Lion's Den Gorge Nature Preserve

This was a perfect day to enjoy the hike and beach walk to find beautiful rocks. (I love to build cairns.) The water was an incredible blue and the waves sounded so peaceful. Taking a hike from the parking lot down a long stairway is fun but not if you have any issues walking. Going down is slow and easy but coming back up may be a challenge. However, as this was my first visit I do not know if other access points to the beach are easier.
The trails are well marked, and there is obviously lots of environmental protection being done. This is a beautiful place to really appreciate nature.
We enjoyed the day with many families (with and without children,) many dogs and lots of areas for kids to climb and play.
We made the hour drive and spent almost 3 hours enjoying the beach. As we left we all agreed that the drive is absolutely worth a return trip.
Whether you like to hike, let your kids explore, sit and listen to the waves, or give your pup a romp, there is plenty of room for anyone here. And I have to say everyone we met was friendly and made sure all visitors got to enjoy the place together. It is a wonderful place to spend your time.
When we arrived at 11:00 there was plenty of parking. When we left at 2:00 the lot was full, but cars were coming and going regularly.

Wow, so happy to have discovered this little hidden gem in Grafton!
Would never have guessed to see such beauty in this tucked away place by the lake!
There’s quite a bit of erosion going on so the view from the top looks even more rustic and calm. Lots of trails to follow through and we didn’t have a map but somehow made around the whole park without much effort. We walked from the parking lot down the lake view all the way to the stairs and the beach, and came back through a much straighter road lined with trees to get back. The trails are very easy to walk. The whole trip was about 2 miles. Truly peaceful and beautiful. There are nice chairs located throughout the trails for resting and enjoying the view.

This is a great way to spend a wonderful fall day. The walk was very easy. The stairs they had to get down to the lake where a lot of stairs so I would suggest if you can't do stairs you would not do the stairs down to the lake. However the view along the cliff overlooking the lake was just as beautiful. It was a windy day so there were lots of waves as well. It's a popular place and people bring their dogs to walk as well the most people you will run into are near the parking lot but as you get into the area you will have some lighter contact with others. But on other days when it is colder the amount of people will be less.

Absolutely love hiking here. Has the best views of Lake Michigan. Terrain is easy to navigate and has a path that's handicap and stroller friendly. Park and trails are dog friendly as well. Path leads to the lake. There are stairs leading to the lake. Has benches to sit down on. No restrooms avaliable once you're on the path but has running water restrooms and a smaller picnic area. Plenty of free parking. Park is free to enter. Have you phone or camera ready for breath taking photos. Absolutely recommend going here. Great for single hikers as well as couples and families with children and dogs.

Edit ~I love going here all year, even in the cold winter months. I definitely recommend going here. It's beautiful in summer and winter too!

Winter edit ~ still an amazing time. By far one of my favorites to go hiking and connect with nature. I love it here!!!

Beautiful park with great trails! Bathroom facilities are nice. Plenty of picnic tables & trash recepticles. We enjoyed plenty of fall colors & the beach. It was nice to see all the in memorandum benches. All of the apple trees were so neat to see.

I’m very happy to have experienced this beautiful place for the first time with family. Easy hike topside (boardwalks, crushed gravel, mulched sections) all well marked and portions accessible. Great views and if you’re able take the steps to the beach. Water color is beautiful here.

After an extremely long car ride, we really needed to stretch our legs. I looked for a place nearby that had great views and walk paths and this fit the bill. The views of the lake are spectacular and the walk paths are not tough to do. There are parts that have steep stairs and are quite the climb to get down to the lake, but you could easily skip them if you have bad knees. Some paths are marked as handicap friendly, but my boyfriend (whose mom is in a wheelchair) noted that it would have been difficult for her to navigate due to ruts and bumps in the unpaved path (it's a small gravel, not a concrete or asphalt surface). They have clean bathrooms on site near the parking lot and a covered area with tables which would be great for a picnic). The scenery is gorgeous with the wildflowers and sound of birds chirping. We even saw a deer on the path, less than 10 ft in front of us! Highly recommend.

This is a beautiful nature preserve with many well maintained paths. You have the option of several gravel paths or paths covered with wood chips. You can choose to go clockwise or counterclockwise as the trails are basically one big loop. However, you have many different branchings off that can cut the loop length down substantially. The weather was perfect for this time of year, and it felt great to get out into the sunshine. It was quite windy on the bluff trail and down at the water. For those curious people, there are 96 steps down and back up to the shore,but who was counting? 😉 we did the full loop and got a good walk in for the day.

Great park! Super accesible for strollers and little kids. Short hikes and well marked trails.
Steps to the beach are well maintained, the beach is perfect and clean, dogs are allowed.
At the parking lot you can find restrooms, water fountain and picnic tables.

Gorgeous natural reserve park with beautiful views and plants. We went on a Wednesday midday and there was a lot of open parking spaces and not a lot of people on the trail.

The views you see from the location are breathtaking. This would be a gorgeous place to do a nature inspired photoshoot or also great if you want to walk the trail as a form of exercise. There are benches through the trail so you can stop and rest. Overall I would recommend to anyone looking to do a nature walk whether you are local or visiting Port Washington.

Wonderful Lake Michigan views: see the horizon in the sky over the huge Lake Michigan blue water by standing on the vista of the hundreds feet high steep bluff; feel the breeze of the lake wind; listen to birds singing; smell colorful flowers of the dense jungle naturally covering the bluff; enjoy the green trees hugging you tightly when walking on the soft trails... The Bluff Trail (wheelchair friendly), and many other trails are well maintained, clean, with the needed facilities (parking, rest room, picnic tables, even the trail special built for your pets and your family...) just like enjoying life in a large city. It is about 30 minutes driving distance from the downtown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Search "Lion's Den Gorge Nature Preserve" on internet you will find its many positive reviews are well deserved your trip.
To see more, search "Vista @high steep bluff of Lake Michigan" on Youtube app.

Beautiful beautiful beautiful! What more to say. I would recommend this park to anyone in average athletic condition. The only thing to be aware of is the rough and uneven terrain on the bluff trail, however there is a gravel trail the runs parallel but is on the other side of the woods so you don't hear the lake. There were plenty of strollers and dogs of all shapes and sizes, but a wheel chair, even an all-terrain motorized wheelchair, would be difficult on the more scenic route. Highly recommend 👍🏻

Really really truly loved this nature trail! Absolutely a must see. Totally worth it. Quite the walk but definitely worth the time. 10/10 definitely suggest visiting this nature preserve it’s gorgeous. Pictures and words don’t do justice for the beauty of this preserve. The bridge is really cool. The view is just unbelievable.

Beautiful variety of hikes. Stairs to beach after a level 1 mile hike. Seasonal changes, various wildflowers.

This is a great hike along Lake Michigan. I cannot wait to come back when there is more greenery and in the fall. Half way through the hike you can venture down multiple flights of stairs to get to the shoreline. The only negative is that this place does seem to get pretty crowded and it seems you are constantly walking on others shoes here, other than that it's worth taking a day out to check this wonderful location out!

Awesome hiking trails and shoreline views of Lake Michigan .

Beautiful day here.Highly recommended hiking area if you are in the area.

Breathtaking views from the bluff with dizzying spots that seem to fall straight down to Lake Michigan. Popular trails for people and dogs that wind across an eroding sandy cliff of trees, with dense flora hanging over curving walks. Stairs (100+) that lead down to sometimes rough surf with powerful waves crashing over colorful, smooth rocks. An escape from the Wisconsin hinterland - albeit an occasionally crowded one, including some that fear no falls with their edge hammocks. A thrill for the family, though, and full of potentially quiet moments where the setting secures long memories, together. Bathrooms locked, expanded parking.

What a beautiful hike!!! It feels like visiting a beautiful ocean right here in the Midwest. We are very lucky to have this scenery in our neck of the woods!

Beautiful park! Trail is pretty easy no matter which way you go. You can do various loops through the park, lots of great view points.