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Heckrodt Wetland Reserve
4.8 ★★★★★ 1,369 Google reviews · Running trail in Menasha, Wisconsin · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Boardwalk
- Distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Heckrodt Wetland Reserve's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
City nature reserve with boardwalks & trails through wetland, prairie & forest & a nature center.
What runners say about Heckrodt Wetland Reserve
“Everything throughout the property appeared to be well taken care of — clean, well-organized, and clearly maintained with pride.”
“We enjoyed the butterflies, climbing on the rocks, looking through the binoculars at the wetland ponds at the beautiful scenery.”
“The trails are peaceful and easy to navigate, offering plenty of opportunities to observe birds, plants, and wetland life up close.”
“So tranquil and peaceful, at several points during my visit I was within 20 ft of wildlife such as Mallard ducks, Canadian geese, a redheaded woodpecker and at one point a turkey.”
“Heckrodt Wetland Reserve is a beautifully maintained and thoughtfully designed place that offers something special for visitors of all ages.”
Beautiful, peaceful place to walk and take in nature. We saw woodpeckers, ducks and a crane family. Well maintained and so beautiful for taking serene photos. Trails are all groomed or wood planked. Best place in the valley to walk. We usually see deer when we come here too.
Very nicely developed and maintained park with lovely manicured trails through the woods. Several places along the path were far enough removed from traffic to have a very peaceful quiet nature only noise. There is also an excellent children’s playground and a nice nature center.
Beautiful board walks. Lush forest/swamp with tons of wildlife. Great interactive park for kids and adults alike. Fun rooms in the learning center for educating everyone on nature in the surrounding area, plus cool upclose enclosures of some of the animals who make their home here.
Grateful for this beautiful oasis for plants & animals in the heart of the Fox Cities. Well maintained trails to entice you & your family to explore, hike & discover. You'll find Wildflowers & Wetlands, Deer, Owls & many other critters. The Nature Center is so cool~ a perfect place to educate youth groups about Nature.
Trail conditions & character
“They have a lot of seating and some trails made from wooden planks so these trails are very accessible which is really cool to see.”
“We enjoyed the butterflies, climbing on the rocks, looking through the binoculars at the wetland ponds at the beautiful scenery.”
“So tranquil and peaceful, at several points during my visit I was within 20 ft of wildlife such as Mallard ducks, Canadian geese, a redheaded woodpecker and at one point a turkey.”
“Excellent walking trails and boardwalk throughout the wetlands.”
Plan your run at Heckrodt Wetland Reserve
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- SurfaceBoardwalk — flat and scenic, and slick when wet, so watch your footing
- DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- Stroller / wheelchairReported as smooth and step-free enough for a running stroller or a chair.
- Websiteheckrodtnaturecenter.org
- Phone(920) 720-9349
Hours
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | 8 AM–4:30 AM |
| Wednesday | 8 AM–4:30 AM |
| Thursday | 8 AM–4:30 AM |
| Friday | 8 AM–4:30 AM |
| Saturday | 11 AM–4 AM |
| Sunday | Closed |
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