A planned hiking and biking trail connecting Wausau to Tomahawk aims to offer a safer, scenic route for outdoor enthusiasts, giving local tourism and economies a potential boost along the way.
Led by the River District Development Foundation, the trail is tentatively named Jenny Road, chosen for Merrill’s original town name. The route would run along the east side of the Wisconsin River and parallel to a lightly-used railroad track.
River District Development Foundation President Jon Krohn spoke with WPR on “Morning Edition” about the two-stage plan, which would begin with a segment connecting Wausau to Merrill.
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Developers say the trail could draw tourists and new residents to the area by showcasing central Wisconsin’s natural beauty and expanding opportunities for outdoor recreation. Krohn said hiking and biking trails are emerging as a priority for people of all age groups.
“A good example is if you visit a state park, it used to be that the picnic parking lots were packed,” Krohn said. “Now, the picnic parking lots are almost empty, but the trailheads are overflowing. People just love using trails. The younger people especially do, but us old folks, now that we’ve got e-bikes, we can get out and really enjoy it as well. “
The corridor proposal dates back to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources 2002 Wisconsin State Trails Network Plan and is a portion of a longer segment that would connect Tomahawk to Wisconsin Dells.
The plan for Jenny Road will be finalized by late October.
The following transcription was edited for brevity and clarity.
Shereen Siewert: Tell us about the trail and your vision for it.
Jon Krohn: Well, the goal is to have an off-road trail to connect Tomahawk to Wausau through Merrill. This will then connect to the Hiawatha and Bearskin trails going north and then the Mountain Bay Trail going over to Green Bay. The state plans to eventually have a trail run from Green Bay to Superior. This would be an off-road, family friendly, safer route than we have now. Anyone who has tried to get from Merrill to Wausau on a bike knows the options on the highway are either very hilly or very congested.
In 2003, the state had a bike plan to connect Tomahawk to Wausau, and part of that plan was to add bike lanes when they repave Highway 107. Now they have that project scheduled and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation is saying that traffic counts don’t warrant bike lanes. If you’ve driven on 107, you know that it’s a gorgeous scenic tourist road, but it’s very unsafe for biking.
SS: Tell us a little bit about what the trail will look like.
JK: In many cases, it will be very close to the river, which will give some really scenic views. It should be a safe place for families to enjoy the ride. Merrill is only a 15-mile connection to Wausau, and I think it would be great to ride my bike down there for the activities, as well as things happening in Merrill that people in Wausau could join. I think it would be used quite a bit because the distances aren’t great and yet it connects to larger community groups.
SS: How is the trail being funded?
JK: It’s currently funded by private donations and grants. Recently, Lincoln County has used some of the American Rescue Plan Act funding, and we’ve gotten a $75,000 donation. In addition to that, we’ve raised over $2 million to get the 6 miles that we’ve completed in Merrill all through roughly 800 individual donations.
It has tremendous individual, private support and that’s really our goal. We’re not looking for the local taxpayer to foot the bill. When we can get state or federal funding, we’ll seek it, but most will be private donations. This would be a state-designated trail, so counties would do the maintenance but would then be reimbursed by the state.
SS: You’ve had some pushback from residents. What concerns are you hearing?
JK: People are worried about the trail running through their property. Way back in 1906, there was a plan to build an electric trolley line and property was acquired. There is about a 50-foot lane next to the east side of the railroad for about 95 percent of the route between Merrill and Wausau.
Some landowners may not have been aware that the property has been owned by Wisconsin Public Service all along, and there were a few landowners who were a little surprised that someone could build a trail that could dissect their property. In those areas primarily, in Lincoln County where going next to the railroad would require private property to be dissected, we’re proposing that we’ll just use the highway right-of-way. It would still be an off-road trail, but we’re hoping that will ease landowners’ concerns.
SS: How can a trail like this be a tool to attract new residents to the area?
JK: The Wausau/Central Wisconsin Convention & Visitors Bureau has done some studies, and one of the things they found is that for younger people, recreational opportunities are important. High on that priority list is that they’d like to be within a few miles of a trail. This is very attractive not only for visitors coming but also for people who want to move and live in the area. They are definitely looking for these kinds of amenities.
If you have an idea about something in central Wisconsin you think we should talk about on “Morning Edition,” send it to us at central@wpr.org.
