Well Seasoned
When it comes to stretching your legs, there’s no shortage of opportunity in the Wausau region. A true four-season climate ensures a variety of activities around the calendar to suit every recreational taste.
Warm weather in Wausau invites those of the active persuasion to the area’s many parks, which cover more than 3,000 acres in Marathon County. Runners, bikers, strollers and fresh-air breathers all enjoy the many paths and trails that crisscross the area.
The Mountain-Bay Trail runs 83 miles through three counties, all the way from Rib Mountain to Green Bay. Bikers can tackle the entire length in about eight hours, while a more leisurely ride or hike leads to a nearby lake with a beach.
“They call it a hidden gem of Marathon County,” says Helen Pagenkopf, president of the Friends of Mountain-Bay Trail Organization. “Until people ride the whole thing and read the signs, they have no idea what went on there at one time in those little towns.”
For those who prefer to spend time on the water, the Wausau Whitewater Course downtown offers a run for paddlers of all skill levels to get their fix. The 600-yard course on the Wisconsin River has been used by Olympians for training, plays host to national kayaking competitions (for those who’d rather watch than float) and offers a learning ground for paddlers just getting their feet wet, so to speak.
“We want people to understand that it is something they can do themselves,” says Julie Walraven, operations coordinator for Wausau Whitewater.
The river also provides a scenic addition to many area parks, while Lake Wausau offers ample fishing opportunities – in the summer months as well as winter, when ice fishing becomes a popular pastime.
Just because the weather gets cold doesn’t mean a recreation hibernation. In fact, many Wisconsinites stay just as active during the winter months as they do in the summer.
Granite Peak Ski Area’s 74 runs keep snowboarders and skiers busy from around mid-November through the end of March. Part of Rib Mountain State Park, the 410-acre ski area has undergone major renovations in the last decade, putting it among the most modern public slopes in the nation.
For something a little less extreme that still requires skill and energy, check out the Wausau Curling Club, which has roughly 500 members who take to the indoor ice to sweep 42-pound smooth granite stones toward a bull’s-eye.
“For those who are golfers, it’s more like chipping and putting than it is like driving the ball,” explains Cal Tillisch, a head instructor with the club and a 35-year curling veteran.
The sport is played by all ages (the club’s members range from 10 to 80), and everyone from high school teams to families enjoys the 500-year-old sport.
“Although we love brats and cheese curds, we do think that in the winter, you need to do something other than just eat brats and cheese curds,” Tillisch says.
Another popular winter sport in the area is tubing down the slopes at Sylvan Hill Winter Recreation Area. During the rest of the year, spring wildflower walks, summer camping trips and the impressive fall foliage draw residents to other area attractions, such as the Dells of Eau Claire River, a state natural area just east of Wausau.
“The great outdoors, in every sense of the phrase, is right outside our back doors,” says Karyn Powers, superintendent of Marathon County Parks, Recreation and Forestry. “The possibilities are only limited by the imagination.”
