Kenosha County: Nature Trails, Water and Museums

Lake Michigan forms the eastern boundary of Kenosha County. The county offers a variety of ways to spend your time, including parks, biking and hiking trails, a water trail and museums. You can choose how to balance nature experiences and culture based on your travel interests.

Parks and trails for a range of activities

The Kenosha County Parks system manages more than 1,500 acres of recreational land across eight parks. Its offerings include 14 miles of paved bike trails. Silver Lake Park also has more than 10 miles of singletrack and multi-use mountain biking trails for biking, hiking and skiing. Nature trails in the park offer views of Silver Lake and the surrounding landscape.

The designated trail offerings vary in length and use: in addition to the paved bike trails in the parks system, Silver Lake has singletrack and multi-use trails, and Bristol Woods Park has 4.28 miles of hiking trails. Petrifying Springs Park is home to one of Wisconsin’s natural hardwood forests. Chiwaukee Prairie is recognized by the National Park Service as a National Natural Landmark, adding a designated natural area to the park landscape.

Water trail and seasonal views

The 11-mile Fox River Water Trail provides access to the largest river in Kenosha County. It includes four launch sites for non-motorized watercraft, maintained by the Kenosha County Parks Division. This adds a water route to the trail offerings without conflating the different ways of getting around.

One seasonal activity is climbing the Southport Lighthouse: the Southport Lighthouse Tower Climbs take visitors up a 72-step spiral staircase to the lantern room. Check the available dates before your trip if you plan to visit.

Museums with different focuses

The Civil War Museum interprets the American Civil War from the perspective of people in seven Upper Midwest states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. The Dinosaur Discovery Museum explores a different connection in natural history: the link between carnivorous dinosaurs and birds. At the Kenosha History Center, exhibits are spread across three galleries, and there is also an archive.

The Schaefer Mammoth is on display at the Kenosha Public Museum. It was rediscovered in 1992 in the Town of Paris in Kenosha County. Alongside the museums’ varied focuses, this find offers a tangible connection to local history and shows how varied a museum visit in the region can be in its subject matter.

Planning your stay

The Molinaro Visitor Center has interactive exhibits about the nature and history of Richard Bong State Recreation Area. The center also provides directions for five self-guided activities: Discovery Quest, Geology Adventure Quest, Orienteering Course, Water Trail and History Tour. Near the Visitor Center, children of all ages can play in the Outdoor Nature Explore Classroom.

Kenosha itself is also a useful point of reference for getting around: the city is the northernmost stop on the Metra Rail System, which serves the Chicago area and northeastern Illinois. Together, these destinations offer different ways to plan your trip—from trails and water activities to museums, nature exhibits and a seasonal lighthouse climb.

Discover more destinations: Pleasant Prairie, Twin Lakes, Kenosha, La Crosse, Marathon, Oconto County, Door County, Outagamie.

For the full travel overview: Wisconsin.