Oak Leaf Trail Extension - Bender Park

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Oak Leaf Trail in Bender Park

Milwaukee County Parks is working on an exciting project that involves the addition of over 1 mile of 10-foot-wide paved trail in Bender Park. The trail will extend the South Shore Line of the Oak Leaf Trail, connecting Bender Roadway to Oakwood Road. Trail users will weave through prairies and woodlands and enjoy sweeping views of Lake Michigan. Importantly, this project will close a key gap in the regional trail network, creating a 20-mile continuous bike facility between and through Milwaukee and Racine counties!

Funding for this project was awarded in 2020 thanks to a $1,306,400 federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) grant in conjunction with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. In 2023, the project secured Milwaukee County match funding.

Design is complete, and the project is currently being advertised for bid to construct. Bids are due in early November, and bidding information can be found here County of Milwaukee | DAS | WP074801: Oak Leaf Trail Connectivity - Bender Park. Construction of this Oak Leaf Trail project is anticipated through September 2026.

For details regarding the project background, refer to the linked Rails-to-Trails Conservancy article below.




Oak Leaf Trail in Bender Park

Milwaukee County Parks is working on an exciting project that involves the addition of over 1 mile of 10-foot-wide paved trail in Bender Park. The trail will extend the South Shore Line of the Oak Leaf Trail, connecting Bender Roadway to Oakwood Road. Trail users will weave through prairies and woodlands and enjoy sweeping views of Lake Michigan. Importantly, this project will close a key gap in the regional trail network, creating a 20-mile continuous bike facility between and through Milwaukee and Racine counties!

Funding for this project was awarded in 2020 thanks to a $1,306,400 federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) grant in conjunction with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. In 2023, the project secured Milwaukee County match funding.

Design is complete, and the project is currently being advertised for bid to construct. Bids are due in early November, and bidding information can be found here County of Milwaukee | DAS | WP074801: Oak Leaf Trail Connectivity - Bender Park. Construction of this Oak Leaf Trail project is anticipated through September 2026.

For details regarding the project background, refer to the linked Rails-to-Trails Conservancy article below.



Page last updated: 29 Oct 2025, 12:56 PM