A green gem
in an urban landscape

A place like this woodland... There simply isn't anything like it. A hardwood forest in the middle of the city!

This 60-acre forest in the heart of Milwaukee is a natural place for community engagement and forest exploration.

The Woodland has been recognized by the Department of Natural Resources as an area of local significance as well as a Class II wildlife habitat within the southern Lake Michigan coastal ecological landscape and it is one of the largest wooded tracts remaining in Milwaukee County.

The maple-beech forest type was once extensive along this stretch of Lake Michigan. Within The Woodland, remnants of the maple-beech forest persist with an understory of wildflowers in spring such as bloodroot, trillium, spring beauties, may apple and trout lily.

Also within are remnants of the rich history of the land and people that once lived, worked and farmed here. Large oak “wolf trees” and barbed wire fence reflect a time of open lands and grazing cattle. Remnants still remain of a tree nursery that was once on site. These clusters of maple and spruce trees now become a chapter in the biography of this landscape.

The forest also contains a diversity of spring wildflowers and abundant wildlife. Existing trails cross all seven forest stand types and parallel a wooded ravine rich with ground flora.

This is everyone’s Forest

This forest is state-owned by the Wisconsin DNR Division of Forestry and cared for under joint partnership with us: The Forest Exploration Center, a non-profit 501c3.

We care for this forest through sustainable, science focused management to share the ecological, economic, social and cultural benefits with all who visit.

All forests need care to not only ensure that we have the natural resources we need but that we also protect what we value; wildlife, beautiful landscapes, recreation and solitude.

Let's care for forests now to ensure their future and our own.

Sustainable forestry: Sustainable means to maintain, continue, and keep. Forestry is the science and art of managing forests.

The history of this land

Forests once covered our urban landscape. Today, one green gem persists, a 60-acre woodland in the heart of Milwaukee. This, one of the largest wooded tracts of oak, maple and beech to remain in the county, harbors a rich understory of wildflowers, provides an oasis for a diversity of wildlife, and is now also home to a unique woodland learning environment; the Forest Exploration Center.

1833 When we look back at original land survey notes from the area, surveyors observed many tree species that can be found in the forest today: Sugar Maple, Basswood, Red Oak, and Ironwood. These are the original land survey notes for the Forest from 1833.

1937 The forest also holds remnants of the rich cultural history of this land and the people that once lived and farmed here. Large oak “wolf trees” and relic barbed wire fence reflect a time of open lands and grazing cattle, and rows of trees planted by the old county tree nursery remain to this day. This all becomes a chapter in the history of this landscape that we continue to study and explore. Here is an aerial view of the forest 83 years ago, and a land ownership map of the forest and surrounding County Grounds Land circa 1858.

2003 Ownership of the land changed hands now and again throughout settlement times until it came under the care of Milwaukee County. Then, on December 18th, 2003, the State of Wisconsin purchased the property from the county with a deed to ensure “public recreation, conservancy, and educational uses.” The land is now preserved as critical green space, a forest for all in an urban setting to bring awareness and a deeper understanding of and appreciation for Wisconsin’s forests and what they provide in our daily lives.

2009 The Forest Exploration Center was founded. This 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to sustainable forestry, education, and accessible recreation becomes the official steward for the forest and formal partner of the Wisconsin DNR Division of Forestry.

2019 The one-mile accessible trail loop opens, featuring a red granite aggregate surface and benches every quarter mile. A series of self-guided interpretive panels along the trail provides visitors with opportunities to deepen their understanding of forest ecology.

2023 The Community-Curated Trail is installed with rotating StoryWalk children’s literature features and a multimedia option to listen to each story or commentary.

TODAY The Forest Exploration Center’s self-guided and accessible nature trails are officially open to all. We thank Hoppe Tree Service and the Urban Wood Lab for their collaborations and expertise as we reclaimed ash trees from the forest to design and build the boardwalks and exhibit posts and with the inspection and removal of hazard trees along the trail.

We acknowledge that the Forest Exploration Center is located on the ancestral homeland of Indigenous People, including the Potawatomi, Ho-Chunk, and Menominee. We recognize that they were forcefully removed from their lands along the shores of Michigami, North America’s largest system of freshwater lakes, where the Milwaukee, Menomonee, and Kinnickinnic rivers meet and where the people of Wisconsin’s sovereign nations remain present. We strive to be respectful stewards of this forest and honor their ancestral inhabitants.