Highland Road Bike Spur: Connecting Trail and Park
A new connection between two of Mequon’s outdoor destinations will give families another way to reach Rotary Park on foot or by bicycle.
The Highland Road Bike/Pedestrian Spur is a roughly 1.5-mile, 10-foot-wide paved trail connecting the Ozaukee Interurban Trail with Rotary Park along the north side of Highland Road. The off-road route expands walking and biking access between neighborhoods, the park and the existing trail network.
The community is invited to celebrate its official opening on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at Rotary Park’s South Pavilion.
Related: Updates coming to the Oak Leaf Trail in 2027
Opening Celebration: Oct. 18
According to the official ribbon-cutting announcement, the celebration will run from 4 to 5 p.m., with official remarks beginning at 4:15 p.m.
Date: Sunday, October 18, 2026
Time: 4–5 p.m.; remarks at 4:15 p.m.
Location: Rotary Park South Pavilion
Address: 4100 W. Highland Road, Mequon
Entrance: Organizers ask visitors to use the west entrance.
Visitors are encouraged to arrive early to meet the people who helped plan, build and support the project. After the ceremony, attendees are invited to walk or bike along the new trail.
Why This Connection Matters
Where is the new Highland Road Bike Spur?
A roughly 1.5-mile paved connection along Highland Road in Mequon, from the Ozaukee Interurban Trail to Rotary Park.
Opening celebration: Sunday, October 18, 2026, 4–5 p.m. · Remarks at 4:15 p.m. · Rotary Park South Pavilion, 4100 W. Highland Road. Use the west entrance.
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Location overview, not turn-by-turn navigation. The dashed line connects the project endpoints schematically; it does not trace every bend or crossing. The red pin identifies Rotary Park, not the exact pavilion. Enter via the west driveway and follow signs to the South Pavilion.
The spur adds an east-west link to the area’s trail system, making Rotary Park a destination that people can reach from the Interurban Trail using a dedicated paved path along Highland Road.
For families, that creates more options: a park stop during a longer bike ride, a walk along the new connector, or a shorter outing with Rotary Park as the starting point. Traveling the full spur out and back would be approximately three miles, before adding any distance within the park or along the Interurban.
The path is designed for both walking and biking. As with other shared trails, riders should slow around pedestrians and watch for traffic at driveways and road crossings.
For more nearby routes and outing ideas, explore our Milwaukee North Shore family cycling guide.
Years of Planning and Community Support
The Highland Road spur is the first project of MT Trails Foundation, which grew from a residents’ committee formed in 2021 and became a nonprofit in 2022. Its mission is to expand family-friendly, off-road walking and bicycling trails throughout Mequon and Thiensville.
The foundation reports receiving a $988,000 federal grant, administered through the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, alongside community support. Its February 2026 budget put the cost of developing and constructing the path at approximately $1.2 million, with another $100,000 sought for a maintenance endowment.
Construction was scheduled to begin in mid-June 2026 and finish by September 30. Buteyn-Peterson Construction Company was selected as the contractor, with raSmith overseeing construction.
A Park Stop and a Gateway to Longer Rides
Rotary Park offers playgrounds, sports fields, picnic pavilions, walking trails and a fishing pond, giving families reasons to pause before heading back along the connector. Find more nearby destinations in our North Shore parks guide.
The connecting Ozaukee Interurban Trail stretches 30 paved miles through Mequon, Thiensville, Cedarburg, Grafton, Port Washington and Belgium. It follows the corridor of the former Milwaukee–Sheboygan interurban railway, which operated from 1908 to 1948.
The official Interurban Trail map can help visitors plan a longer ride and identify destinations along the route.
Maintenance Fundraising Continues
The opening also marks the beginning of long-term care for the new path. MT Trails Foundation continues to raise money for its $100,000 maintenance endowment, which it estimates would provide approximately $5,000 annually for clearing, plowing and upkeep.
Residents interested in supporting that work can find maintenance fundraising information and donation instructions through the foundation.
Mequon’s Outdoor Updates
The new trail connection comes as other projects could reshape family recreation in Mequon. North Shore Family Adventures has also covered Mequon Commons’ 30-year vision for the civic campus, plans to replace Riverview Park’s aging playground, and the proposed Rotary Park All-User Playground. Each offers another opportunity to make local public spaces more welcoming, accessible and useful for families.
The Highland Road Bike/Pedestrian Spur is a roughly 1.5-mile, 10-foot-wide paved trail connecting the Ozaukee Interurban Trail with Rotary Park along the north side of Highland Road. The off-road route expands walking and biking access between neighborhoods, the park and the existing trail network.