In a beautiful and historic Milwaukee park, there’s a gorgeous piece of Wisconsin history that was nearly lost forever. Overlooking the western shore of Lake Michigan within Milwaukee’s Lake Park, the Lake Park Ravine Road Bridge is a stately old bridge that’s been crossed by generations of lakefront visitors, withstanding the passage of time. The years and the weather took a toll on this historic Wisconsin bridge, but it’s been rehabilitated and readied for decades more of use. Here’s what you need to know about the Lake Park Ravine Road Bridge.

You’ll find the bridge in Milwaukee’s Lake Park, a beautiful oasis that was designed by by renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted in the late 1800s. Olmsted also designed New York’s Central Park.
Google / Marcus Riefel
He did some incredible work in Milwaukee. The park spans a mile on top of the bluff in Milwaukee, and it covers 138 acres. It has pretty winding paths and beautiful vistas of Lake Michigan below. It’s a tranquil oasis in Wisconsin’s largest city.
Google / Braden Sciarra
The park covers a bit of terrain, including some steep ravines. When the park was built, developers could have used simple wooden park bridges. But they didn’t.
Google / Adam Worachek

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The Lake Park Ravine Road Bridge was built in 1905. The bridge's two arch ribs, spaced 13 feet apart, rise 18 feet, creating an elegant design that held up well for many years.
Google / Chaislyn Preder
As with any structure enduring over a century of exposure to the elements, the Lake Park Ravine Road Bridge faced challenges, and eventually, the bridge needed some work. Fortunately, it was saved for future generations.
Google / Matt W
Milwaukee County undertook a comprehensive rehabilitation project that ensures the bridge will continue to serve the public for at least another 50 years as strong as beautiful as it was in the early 1900s.
Google / Matt W

My family lived a couple blocks from Lake Park, and some of my earliest memories are from this place. Learn more about Lake Park on the Visit Milwaukee website. It was a big and expensive project, but it’s wonderful that it’s being preserved for the future. Get your park walking supplies at REI; and here are more places to find some fun Wisconsin outdoor adventures.

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Lake Park by Frederick Law Olmstead, 2975 N Lake Park Rd, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA