Wonderful Ways to Play Outdoors in Green Bay, Wisconsin

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The Fox River and Green Bay’s bay provide a lot of options for outdoor activities.
The Fox River and Green Bay’s bay provide a multitude of ways to play outdoors. Photo credit: Christine Tibbetts

Since there are five seasons in Green Bay, Wisconsin, playing outdoors in all kinds of weather is highly possible.

The Bay, of course, is one playground, and so is the Fox River, flowing right through downtown. Walking trails abound in conservancies and other protected spaces.

And a Great Lake is just a short drive away, with forests and dairy farming views en route.

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Lambeau Field in Green Bay also offers the chance for you to enjoy outdoor activities.
Outdoors is the idea at Lambeau Field. Green Bay Packers football is not about retractable rods and closed spaces. Photo credit: Christine Tibbetts

A Fifth Season?

Season Five is Game Day with the Green Bay Packers in Lambeau Field. Bleachers circle the field, but sitting isn’t the point. Neither is the famed Lambeau Leap; that’s for touchdown exclamation points in the end zone.

Season Five is for cheering the team, for touring Lambeau Field and its 2023 renovations ($90 million worth!)  and for strolling the massive Green Bay Packers Pro Shop.

The store’s a museum as well as a source for merchandise. Hot items include April, 2025, NFL draft logos. That draft will happen in Green Bay.

Read More: Fun Things to Do in Green Bay for adults and kids.

Get merchandises with names and logos for the 2025 draft even stocked in Green Bay.
Fans seem to need names and logos of their teams, and Green Bay is stocking up for its 2025 NFL draft event. Photo credit: Christine Tibbetts

Try These Green Bay Waterways

  • Fox River floats
  • Green Bay Sail & Paddle

Nationally Important Habitat

Green Bay’s waters have been described by NOAA – the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration—as the world’s largest freshwater estuary. Good reason to want to sail and kayak there!

Final approval is expected in May of 2025 for 37,000 acres of this land and water to officially join 30 coastal sites as an estuarine research reserve.

Think Fox River meets Lake Michigan!

SheBuysTravel Tip: Good to be in the know when playing outdoors in nationally recognized Green Bay! Estuary means ecosystem where fresh river water meets tidal seawater. That can be an ocean, or Great Lake.

Enjoy the calming views at Fox River in Green Bay.
Enjoying the Fox River can be calming as well as sports-minded. Photo credit: Christine Tibbetts

Fox River

Locks add to the fun of kayaking on the Fox River, holding a rope as the water level changes! Even the lock keeper’s house is picturesque—pale blue and overlooking lush pollinator gardens of native plants along the river’s edge.

The Fox is a calm, meandering river, urban for sure as it divides downtown Green Bay. Seventeen locks control water in 39 miles of the Fox; a shorter, easy stretch for a Green Bay kayak experience is along the De Pere Riverwalk.

Enjoy the views of Bay Beach amusement park while sailing in Green Bay
Sail Green Bay with Sail & Paddle toward views of the Bay Beach amusement park roller coaster, and rejoice in clean waters and citizens proud of upcoming estuary research. Photo credit: Christine Tibbetts.

Sail & Paddle

Getting out on the bay named Green seems important, and Sail & Paddle thinks so too. They’re a non-profit (just like the Green Bay Packers) which thinks all sorts of people should have the chance to sail.

“Green Bay grew up with so much industry,” says sailing director Jeff Larson, “that people didn’t realize just how much water we have for sports.”

Sail on their catamarans, with lessons and guidance. Ages 8 to 99 are welcomed, and on certain family nights, children ages 6 and 7 can come along too.

This is the southern part of the bay, and Larson says the water’s shallow.

Best way to see if the schedule matches vacation visiting plans is to check the Sail & Paddle website for women-only or family or small group times. Larson is often sharing his love of sailing with people whose challenges have limited opportunities for them.

Enjoy takin walks on beautiful trails in Green Bay.
Gotta love a walking trail this soft and lush. Volunteers tend Osprey Point. Photo credit: Christine Tibbetts

Hike These Green Bay Trails

  • Osprey Point
  • De Pere Riverwalk
  • Ice Age Trail
  • Baird Creek Greenway

Osprey Point

Just knowing ospreys return to these 100 acres makes walking the trails special. And the trails are grassy and wide, surrounded with lush growth.

Volunteers take care of Osprey Point which is in the Bellevue community, part of greater Green Bay. Mailing address is De Pere which offers many reasons to visit.

“Natural-ness” is their goal and the Osprey Point volunteers seem equally determined to share water, woods, wildlife and air with visitors—for free.

They care about Green Bay’s Fox River and praise the massive cleanup several decades ago, changing its personality from industry to outdoor pleasures. They’re quick to point out the Fox flows south to north,  as does the East River which sometimes is part of the Osprey Conservancy title.

Find two catch-and-release aerated fishing ponds, 60 bird species, two beehives—and plans for a playground made totally from things of nature when you go.

The pond in Green Bay also offer ideas for outdoor activities just as the rivers would.
Little ponds invite outdoor activity in Green Bay as much as the big lake and bay. Photo credit: Christine Tibbetts

De Pere Riverwalk

Go for 20 miles if you like on the Fox River State Recreation Trail—smooth and paved. Or choose an easy stroll to chat with the pelicans and peer into the river where kayaks experience the northern end of the lock system.

Pelican encounters really matter because they’re the evidence river cleanup passes muster! The birds hadn’t been seen for years and now they’ve made new homes in Green Bay.

This walk features grassy spaces and picnic tables, families figuring out  fishing pole set-ups for little kids and long views along the Fox River where skilled fishing seems to be happening.

Study flowers native to this region because they are planted in abundance, with signage, or just enjoy the way they look, edging the walkway and the river.

Half-an-hour is a good stroll from the parking lot sign for De Pere Riverwalk to the pelican gathering.  

Dont forget to walk beside the Fox River pop up in Green Bay for views such as thisstained glass window.
Reminders to walk beside the Fox River pop up all over Green Bay, including this stained glass window in The Legacy Hotel. Photo credit: Christine Tibbetts

Ice Age Trail

The National Park Service is the authority for this walk, and a wooly mammoth with enormous tusks adorns the logo. My mile and a half near Algoma and Lake Michigan was rained out, but the opportunity to understand about glaciers is real.

SheBuysTravel Tip: Key places to notice on the Park Service map for an Ice Age hike from Green Bay are Point Beach State Forest, Two Creeks Buried Forest and Potawatomi. Most definitely focus on the little town of Algoma for lunch, art galleries and an interesting winery.

Baird Creek Greenway

This outdoor public space is also a non-profit preservation foundation. Lots of that non-profit attitude in Green Bay, Wisconsin it seems.

 Hike, bike and cross-country ski on 14 miles of trails if you’re human. Count on flowers and nectar if you’re a bee or butterfly. Other animals? Know the preservationists are maintaining habitats.

Mountain bikers understand single and double track terrains, and some seek the Baird Creek Greenway technical sections with rocks, roots and creek crossings.

Count on nature walking trails and picnic areas also. Dogs need to be on leashes no longer than seven feet.

Plans call for connecting to the Ice Age Trail.

Multi-purpose sitting places in the streets of Green Bay for your outdoor ideas.
So matters, paying attention to space along the Fox River in Green Bay. These sitting spaces have many purposes. Photo credit: Christine Tibbetts

Stroll These Downtowns

Green Bay

CityDeck needs to figure into treks to Green Bay’s city center. It’s a 2.5 acre linear park along the Fox River, with platforms jutting out over the water, and docking spaces for kayaks, canoes and small boats.

Think both sides of the river because planners wanted to connect the city which the Fox flows through. The 50-foot wide boardwalk is a quarter mile long.

Two bridges at either end bookend this riverwalk, further connecting Green Bay.

Wooden benches invited me to stretch out and consider napping; it seems they’re also strategic barricades to withstand a 100-year flood!

Special events happen on CityDeck. Fridays on the Fox is one, attracting thousands, with free live music and sunset viewing. Boaters listen and watch from the river; others from the deck and restaurant patios.

Paddling in the Fox River is also a great  outdoor activity when you are in Green Bay
Locktenders used to live here. Today’s kayakers need to call ahead to adjust the flow for a Fox River paddle. Photo credit: Christine Tibbetts

De Pere

Green Bay, like many cities, involves smaller communities with personalities of their own while being part of the greater “beyond legendary” mission.

 The De Pere Riverwalk connects visitors to the locktender’s house, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This is also considered a wildlife viewing pier with reports of bald eagles, black cormorants, salmon, walleye and pelicans.

River walking and wildlife viewing is highly recommended in Green Bay.
River walking and wildlife viewing—readily available and much utilized in Green Bay. Photo credit: Christine Tibbetts

Mulva Cultural Center is a see-through building in De Pere, connecting inside and out, including grand views of the Fox River.

IMAX 3D films and nationally touring exhibitions are the staples, as are meals and snacks in the gourmet on-site restaurant. I didn’t eat but saw pastries reminiscent of trips to Europe.

St. Norbert is a Catholic liberal arts undergraduate college in De Pere with 2,200 students, and graduate and medical programs too.

SheBuysTravel Tip: Walk to campus and admire the sculpture of Norbert falling from his horse which was startled by a bolt of lightning. The story of his religious conversion inspires many student, faculty and graduate conversations.

Algoma

If 30 miles feels like a bit much for a day trip to Algoma, rethink road trip immersion in beautiful Wisconsin countryside with Lake Michigan at the end! Sandy beach, active lighthouse, charter fishing, art galleries and murals, heather and lavender farm and a most interesting downtown winery named Von Stiehl.

Some visitors stay for a month, timing their trips to the kite festival, blessing of the fleet, outdoor music concerts and beach festivals. That’s a story of longevity—Soar and Shore has been an Algoma happening for 36 years.

Crescent is the name of the beach, with a half-mile boardwalk accessible from both ends. Find a changing room at the north end.

Check out and visit the  Von Stiehl Winery in Algoma Green Bay.
Family owned and operated, the Von Stiehl Winery in Algoma involves an historic 1868 building.. . and modern=day, cutting edge innovations. Photo credit: Christine Tibbetts

Von Stiehl Winery, Cidery, Distillery

Brothers run Von Stiehl but their family name is Schmiling. And their philosophies are sustainability and innovation, humor and technology—and flavors.

That innovation is made even more interesting since it happens in an 1868 building listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

SheBuysTravel Tip: Take the 40-minute tour to uncover the owner/operator  brothers’ forward thinking and to see the Italian bottling machine, first in North America, says Brad Schmiling.

Grapes are sourced from California, Washington, New York, Michigan and next-door Door County! Stony Creek Vineyard, Schmiling-family owned for 100 years, is six miles north of Algoma, the oldest commercial vineyard in the county.   

What’s in a name? Physician Charles Stiehl launched the winery in 1967.

Art in Von Stiehle Winery Green Bay
Grapes need some nudging to turn to wine, right? Art in Von Stiehle Winery suggests one way. Photo credit: Christine Tibbetts

Where To Sleep

Lodge at the Legacy Green Bay.
The Legacy Green Bay is all-suites and the television which rises out of the footboard swivels for watching from every direction. Photo credit: Christine Tibbetts

The Legacy

Live music – audible, not visible, from the entry lobby – bodes well for a fine hotel stay. That’s how my after-dinner check-in at the Green Bay Legacy Hotel started.

Positive notes.

January, 2024 was the opening of this all-suites hotel in sight of the Green Bay Packers Lambeau Field.  

The address will welcome football fans: 1004 Brett Favre Pass. For less aware guests, Favre was the Packers quarterback who started 235 games—from September 20, 1992 to January 20, 2008.

The space with the music feels like a large living room, with high-backed wing chairs in a variety of fabrics, and groupings with small sofas allowing for multiple private conversations. . . or focus while listening to jazz.

 Suites are studios, one-bedroom and penthouse, dogs welcome, wifi free and easy to log in, and the airport just five miles away.

There’s a twist with the television remotes: one raises and lowers the big-screen into the footboard of the king-size bed.

Wyndham calls the Legacy part of their Trademark Collection. They make it easy to orient to Green Bay with a handsome art glass window separating the lobby bar and sit-down restaurant. Clearly the very blue Fox River flows through downtown.

A casual grab-a-breakfast café features simple murals detailing Green Bay scenes; this is learn your way around while choosing from an array of muffins tourism.

SheBuysTravel Tip: Head up to the top floor bar whether you want a cocktail or not. The spaces are interesting. With live music in the lobby-level bar, it could be hard to remember to go up too. Full disclosure: I ordered a Wisconsin old-fashioned. That involves brandy.

Check into the LodgeKohler, Green Bay to experience the water features and shower heads
Intimate seating areas define the LodgeKohler lobby. Might need to check in to experience the water features and shower heads. Photo credit: Christine Tibbetts

LodgeKohler

The name’s one word, and yes it emphasizes fancy room showers (five shower heads!) and sumptuous water features in the spa. Kohler, after all, is a Wisconsin family company started in 1873 and known for its plumbing products.

LodgeKohler Green Bay includes 10 suites in its 144 rooms. The lobby is intimate, with several separate sections and big-screen tvs.

The spa is named Waters, with a HydroMassage experience pool with custom jets, cool plunge pool, steam room and sauna in addition to the full range of expected spa treatments.

Walk across the lawn at the expansive public playground called TitleTown for one of the hotel’s entrances.

Families are likely playing catch with footballs on that lawn,  and people of all ages are enjoying night markets with vendors, ice skating and sledding in winter, restaurants and bars in all seasons.

TitleTown is another one of those “give back to the community” notions so evident in Green Bay. The Packers are the owners, and there are plenty of businesses, but the green spaces to play and mingle for free are equally abundant.

Enjoy cheese which is a staple in Green Bay.
Cheese is a staple in Green Bay eateries, and selfie-photo moments.Yellow and green colors dominate too. Photo credit: Christine Tibbetts

Stiehle Away

Next door to the winery in Algoma is a rental cabin with a great name: Stiehle Away. One room has a queen bed, one a set of bunk beds and the sofa pulls out.

Enjoy salads in Green Bay.
Beet salads? Fresh perch? Great Lake walleye? Special-recipe pizza? Game-day favorites? Bowls of multiple ingredients, and sometimes chopsticks? Photo credit: Christine Tibbets

Try These Brews and Meals

Cheese curds seem right to order every day, and they taste a bit different each place. But they always squeak.

Among many Green Bay dining options, these offer up a particular memorable distinction:

  • Cocoon Brewing in De Pere
    Pollinator gardens brimming with flowers, and also yard spaces just right for kids who want to run. Plus, comfy little cabins for friend or family brew tasting with a bit of privacy and lounging furniture.
  • Nicky’s Lion Head in De Pere
    Handsome tavern feel with dark wood and neon lights, and an upstairs overlooking it all
  • Cedar & Sage Grill House in the Oneida Nation casino
    Menu reflecting indigenous traditions with easy access to  the casino.
  • Hagemeister Park on CityDeck in Green Bay
    Center front for festivals at the river, and for downtown explorations.
  • Three Eleven  Bar and Bistro in Algoma
    Careful attention to fine dining cuisine in a downtown which encourages kite flying, beach strolling, wine tasting and an abundance of art galleries and murals.
Christine Tibbetts believes family travel is shared discovery — almost like having a secret among generations who travel together. The matriarch of a big blended clan with many adventuresome traveling members, she is a classically-trained journalist. Christine handled PR and marketing accounts for four decades, specializing in tourism, the arts, education, politics and community development.  She builds travel features with depth interviews and abundant musing to uncover the soul of each place.
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