The Park People of Milwaukee County

Update (10/27): We've learned that the County is seeking funding to pay for its share of the cost of repairing the sinkhole that is blocking the Zip Line Trail. Unfortunately this funding is still uncertain. Any donations we can raise at this point will help demonstrate the importance of the project and thus help ensure that the County secures the necessary funding. If that happens, we will be able to use the donated funds for other improvements to the trail, in consultation with our donors.

Help us raise money to repair the sinkhole that has closed the Zip Line! The Zip Line is the popular segment of Milwaukee's Oak Leaf Trail that connects Estabrook Park in Shorewood with Brown Deer Park and the Ozaukee Interurban Trail. The Zip Line is one of the most heavily trafficked sections of the Oak Leaf Trail and is relied on by hundreds of commuters and recreational users every day.

In the Spring of 2020, a sinkhole that had been expanding slowly for years grew so large that the trail had to be closed. The sinkhole is atop a century-old culvert with a creek flowing through it, and both the culvert and the trail now need to be reconstructed, all without blocking the flow of the creek.  Milwaukee County Parks has determined that fixing the hole will cost about $600,000- a huge undertaking for our already cash-strapped parks system.

Milwaukee County Parks has received a grant from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to cover the cost of the repair, but the grant requires Milwaukee County Parks to cover 20% of the cost ($120,000).  Your contributions can help cover this cost! The County is working to find the funds for the match in its budget, but any amount we can raise will help demonstrate the importance of the project and will help support our trails by freeing up funds for other purposes.

Milwaukee County Parks has lined up an anonymous donor who is willing to MATCH community donations, up to $5,000. Anything you can contribute will help us reopen this vital connection in our world-class trail network.

This fundraiser is being organized by the Friends of the Trails, a friends group that operates under the non-profit Park People of Milwauke County.  For more information or to sign up as a member of our group, use the contact button on this page or send an email to [email redacted].  You can also follow us on Instagram.

More information about the Oak Leaf Trail closure can be found here: https://county.milwaukee.gov/EN/Parks/Explore/Trails/Oak-Leaf-Trail

More information about The Park People of Milwaukee County: The Park People (TPP) supports the Milwaukee County Parks by encouraging park improvement through Friends Groups and coordinating Weed-Out programs . The Park People is in its 40th year of serving its mission.