ve very rarely– in summer months anyway– encountered piles of dog poop on the trails or roadside. Seriously though, no one wants to step in dog poo so keep up the great work people!
Wildlife is abundant here so driving slow is a must. It’s a great place to get close enough for watching deer graze and there are birds aplenty for all those looking to check off that birding list. Sometimes I see folks lying in the grass below a tree just reading or taking a nap, and that is the true beauty of Whitnall Park. No matter how many people are walking or driving by, it’s still quiet enough to feel that you are miles away from the bustle of HWY 100.

What a great park and I haven’t even seen it all yet!
Play frisbee golf here, seriously leave your job, take an hour break and go throw a disc here.
One of my favorite courses in Milwaukee and super convenient to my house.
One of those holes is in a tree, like literally IN A TREE. ;)
Also there are a lot of deer who just like to chill here no big deal.

This is one of the best parts in the Milwaukee county park system. There’s a little something for everyone a playground, botanical garden, nature reserve, golf course, all sorts of fun. If you haven’t been to Whitnall Park you’re missing it. Tthe place is located right out the back door of my business and I love to take walks there in the spring, summer and fall. Hope you get there soon. It’s fun anytime of the year.

This really is a nice park.
There is a playground, a botanical garden, a nature center with several hiking trails, a golf course which doubles as a cross country ski area in winter, a grassy hill overlooking a small lake which turns into a sledding hill in winter, an archery range, a lodge that can be rented out by small groups and, I believe, an area for flying radio controlled airplanes. There are also several designated picnic areas and at least one shelter.
All manner of wildlife live in this park, from owls and hawks to deer and opossums. Sometimes you can see a Great Blue Heron at one of the ponds.
There isn’t a pool, but the park abuts the root river parkway where there are two more shelters and the Root River Disc Golf Course. There are also two more playgrounds in the parkway.
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Not being familiar with the area it was very confusing driving through whitnall park. Stopped at picnic area 6 and walked up and around one trail. Made it to the botanical gardens trails with the dogs and saw the sign for no pets. We respectfully turned around but didn’t come across new walking paths. Luckily the dogs were tired and we were able to end our trip shortly after. Hoping to get back soon to explore more. From the views on the map this is a huge park. Saw a couple of deer on the drive in. There is also a children’s okay structure. Clean grassy areas for a nice read under a tree or picnic tables for a quiet outdoors lunch. I will be making another visit soon.

What doesn’t Whitnall Park have?
They have the county’s Botanical Gardens, a golf course, a sledding hill, Wehr Nature Center, multiple playgrounds, several picnic areas and miles of trails. Who can ask for more than that?
The park is absolutely huge — so much so that I’m often lost when driving through it. Even on a busy summer day, you can find a quiet corner somewhere in it’s almost 627 acres. Rentals are available for picnic sites — some are just tables, some are covered pavilion structures with fireplaces.
Even though Whitnall Park is in Milwaukee county and surrounded by people on all sides, there is quite a large deer population in the park. We’ll often drive through when in the area and rarely fail to spot at least one. A recent drive near dusk had the deer out in droves — we saw at least 20 so drive carefully!