Alexander Dam to Riverside Park Landing

Paddle through both urban and natural wonders! Travel from Alexander Dam to Riverside Park along the Great Pinery Heritage Waterway. This 5.9-mile trail segment is relatively easy for most paddlers and allows you to enjoy vibrant cityscape views. At the end of this segment you can pull up to the Riverside Park where you can play volleyball, enjoy a disc golf course, or eat a picnic at the shelter!

The trail starts at Mile Marker 137.8 at the foot of the historical Alexander Dam for this 5.4-mile urban segment. This was the first dam on the Wisconsin River that was fully automated. The dam was named for Walter Alexander, an influential Wausau lumberman, a historical marker next to the portage shares his story. Initially, the trail can be a bit rocky, and you pass many small islands.

The dam also marks a significant geological event in that geologists believe that this was the southern margin of the Wisconsin Valley Lobe during the last Ice Age glacier, 12,000 years ago.

The name Council Grounds was based on stories that bands of Native Americans once used the site for their annual councils and festivals. It is said they traveled down the Wisconsin River by canoe to meet here for several days and nights of celebration each year. Though this claim has not been substantiated, these people certainly knew the land well and used it during their fall and spring pilgrimages as they followed the river to their summer and winter camps.

At Mile Marker 138.6 you will pass Krueger Pines Natural Area, an old-growth northern dry-mesic forest dominated by an even-aged stand of white pine, some as large as two feet in diameter. Red pine is also present along with paper birch, big-tooth aspen, white oak, and black oak.

The river widens out as it approaches Merrill at Mile Marker 140 and the paddle becomes urban, where you will dart under bridges and alongside homes and forgotten factories that once sawed lumber. A designated take-out is provided at Ott’s Park at Mile Marker 140.2.

Although known as Jenny Bull Falls throughout much of the mid-to-late 19th century, the community changed its name to Merrill in the 1881 in honor of the general manager of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad.

A portage exists at Mile Marker 142.2 on the left side of the river. A portion of the portage is on the River Bend Bike and Pedestrian Trail that runs along the river with a couple of historical markers, one specifically covers the “Great Spider Invasion” which is a bit of Americana movie making that is enjoyable to read.

The trail ends at Mile Marker 143 at Riverside Park Landing on the right bank, a bit downstream from the Merrill Dam.

Please review these important safety reminders before getting on the water.

Please review these important safety reminders before getting on the water.

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