UW Arboretum Loop

Distance:

~7.25 mi (~11.75 km)

Description:

This route is mostly flat with a few small, gentle hills in the Arboretum and one along Monroe St. Parts of the route are heavily shaded and take runners along Lake Wingra.

Route:

Start at the Shell (aka Camp Randall Sports Center). Run south on Monroe St., which will take you away from the UW campus. Take a left (east) on to Grant St. At Grant and Garfield (the first stop sign) turn right into Vilas Park. Follow the blacktop path toward the Vilas Park Zoo and then right (south) toward Lake Wingra. Follow the lakeshore on Wingra Dr. to the Arboretum entrance (look for a wooden sign) at the intersection with S. Mills St. and Arboretum Dr. (aka McCaffey Dr.). Stay on Arboretum Dr. through the Arboretum passing through a small residential area and the McKay Nature Center. Leave the Arboretum taking a right on to Seminole Highway. After one block turn right onto Manitou Way. Follow Manitou pass Nakoma Golf Club through a residential neighborhood. When Manitou meets Nakoma Way take a right onto Nakoma Way. Follow Nakoma Way using the bike path on the right side of the road. Follow the bike path behind a few houses. The bike path, after one and half blocks follows Monroe St. Follow the bike path along Monroe St. back to the Shell. (One small alternate is to follow the bike path to Arbor Dr. and through Wingra Park and back to Monroe St.)

Water availability:

This route has five public water fountains and a hose at a house on Arbor Dr. Two fountains are found in Vilas Park: one near the Zoo entrance and another near Vilas Beach's bathhouse. In the Arboretum, a drinking fountain is a bit harder to find, but north and east of the McKay Center is a fountain mounted on the outside of a bathhouse. A house on Arbor Dr. has a "H2O" sign on the front lawn with a hose. The owner encourages runners to stop for water. Two more water fountains are found on Monroe St.

Notes:

If you would like to see pictures of the UW Arboretum or learn more about it, visit the UW Arboretum web site.