Saturday morning I went on a sunrise hike at Grant Park that started at 3:30a.m. on the south side of Milwaukee. Despite all of the traveling I have done alone, even I would not hike alone on the south side of Milwaukee at night. Maybe not even during the day.
In order cross off “Sunrise Hike at Grant Park” off my bucket list safely, I did this hike through Brew City Safari. This group, run by a nearly 7-foot-tall man named Christian, leads hikes throughout the city, ranging from historical tours to sunrise hikes. All they require for your participation is $5 and enthusiasm about Milwaukee. Both of which I had.
I was the first one to our meeting spot, where I waited for a few minutes attempting to read my book by the light of the dim street lamp. Christian showed up a few minutes later, and after the other 20 or so hikers trickled in over the next 20 minutes, we started hiking around 3:40a.m.
We were even joined by an incredibly drunk man who wandered into our group and refused to leave. He also insisted he needed “to get back to the United States” and whispered things to people in the back of our group, which forced Christian to call the police. Two cars showed up—it must not have been a busy night—and they took him away. Crisis averted. We then wove through residential streets for another 45 minutes, wherein we entered Grant Park and walked along the beach, our shoes quickly filling up with sand.
A little light was starting to trickle through the clouds as we trudged through the sand for the next half hour. The birds flew overhead, and looking north, and for a few moments I thought we were alone in the wilderness. But looking back, the industrial suburbs of southern Milwaukee lit up, reminding me that paradise was nowhere close. After hiking north for a while, we were forced to turn around because of the high tides and consequently hike up a steep hill to Seven Bridges trail.
We hiked for another half hour until we found the perfect spot to watch the sunrise, which was stunning. The last time I watched the sunrise on Lake Michigan was with my mom on the morning of my 10th birthday, this was better than I had remembered. As the sun prepared to rise, the sky’s colors shifted over the course of minutes from purples to intense oranges and yellows. The sun rose above the blue horizon like clockwork and the day had begun at last.
After watching the sunrise, we slowly made our way back to our original meeting spot. The hike was over, but I am not done with Brew City Safari. I’ll be hiking with them again Saturday morning, July 9th, for a sunrise hike on the downtown lakeshore.
Milwaukee has a surprising amount of hiking opportunities, even in the center of the city. There are gorgeous trails near the riverside Urban Ecology Center and walks by the lakefront grant breathtaking views of Lake Michigan and the city skyline. Hikes on the outskirts of town are also remarkably beautiful. Take Seminary Woods, for example, which are wooded trails surrounding St. Francis de Sales seminary about seven miles south of downtown. They are the perfect opportunity to escape from the buzz of city life and probably meet a few dogs, as dog owners love to come there for walks.
Through amazing hikes like these I have discovered some of Milwaukee’s hidden gems, which I think can only be appreciated through hiking. I bike and run, but hiking allows me to slow down, think, and take in the beauty of my surroundings. Hiking is, by far, the best way to experience Milwaukee.
In order cross off “Sunrise Hike at Grant Park” off my bucket list safely, I did this hike through Brew City Safari. This group, run by a nearly 7-foot-tall man named Christian, leads hikes throughout the city, ranging from historical tours to sunrise hikes. All they require for your participation is $5 and enthusiasm about Milwaukee. Both of which I had.
I was the first one to our meeting spot, where I waited for a few minutes attempting to read my book by the light of the dim street lamp. Christian showed up a few minutes later, and after the other 20 or so hikers trickled in over the next 20 minutes, we started hiking around 3:40a.m.
We were even joined by an incredibly drunk man who wandered into our group and refused to leave. He also insisted he needed “to get back to the United States” and whispered things to people in the back of our group, which forced Christian to call the police. Two cars showed up—it must not have been a busy night—and they took him away. Crisis averted. We then wove through residential streets for another 45 minutes, wherein we entered Grant Park and walked along the beach, our shoes quickly filling up with sand.
A little light was starting to trickle through the clouds as we trudged through the sand for the next half hour. The birds flew overhead, and looking north, and for a few moments I thought we were alone in the wilderness. But looking back, the industrial suburbs of southern Milwaukee lit up, reminding me that paradise was nowhere close. After hiking north for a while, we were forced to turn around because of the high tides and consequently hike up a steep hill to Seven Bridges trail.
We hiked for another half hour until we found the perfect spot to watch the sunrise, which was stunning. The last time I watched the sunrise on Lake Michigan was with my mom on the morning of my 10th birthday, this was better than I had remembered. As the sun prepared to rise, the sky’s colors shifted over the course of minutes from purples to intense oranges and yellows. The sun rose above the blue horizon like clockwork and the day had begun at last.
After watching the sunrise, we slowly made our way back to our original meeting spot. The hike was over, but I am not done with Brew City Safari. I’ll be hiking with them again Saturday morning, July 9th, for a sunrise hike on the downtown lakeshore.
Milwaukee has a surprising amount of hiking opportunities, even in the center of the city. There are gorgeous trails near the riverside Urban Ecology Center and walks by the lakefront grant breathtaking views of Lake Michigan and the city skyline. Hikes on the outskirts of town are also remarkably beautiful. Take Seminary Woods, for example, which are wooded trails surrounding St. Francis de Sales seminary about seven miles south of downtown. They are the perfect opportunity to escape from the buzz of city life and probably meet a few dogs, as dog owners love to come there for walks.
Through amazing hikes like these I have discovered some of Milwaukee’s hidden gems, which I think can only be appreciated through hiking. I bike and run, but hiking allows me to slow down, think, and take in the beauty of my surroundings. Hiking is, by far, the best way to experience Milwaukee.