Riveredge Nature Center Opens Its Trails Free Once a Month

The Milwaukee River bends through the woods west of Saukville, and on its banks sit 485 acres of prairie, forest, wetland and ponds that anyone can walk for a few dollars. That land is Riveredge Nature Center, an independent nature center that has worked here since 1968 and calls itself the region's oldest. It has more than 10 miles of trails, a visitor center on County Highway Y and a calendar of walks, classes and talks in most weeks of the year. It sits about 5.8 miles northwest of downtown Saukville, and it is one of the main outdoor stops among the things to do in Saukville.

Hours and trail fees at Riveredge

It lists shorter hours for the visitor center and Nature Store: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, stretching to 5 p.m. on Saturdays from June to August. It lists the buildings as closed on Sundays, though the trails stay open. On a Sunday, bring cash or a checkbook for the kiosk and plan around the closed building.

What you walk through on the trails

The trails cross four kinds of country: forest, prairie, ponds and Milwaukee River frontage. Our listing describes boardwalks over the wetter ground, rare native plants, birdwatching and frogs singing in the ephemeral ponds.

The river itself is a public waterway, so Riveredge's visitor page notes that anyone may paddle, fish or swim through it. Fishing on the property is allowed at Heron Pond, and a trail fee or membership is required to use it. Riveredge does not allow pets on its land; ADA-qualifying service animals are always welcome. Leave the dog at home for this one.

Free Trails Day and the monthly calendar

The cheapest way in is Free Trails Day, held on the second Saturday of each month, when the trail fee is waived. On the Free Trails Days listed for this fall, a free Welcome Hike set out at 11 a.m. For a family, that saves the listed $15 fee.

The rest of the calendar runs on a weekly rhythm. Naturalist-led strolls go out on some Thursday mornings at 10 a.m., and toddler programs, Nature Tots and a Little Explorers playgroup, run on some Wednesday and Thursday mornings. A Family Nature Club meets in the early evening, often in a different town each time, from West Bend and Mequon to Random Lake and Saukville. Evening astronomy talks, bird club meetings and a monthly Memory Cafe for people with memory loss and their care partners round it out. Dates change month to month, so check the Events tab on the Riveredge listing before you set out.

Accessibility after the recent renovation

Riveredge renovated its visitor center for access. The building predates the Americans with Disabilities Act; the renovation added ADA-compliant entrances, accessible restrooms, a family restroom with an adult-size changing table and a lift between levels that leads out to the trails without stairs. Visitors with mobility needs can use an all-terrain outdoor wheelchair free of charge. An accessible trail loop is planned next, but the same story says it still needs donors to go ahead.

Maple syrup in March, sturgeon in the river

Late winter is maple season at Riveredge. The 2026 Maple Sugaring Festival ran on Saturday, March 14, from noon to 4 p.m., with $5 tickets and children under 3 free. It followed a half-mile trail through the maple woods, where visitors could tap a tree, then gathered at the Sugarbush House for live music, sap tea and a look at the evaporator. The day ended with Riveredge maple syrup on pancakes, and on pickles. Watch the events calendar from February for next year's date.

The center also raises young lake sturgeon with the Wisconsin DNR and releases them; its site counts more than 20,000 raised so far. In winter, Travel Wisconsin's listing points snowshoers to a dedicated area in the Mayhew Woods and lists trails for classic skiing; check conditions with Riveredge before a snowy visit.

Pair it with Pioneer Village and the Cedarburg Bog

A morning on the Riveredge trails and an afternoon among the old buildings makes a full Saturday on the north side of the township.

Riveredge has the visitor center and the programs; the bog is the quieter, wilder walk, and the DNR notes its interior is reachable only by canoe or kayak. Tendick Nature Park and its disc golf course sit about 3.8 miles southeast, on County Highway O.

Where to eat and stay near Riveredge

For food after a walk, Newburg's main street is about a mile southwest. Newburg Brewery is a classic Wisconsin dive bar serving pizza from Leroy's, and its listing describes a meat raffle at noon on the second Saturday of the month, the same day as Free Trails Day. For a sit-down meal, Cork 'N Barrel, about 1.2 miles west on Main Street, runs from wings and wedge salads to its Steak Supreme.

To stay close, Welcome HOME Bed and Breakfast is under a mile southwest in Newburg, on 18 acres with mowed trails through prairie grass and homemade bread and granola at breakfast, its listing says.

Wellspring Education Center and Organic Farm, about 0.8 miles southwest in West Bend, is a working organic farm that trains students and hosts retreats, per its listing.

Getting to Riveredge

Riveredge Nature Center is at 4458 County Highway Y in Saukville, and the phone is 262-375-2715. Radio Milwaukee puts it just off Highway 33, about 30 minutes north of Milwaukee. Come with cash for the kiosk (confirm the current fee before you go), and check the calendar first: a free second Saturday or a naturalist stroll changes the shape of a visit.