TOWN OF PLOVER − One of my favorite parts of life in central Wisconsin is how one is often not far from places that offer windows into history that is dozens to hundreds of millions of years in the past.
The Dells of the Eau Claire in eastern Marathon County is one of these places as it offers unique scenery, places to play in water, rustic hiking trails, amenities for campers and picnickers, and a close-up view of the region’s geology.
Located in the Marathon County town of Plover, Dells of the Eau Claire Park’s relative obscurity, remote location and extensive amenities met several qualifications for the “Hidden Gems” day trip series my fellow USA TODAY NETWORK reporters in central Wisconsin and I are writing this summer.
Walking trails, an overlook and ample parking welcome visitors
During a late July visit to the Dells of the Eau Claire Park, established by Marathon County in 1923, I arrived around noon to find almost a dozen other vehicles already occupying a small portion of the west side of the park’s multiple parking lots. A large parking lot is also located on the east side of Marathon County Y near the park’s beach and campground.
I parked in the northernmost parking lot and followed a paved trail to the south, which led me past several picnic shelters, a large playground structure, a restroom facility, and two more parking lots that allow visitors to park closer to the playground and the primary attraction of the park, the exposed rock outcroppings and waterfalls of the Dells of the Eau Claire River.
Maps of the park are posted on signs in a few places across the park and wayfinding signs are sparsely placed along trails. Visitors should use their phones to take a photo of a map when they come across one in the park. One map is located on a post of the small Well Shelter near the Combination Building, or the park’s main shelter building.
From the Combination Building, a long and wide stone staircase leads visitors down a slope to an overlook over the dells, or a rocky gorge carved from the surrounding land by the Eau Claire River. The exposed rocks are Precambrian-age, or between 500 million and 4.5 billion years old, rhyolite schist, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Rhyolite is a volcanic rock while “schist” refers to a grainy, plate-like texture.
From the overlook, several paths branch upstream, downstream or out into the waterway itself, providing access for visitors to venture over and around the water-carved rock formations. Many of the park’s paths feature uneven steps, slopes, tree roots, rocks and eroded sections while a few main paths are better groomed with surfaces that are paved or hard-packed crushed rock.
More than 80 years of access to hundreds of millions of years of history
Besides ancient rock formations, another highlight of the park includes several structures constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) between the late 1930s to early 1940s, according to the National Register of Historic Places. The CCC was a federal work-relief program implemented in the years following the Great Depression to provide work and wages to out-of-work young men across the country.
The 3,649th camp of the CCC was established in August 1935 on the west bank of the Wisconsin River near Rib Mountain and workers from the camp constructed the 1937 landscape plan designed by Ingwal S. Horgen, Marathon County’s first city and county park superintendent. The same CCC camp also built structures and trails located within Rib Mountain State Park.
Structures located at Dells of the Eau Claire Park built by CCC workers include the footbridge near the westernmost end of the park built between 1936-38, two trail-side shelters built in 1936 and between 1937-38, respectively, the Combination Building and pumphouse built in 1940, and the park entrance sign built in 1940, according to the National Register of Historic Places. The Combination Building serves as the park’s main shelter structure and includes a rubble masonry fireplace, built-in log seating and other original features.
Additionally, the Eau Claire Dells Bridge, which carries Marathon County Y above the dells, was built in 1927 by Antigo-based W.H. Fischer and Sons and designed by the Wisconsin Highway Commission, according to the National Register of Historic Places. Engineering of the bridge was completed by G.H. Kirsh. The bridge features a single-span three-centered arch and is constructed of reinforced concrete with filled spandrels and a rubble stone veneer.
Park also offers camping, swimming and picnicking
Also located within the 190-acre park is a swimming beach, a dam that doubles as a bridge, single and group campsites, and a segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. The beach, dam and single campsites are located on the east side of Marathon County Y.
The Vogl Dells Dam was first constructed in 1927 by Charles Vogl Sr. for the purpose of creating a lake for swimming, according to DNR records. The dam was reconstructed in 2007 with the addition of a bridge over its controlled spillway.
Amenities including an open shelter with tables, changing rooms, vault toilets, grills and a dumpster are located near the beach. Marathon County monitors the water quality near this beach and posts results weekly on its beach monitoring website. The Dells of the Eau Claire beach tested at low concentration of E. Coli contamination in each report taken this year.
What else should you know before you visit?
Dells of the Eau Claire Park is open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. year-round at 235890 Marathon County Y in the town of Plover. Marathon County parks are free to enter. Camp sites and picnic shelters may be reserved on the Marathon County website.
A map of the hiking trails, beach shelters, parking areas, restrooms and other amenities can be found online on Marathon County’s Dells of the Eau Claire Park website. Cellphone service is often limited by the terrain within the park so consider downloading a map before visiting.
Share your favorite ‘hidden gems’ in central Wisconsin?
What are your favorite “hidden gems” in central Wisconsin? Share them with us! We’ll be highlighting some of the lesser-known places to visit and activities to participate in across central Wisconsin this summer. Think of it as your guide to summer day trips as gas prices remain high and the kids are out of school. Suggestions should be within about a 45-mile drive of central Wisconsin communities like Wausau, Marshfield, Stevens Point and Wisconsin Rapids. Places and activities must be family friendly, and we are also looking for places that are cost-conscious. If you know the perfect spot, let us know. You can email epfantz@usatodayco.com.
Erik Pfantz covers local government and education in central Wisconsin for USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin and values his background as a rural Wisconsinite. Contact him at epfantz@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Wausau Daily Herald: Dells of the Eau Claire Park offers more than rocks & waterfalls
Reporting by Erik Pfantz, Wausau Daily Herald / Wausau Daily Herald
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Erik Pfantz, Wausau Daily Herald | USA TODAY Network
