Although Milwaukee and its harbor began as a Great Lakes port in 1835, many settlers, fur traders, and immigrants were drawn to Milwaukee and other adjacent communities because of the access that Milwaukee’s three rivers provided into the interior “wilderness” by canoe.
Even though the wilderness is largely gone, paddlers can still find connections to our natural and human past along every stretch and around every corner of the Milwaukee Urban Water Trail.
Boating by Jones Island, now the location of a sewage treatment plant and the Port of Milwaukee, we are reminded of a marsh island settled by largely Kaszube and German immigrants who made their living by fishing Lake Michigan.
Floating through the Third Ward and Downtown Milwaukee, we are reminded of a past where shipping and commercial vessels lined our shores, teaming with wheat, lumber, coal and other supplies.
Paddling upstream of the former North Avenue Dam, we can envision a lake that was once a popular recreational area lined with swimming schools, passenger ferries, boat liveries, rowing clubs, and even a theme park!
As we pass the old Schlitz Brewery Dam, we remember a time when ice was harvested fur a booming beer industry, and ice wars were in the news.
Meandering through Thiensville, Cedarburg, Grafton, Saukville, Waubeka, and Newburg reminds us of a time when our rivers were used to convert wheat to flour, mussel shells to buttons, trees to lumber, and wool to textiles.
Paddling through Grafton reminds us of a furniture manufacturer, the Wisconsin Chair Company, which started a recording studio and produced records (for phonographs the company also produced), supporting a burgeoning blues music industry with nationally significant artists.
Today, paddlers pass by cultural and tourist attractions that include:
Milwaukee River
- A vibrant downtown Milwaukee
- The Milwaukee River Walk
- The Pabst Theater
- The Marcus Center for the Performing Arts
- The Urban Ecology Center
- The picturesque downtown of Mequon & Thiensville
- The historic City of Cedarburg and Village of Grafton
- The Riveredge Nature Center
Lower Menomonee River
- The Harley Davidson Museum
- Potawatomi Bingo Casino
- Miller Park Stadium
Kinnickinnic River
- Scenic Boat Marinas
Explore these attractions and more on your next paddle! Plan your trip with help from the Milwaukee Urban Water Trail Map. Download your own copy here or contact us for a physical copy!