Walk, Talk & Gawk

There’s almost no better way to see the beautiful houses on the lake than walking right in front of them. With a dedicated path along the entire shoreline this has to be one of the most unique experiences in the southeast Wisconsin region. Bring your water bottles, snacks and camera and enjoy the variety of house styles and luscious landscape. Beware though of how much you drink as there are no public restrooms along the route. You need to make it to a town with amenities so plan accordingly. Buy the walking path map at the local town shops or Gage Boats to get the specific maps of the different parts of the lake. It’s worth a small investment to choose your route and be prepared. Remember it’s 23 miles around the lake so do what you can and enjoy the memories.

Beautiful path along the lake with million-​dollar views (houses and waterfront). Nice leg starts at Campbell St (just down from the Chamber of Commerce). Free street parking on Campbell.

I’m still a huge fan of the mansion walk and will continue to drive all the way from Highland Park just to take the tour, perhaps even every other weekend this summer, but…
For some reason I didn’t enjoy the walk as much as usual over Memorial Day weekend. It was beyond buggy, not that I have control over that, but the path also seemed a bit more rugged than the usual with unused boat ramps piled up along the path (2^nd year of sitting), the ever obnoxious runner (have no idea how he didn’t crack his head on the ramps, trip on something along the way, or knock over a child), and the path just didn’t seem as loved and maintained as it usually is. Mind you this could be because the weather is just getting nicer and there is some work to do, but I have to wonder if the residents are slowly getting over the whole thing — I sure hope not.
My biggest suggestion to those taking the walk for the first time is to be patient and take your time to look around. Don’t rush or you’ll miss out. Bring bug spray, sunscreen, water, a camera, and feel free say hello to the people you pass along the way (except for the obnoxious runner dude).
The big plus is the new bench along the path in front of one of the largest mansions of all. Nice for tired legs.
Note: Not stroller friendly. Just don’t do it.

A great trail at the lake with many wonderful views to include older house and the lake.

Walked this bad boy over the long weekend & loved it. We started in Fontana where we were staying & it took us around 10 hours with a small lunch break before the golf course & an ice cream break @ Kilwins. I highly suggest this on cool days & to go stroller free (if you plan on doing the whole loop). The majority of the trail really has no trail, you go up hill, through forest & brush, and down slanty bridges. If you are elderly &/​or have any trouble with body parts or have small kids I would suggest doing a more mild part of the trail about a mile out from LG in both directions. I also highly suggest to start this in the early morning & not at 11 am like we did! (We didnt finish until a very dark 9 pm). Night walking can be kind of dangerous especially so close to the water & in the foresty bits with a very uneven trail. DO NOT do alone. Bring a cell phone, water bottles, a backpack, an interesting companion, comfy shoes, flashlight & a band aids and you’ll be set. Good luck! Definitely plan on coming up next weekend to do a shorter version of the trail to see some more fall colours.

This is a great perk to visiting Lake Geneva! It’s a 21-​mile path around the lake & we walked about 10 miles of it over 4 days. You get wonderful views of the lake & those lovely homes along the lake.
A few things to know to prepare yourself:
–Bring bug spray
–Use the restroom beforehand because there won’t be a place to go unless you walk a VERY long distance to get to the next public beach area with restrooms (and I do mean a VERY long distance).
–We were told the residents with lakefront property are to maintain a 3-​foot path of some sort, but sometimes it’s only like a foot or wide or so and it can be quite uneven and filled with tree roots, so this is not a path for someone who has difficulty walking. Also, they don’t have to keep a paved path, just a path, so in some areas it’s simply grass and/​or dirt (mud, if it’s rained recently).
–There are next to NO benches available either so keep that in mind & wear comfortable walking shoes.

OMG what a beautiful path to do in Lake Geneva — if you live in the area, or if you are on vacation, I highly recommend walking on this path (you don’t have to do the whole thing and if you do, you need some essentials)
–bring water, snacks, band aids
–take breaks, there are plenty of benches around so you can stretch and rub your feet if necessary
–wear good shoes, socks, etc (and if its been wet lately, bring another pair of socks to change)
–stop in Fontana for some grub
–bring your camera (there are some GORGEOUS houses and just about any view of the lake is great)
The only thing our group was kind of annoyed with is that there are not many mile markers on the walk, so you are constantly wondering how far you have walked or how much more you have left.
I will say that the whole walk took us about 10 hours and we stopped for lunch. I am pretty fit, and was never out of breath, but my feet were SUPER sore at the end of the day and we were all hurting. I had to put on «Eye of the Tiger» to get us to the finish line ;)
It is a great experience and really can’t wait to do it again!

Wow what a hidden gem! It is the Lake Geneva Shoreline Walk Path. The entire path is 21 miles long but we completed 14.30 miles. We hiked on so many different surfaces: cement, grass, wooden stairs, landscaping brick, dirt, gravel and over little bridges. It was a adventure and it made my week! I started on the trail at sunrise (7am) during the weekday, I only saw 3 runners, one walker and someone walking their dog, pretty much had the trail to ourselves. You go pass gorgeous mansions on the lake, huge properties. You are walking through their backyards! It is strange because you feel like you shouldn’t be there, like you are trespassing but it is marked the shoreline path open to the public. Mansions were on your right and the lake is a couple feet to our left, listening to the waves while hiking doesn’t get better than that. I saw hawks, wild turkeys, a fox, ducks and geese. It was a bit chilly being on the lake in october but I still loved it. I posted several pics from my hiking adventure. Check them out and check out this trail when visiting Lake Geneva, you will not be disappointed. Next time we will hike the 21 mile course!
Tip: There is no bathrooms and bring a water bottle.

The Geneva Lake Shore Path is definitely something to do before you trip to Lake Geneva is over.
We bought our Walk, Talk, and Gawk pamphlet at the Cornerstore in downtown Lake Geneva. The pamphlet is really great in separating the Path out into smaller hikes. They give great details like how many miles individual paths are (so you can plan accordingly and still have some gas left in your tank to get back to your car!), where you can park while hiking (and if there is a fee to park), if the terrain is more steep or even, and even what type of path the majority of the walking area has. For example, we chose a path that was mostly even, and had mostly man made paths, instead a of a more steep hike over just grass and mud.
Our hike started in Williams Bay (free parking near the beach) and we headed out about 5 miles past the bay.
A few tips before you begin your hike:
1. Definitely carry water. There aren’t any bathrooms/​water fountains along the way.
2. If you bring snacks, bring ones that are pretty easy to eat while walking. You can’t really stop anywhere, as most of the path is through private backyards.
3. If you do need to rest, stop when you can. As mentioned above, the paths are just small easements through home owners’ backyards on the lake. Some people really keep up the path on their property using concrete, pavers, or other easily walked terrain. Some people have nothing more than a path of dead grass and mud. There were some benches along the way that people put out for hikers to use, so we stopped there when necessary.
We went early, before it got too hot. By the time we headed home, I was ready to jump in the lake because it was really warm.
The paths are pet friendly, we brought our dog, but you will definitely need a leash.

i love the geneva lakeshore path! its a great way to exercise without even knowing it! you get to walk along the lake through peoples yards and see their houses and boats. make sure to wear comfy clothes and shoes, bring water and a small first aid kit in case you trip because there are parts of the path that are slightly dangerous. it’s a great experience you must try if you’re in the area!

I am giving 5 stars to one of the activities in the Lake Geneva area: THE GENEVA LAKE SHORE PATH. My wife and I learned of this the first time we visited Lake Geneva.
Now we just completed (in two days) the 21 mile circuit of Lake Geneva called The Geneva Lake Shore Path. Check out their web site:
The walk is interesting for a number of reasons: architecture, geography, history of the area (intertwined with the history of Chicago fat cats), sociology (saw a lot of Hispanic workers), geology, class differences, exercise, search for bathrooms, etc.