Seven Waters Trail
The Seven Waters Trail offers an enjoyable ride through the countryside and small towns of southeastern Wisconsin. Most of the trail is located in Racine County, with 4 miles in Waukesha County. The trail travels southwest for 19 miles from Muskego to Burlington, paralleling Wisconsin State Highway 36 for 15 of these miles. In many places, the busy four-lane highway is seen or heard from the path.
From Muskego in Waukesha County, the trail journeys through three Racine County communities before arriving in Burlington. About 5 miles down the trail is Wind Lake. Waterford is 5 miles further south, and Rochester is 2 miles beyond that.
The Seven Waters Trail likely is named after the bodies of water it passes. It was originally three separate trails. The northern section was the Norway Trail, named after the town of Norway. The middle segment was the Waterford–Wind Lake Trail. The southern section was known as the Burlington Trail. Today in Racine County, trail signs don’t refer to the path as the Seven Waters Trail. The signs read “Racine County Trail.”
There are several noteworthy stops and parks along the Seven Waters Trail. Near the border of Waukesha and Racine Counties is the Muskego Dam public boat launch. The boat launch has a parking lot off Wisconsin State Highway 36, and may serve as a trailhead in Waukesha County. The trail bridges the canal, which connects Muskego and Wind Lakes.
South of Wind Lake and adjacent to the trail is Richard J. Meyer Park. In the town of Norway, this 18-acre park has restrooms, playground, picnic shelters, ball diamonds, walking trails, athletic courts and fields, meadow gardens, and a rental barn. A stunning view of Norway Town Hall and neighboring Norway Lutheran Church is seen from the park.
South of Rochester, the trail cuts through Case Eagle Park. This park has restrooms, a picnic shelter, playground, athletic fields, ball diamonds, dog park, and kayak/canoe launch on the Fox River. The Seven Waters Trail winds through the park’s forests and crosses the Fox River. The scenery in this 239-arcre park is beautiful, especially at the river crossing.
Next to Case Eagle Park is Saller Woods, a nature preserve where the trail continues meandering through forests and meadows. Hiking trails cross the path throughout this 118-acre park. The Saller Woods parking lot connects to the Seven Waters Trail and is located off Wisconsin State Highways 36 and 83.
For one mile in Burlington, the trail runs next to Riverside Park. It has restrooms, a picnic pavilion, playground, walking trails, athletic courts, and water access. Wehmhoff Jucker Park in Burlington serves as the path’s southern trailhead. It is situated on the Fox River and has restrooms, a picnic pavilion, bike racks, playground and basketball court.
In Muskego, there is no trailhead with vehicle parking at the start of the path. Trail-goers may consider unloading on N. Cape Road near Luther Parker Cemetery. A wide parking lane allows for quick unloading of bikes on the fairly busy road, but this isn’t a good option to park for an extended period of time. Another option, which involves a longer bike ride, is to begin from nearby Muskego Recreational Trail. Nearly 3 miles in length, the paved bike path running aside N. Cape Road connects Muskego Recreation Trail to Seven Waters Trail.
The Seven Waters Trail has both paved and unpaved sections. Unpaved surfaces include crushed gravel and compacted screened limestone. Paved sections are surfaced with asphalt blacktop or an asphalt emulsion. The grade is mostly level, with a few small hills in Case Eagle Park and Saller Woods.
In some segments the trail uses bike routes on roads, some without designated bike lanes. The trail also crosses several high-traffic roads. Some have marked crosswalks with signal lights. Others have none, making it more hazardous. To increase visibility, wearing bright-colored clothing and using headlights and taillights is recommended on this trail.
There is no fee to use the Seven Waters Trail. Trail-goers should obey all posted rules and use caution when crossing intersections. A ride on the Seven Waters Trail offers an enjoyable opportunity to experience rural and small town scenery in southeastern Wisconsin.
Route Descriptions