Estabrook Park — Attraction in Shorewood

I love visiting Estabrook and I go here often. Generally I am on the hiking trail as I Iove traveling along the river to get to where I am going. Its a great shortcut to get to Silver Spring Drive or even farther north - of course I don't mind hiking many miles so I may not be the average person who tends to drive everywhere. I love that the hiking trail in this park is rather challenging...that it has lots of ups and downs so my legs get a good workout. Its way more interesting than a flat level course.

The park is a great place to see birds and wildlife. In fact just the other day I saw the first chipmunk this season! The little buggers are nearly impossible to photograph. I love seeing all the nature the park has to offer, from flowers to the waterfall and tons of trees & plants. Its all very beautiful. And very peaceful. Lots of neat little places to go be by yourself.

This park is large and has a lot to offer including soccer fields, baseball, disc golf, a dog play area, a place for skateboarding and a beer garden. Lots of green grassy fields to do whatever you want including playing various games or suntanning or having a picnic. Certain areas, usually around the beer garden, can be crowded but other areas will be more empty. And the park has two different areas of playgrounds for kids too.

The oak leaf trail goes past the park too.

I have many food sensitivities so I have never visited the beer garden to purchase anything but they do have many nice seating areas. Truthfully I really have no idea what they sell.

I have had fun countless times at this park over the past several years, from taking nature photos or selfies to tossing a frisbee around to hiking on the trails or just relaxing by the river.

Lots of people also go fishing here so its not unusual to see people standing in the river.

There are also many benches for one to sit and rest. Some are tucked away in hidden corners or are along the hiking trails.

The hiking trails do continue south to Hubbard park if you pass under the bridge at Capital and they also continue north if you pass under the bridges at the north end of the park at Hampton - the trail leads into Lincoln Park. Do take care as often bikes are on the hiking trail and at certain times of year it can be muddy & slick too! This can be tricky if the trail is going down a hill! Your...

Showed up for the biergarten and was very happy with the layout. It's all outdoors so dress appropriately but plenty of tables, many of which are well covered as well as some some cabana-type shelters for 4 seaters.

I imagine in busier, non-pandemic times, there might be servers rather than just service at the main hut. People were out playing frisbee and checking out the river on the park grounds while we sat around drinking and eating big soft pretzels. The pretzels appear to be made on-site rather than the trashy stuff you get a stadium. Honey mustard and cheese dip seemed to be made there as well. Food is above par for sure.

In terms of the beer selection, all Hofbrau beers with a mix of lagers, dunkels, hefeweizen, maibock, and Oktoberfest beers. They offer growlers ($24), growler refills ($22), and half-liters ($7). The growlers are probably the best value, just come thirsty and bring friends.

Milwaukee is lucky to have this. If Chicago had something this good, Mayor Lori Lightfoot would probably have shut it...

Looking for plenty of walking trails and beautiful scenery? Estabrook Park is where you go for that. There’s plenty of room for everyone, there’s lots of lovely trails, there’s a rustic footpath along the Milwaukee River that’s been there for thousands of years, and there’s lots of places for picnics on a sunny day.

Don’t miss the permanent beer garden there, too! There’s often live entertainment to enjoy in the summer, even oom-pah bands.

The day we were there there were two musical groups alternating — one was a four-piece brass group with two tubas and two euphoniums. It was a mellow and beautiful sound that added a relaxing mood to the festivities. Then there was an accordion player along with a banjoist, who were surprisingly adept at playing their traditional-sounding instruments.

A wonderful time...