Seminary Woods St. Francis

Seminary Woods is a nature forest spanning 68 acres near Lake Michigan in St. Francis, filled with beech and maple trees along with native wildflowers throughout the landscape. Walking paths run through the woods, allowing visitors to explore different sections of this natural environment at their own pace.

The forest became part of the Saint Francis de Sales Seminary in 1855 when the institution moved from Milwaukee to this location. This relocation transformed the woodland into a center for religious and community activities in the region.

The cemetery nestled among the trees holds graves of Franciscan sisters, archbishops, and children from St. Aemilian's orphanage, showing how this place has served the community across generations. The presence of these burial grounds beneath the ancient trees creates a space for quiet reflection and remembrance.

The trails are relatively flat and easy to navigate, though they can become muddy or slippery depending on weather. Plan your visit during warmer months when the paths are dryer and the plants are more visible along the forest floor.

This forest is one of the few remaining beech-maple woodlands of its kind in Wisconsin, hosting rare plant communities found nowhere else nearby. The terrain shows traces of ancient glacial movements that shaped the landscape long ago.