Just Outside Milwaukee Is Wisconsin's Secret Scenic Park With A Lush Forest And Rolling Hills

While Milwaukee is already a spacious city with plenty of underrated green areas and even an urban state park, there is the additional bonus of a plethora of large natural spaces located a short drive away. Since Milwaukee is located in southeast Wisconsin, people can find solace in nearby breathtaking parks and crystal clear lakes, or they can make the northbound journey to take in the northern woods for a longer day or weekend trip.

Mangan Woods is hidden within Milwaukee County limits and lies less than 15 miles from the heart of downtown Milwaukee. Mangan Woods, which is officially part of the Root River Parkway in Greendale, is a 200-acre plot of land filled with rugged hills, rare trees, and other plant species.​ Within the wooded area is a 2-mile trail loop where hikers can wander and be swept away in the vastness of the trees — some of which are hard to find elsewhere in the state. In addition to the hiking loop, there is a longer trail for mountain bikers.​ Since Mangan Woods is a short drive from downtown Milwaukee and just 9 miles west of the Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE), it's a convenient and short drive for both visitors and locals alike.

Mangan Woods is a wooded parcel with its own area, trails, and views, but some locals may confuse it with the well-known 640-acre Whitnall Park, since they are situated across the street from each other. Mangan Woods runs parallel to Whitnall Park and is its own entity, tucked away from the more popular park. In fact, Mangan Woods is so secretive to the outside eye that it's not even listed with the Milwaukee County Park System and is simply part of the Root River Parkway.​

Although Mangan Woods is its own hidden gem and off the beaten path, it's not entirely difficult for aspiring hikers to find. The parcel lies between Whitnall Park and The Rock Sports Complex, with the entrance on 92nd Street under a sign that reads "Ross Lodge."

​Upon walking into the "Ross Lodge" entrance, visitors will be greeted by a small red cabin. Mr. Mangan himself, whom the park was named after, owned the red cabin and used it as a chicken coop as part of his farmstead, per A Wealth of Nature. The Wehr Nature Center later obtained the coop and turned it into a small classroom. From the red cabin, visitors can proceed along a 2-mile loop trail. Wisconsin-based nature blog The Park Next Door noted that the trail is "nicely plotted" for hikers of all experience levels and includes hikes over hills and across small bridges. Past visitors have posted photos and videos on Google Reviews that show dense bunches of trees, a bridge passing through a calm pond, and various plant and animal species. In addition to the trail for walkers, there is also the 4-mile Kegel Alpha Trail for bikers that occasionally intersects with the hiking trail.

Milwaukee isn't exactly known for its rugged terrain, so Mangan Woods stands out. The parcel includes hundreds of older trees that are hard to come by in other parts of the state — including red and white oak, sugar maple, white ash, and shagbark hickory. As a result, there are also more plant and animal species — such as the threatened Acadian flycatcher bird, salamanders, and woodpeckers — that call the wooded area their home.​

As visitors wind through the trails of Mangan Woods, they may notice that the terrain is hillier than other nearby parks, such as the flatter Lakeshore State Park or Veterans Park. The rolling hills within the wooded area were paved out by glaciers and ice sheets passing through the area thousands of years ago. Specifically, smaller kettles from glaciers created the streams, ponds, ravines, and depressions in the ground to give it a unique terrain. Although the trails have become more walkable over the years, past visitors have noted that some areas of the hikes are more strenuous than others because of the steeper nature of the area.

The hilly terrain can also specifically appeal to mountain bikers looking for a challenge, since the 4-mile Kegel Alpha Trail is more rugged and challenging than a typical bike path located closer to city limits. Even though the bike and hiking trails can occasionally cross, it shouldn't be too concerning, as the paths are wide enough for all the traffic. One Wisconsin traveler who visited the park wrote on Google, "The actual woods [are] in the middle of the city. Good hiking paths. We only saw maybe 2 other people." If you want to explore more woods in Milwaukee, head to the Havenwoods State Forest, Wisconsin's only urban forest.