Pre-Registration Ends Tomorrow for Whitnall Park's 'Bike Through Time'

MILWAUKEE – Registration is now open for Bike Through Time, a guided bicycle tour through Whitnall Park and the surrounding Root River Parkway, Saturday, Sept. 24, from 9 a.m.–noon

The leisurely-paced bike ride presented by Wehr Nature Center offers frequent stops to discover ancient natural features in the landscape, historic landmarks, and wildlife in the park.

Among the features of the landscape are a 400-million-year-old bedrock outcropping with fossilized remains of Paleozoic sea life; Goat Mountain, created by Ice-Age glaciers; and Mangan Woods, with its pre-settlement bur oaks.

A stop at Trimborn Farm, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, will give participants the opportunity to walk the grounds, learning about the lime operations and kilns used in the manufacture of

Cream City bricks. Structures from the 1850s, used in agriculture, dairying and horse boarding, will also be explored.

Another historic landmark on the ride is the Civilian Conservation Corps building at Boerner Botanical Gardens. The building was originally used in the 1930s as a dormitory for the young men who worked to create bridges, dams, and buildings in the park.

The Root River Parkway will be used for the return trip to Wehr. Early park planners intentionally left the parkway undeveloped as a means of flood control. This area along the Root River also provides wildlife habitat and, therefore, great wildlife viewing.

All participants are required to provide their own bicycles, helmets, and drinking water. The ride is recommended for adults and children age 6 and up. The tour is limited to the first 30 registrants.

Preregistration is required by Thursday, Sept. 22.

Admission to “Bike through Time” for a Non-Milwaukee County Resident is $10; Milwaukee County

Resident, $7; and Member of Friends of Wehr, $5. Parking is $3 per car.

For more information or to register, call Wehr Nature Center at (414) 425-8550.

Image Credit: Scott Anderson