Hike Kohler Dunes Cordwalk at Kohler-Andrae State Park

Rating	★★★★★(5/5)
Overall Difficulty	Moderate
Navigation Difficulty	Easy
Distance	4 miles roundtrip
Time	2 hours
Terrain	Hilly
Best Seasons	Spring, Summer, Fall
Family Friendly	No
Dog Friendly	Yes
Accessible	No

Highlights

Rare dunes environment
Lake Michigan views
Miles of sandy beachfront

Hike Summary

Out of the five hikes I did during a Labor Day weekend trip to Milwaukee, this was my favorite. My personal love of boardwalks and sand dunes aside, the scenery here is unbeatable and the hike is memorable. Even though this is not a loop trail and you have to hike past the same place twice, the landscape is so unique and beautiful you won't mind seeing it again. The cordwalk extends across the entirety of the Kohler Dunes (named for the founder of the well-known faucet company after the company donated this land to the state) which is a Wisconsin State Natural Area, a designation given to places with unique, rare, or endangered plants and animals.

Now, what exactly is a cordwalk? As you can see in the picture below, it looks almost the same as a boardwalk except the boards are strung together with a long steel cable (the cord) that is then staked into the sand, rather than the boards being nailed together and cemented into the ground. This flexible design is perfect for the sandy environment that constantly changes with the wind and rain.

The cordwalk over the dunes with Lake Michigan in the background

Navigation is simple on this trail, just follow the boards under your feet and don't go anywhere the cordwalk doesn't. Trampling the fragile grasses that grow on the dunes is highly visible and recovery takes a long time -- you will see many places where others have ventured on their own during this hike. There are also several locations with official cordwalk side trails (little spurs pictured on the map) that climb to the top of a dune to give you a better view (like the one pictured below), so there is no need to do so on your own.

The view from the top of one of the dunes

My main advice is to walk every inch of cordwalk to see this amazing environment from as many angles as you can. Do half of the Creeping Juniper Nature Trail on the trip south, then do the rest on the trip north back to the parking lot. Signs along that trail describe some of the unique plants (like the pretty purple flowers below) and how the dunes were formed.

Purple wildflowers near the shore of Lake Michigan

This is quite the pleasant walk on a sunny day. Sounds of waves crashing on the beach permeate the air as you pass through the rolling grassy dunes, and you will feel like you are by the ocean. You will feel at peace when you stare at the winding cordwalk in front of you like in the picture below. And when you finish your hike, there are miles of beaches for you to enjoy! Please let me know what you think in the comments section below and use #nocoastbestcoast on Twitter and Instagram!

The cordwalk extending across the grassy dunes

Important Information

Dogs are permitted on leash as long as they do not stray from the cordwalk, and they are prohibited on the Creeping Juniper Nature Trail that connects to the cordwalk. Pets are allowed at the beach north of the Sanderling Nature Centerly only. This pet area map shows where you may bring your dog. While most young kids aren't up for a 4 mile hike up and down dunes, you can easily shorten the hike to make it family friendly: the northern section of cordwalk between the northernmost parking lot and the nature center is a 1 mile roundtrip hike and the Creeping Juniper Nature Trail is a 0.5 mile loop. This trail is not maintained in winter. I went on the Saturday afternoon of Labor Day weekend, and the park was much less crowded than you'd expect for somewhere with such a nice sandy beach. You will encounter others on the hike, but if you are patient it is easy to take pictures of the dunes without a group of strangers in them.

Directions

From Milwaukee, head north on Interstate 43 towards Sheboygan. Take the exit for County Road V, turn right, then turn right again. Follow this road straight into the park and pay your fee at the park office. Take the first left and park in the lot.

Google Maps Directions

Parking, Fees, and Facilities

If you have Wisconsin license plates on your vehicle, parking is $8 for the day or $28 for an annual pass valid at all Wisconsin State Parks and Forests. If you are from out of state, parking is $11 for the day or $38 for an annual pass (you recoup your cost after just 4 visits!). See details here. There are multiple access points for the Kohler Dunes Cordwalk, so if the lot mentioned in the directions above is full, park at the Sanderling Nature Center in the middle of the dunes or the lots at the southern end of the dunes.