Oak Leaf Trail Branch Lines
The Oak Leaf Trail is a 125 mile system of bike trails that loop around Milwaukee County in Wisconsin.
The origins of the trail system date back to the 1930's, when cyclist Henry 'Zip' Morgan introduced the first cycle tour route in the county using roads and parkways. Over the decades the system grew, with miles of off-road trails created.
By the 2010's, the system was over 125 miles and was getting complicated. Little signage or mapping was available, so in 2018, a project began to improve wayfinding.
Taking inspiration from the transit maps, like the London Underground, we began by defining colors and names of 'branch lines' to help ease navigation. This map introduced those branch lines to trail users, by showcasing the parks along each branch line.
Most lines were named for the body of water they followed: Milwaukee River , Menomonee River, Kinnickinnic River, Root River, Oak Creek &Lake Michigan
A speedy route that follows an old railway line was named the Zip line, in honor of Henry 'Zip' Morgan.