{"id":98,"date":"2026-03-25T15:19:03","date_gmt":"2026-03-25T15:19:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/test-uwsp-multi.pantheonsite.io\/schmeeckle-reserve\/?page_id=98"},"modified":"2026-05-25T20:30:00","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T20:30:00","slug":"trail-map","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.uwsp.edu\/schmeeckle-reserve\/trail-map\/","title":{"rendered":"Trail Map & Trails"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Trail Map <\/span><\/div><\/a>
Trail Descriptions <\/span><\/div><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Nearly 5 miles of trails meander through Schmeeckle Reserve. Most trails are surfaced with crushed granite or wood mulch. Extensive boardwalks have been constructed over wetland areas. Rustic benches are scattered throughout the trail system. Schmeeckle is also the headquarters of the 27-mile Green Circle Trail<\/a>, which loops around the Stevens Point area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trails are open during daylight hours (from sunrise to dusk) and can be used for hiking, running, slow biking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing (trails are not groomed in the winter). To maintain the natural character of the reserve, motorized vehicles and pets are not allowed<\/strong>. Pets are allowed in the parking lot and the Green Circle Trailhead, and a Pet Route follows North Point Drive around Schmeeckle Reserve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Schmeeckle Reserve Trail Map<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Trail Descriptions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Every trail in Schmeeckle is unique! Scroll through the descriptions below to learn more about the different trails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Lake Loop<\/h3>

1-mile loop, crushed granite<\/h4>

Looping around Lake Joanis, this is Schmeeckle’s most popular trail. It offers spectacular views of the lake and island and provides many opportunities to get close to the water. An accessible fishing pier on the south shore is a perfect place to drop a line, watch for waterfowl, or launch a kayak. Several carved benches provide resting areas. The trail is wheelchair accessible.<\/span><\/p><\/div>

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Trail of Reflections<\/h3>

0.5-mile loop, crushed granite<\/h4>

This easy loop trail starts and ends at the visitor center, meandering through woodlands and wetlands. Interpretive signs and quotes from naturalists inspire you to look at nature through different eyes. A treehouse takes you into the canopy of a white pine, and a swinging bench over a frog pond is a great place to watch wildlife.The trail is wheelchair accessible.<\/span><\/p><\/div>

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Granite Parkway<\/h3>

0.5-mile, crushed granite<\/h4>

Located adjacent to the university’s academic campus, this wooded trail provides easy access to the Green Circle and other trails in Schmeeckle. An open-air shelter near Maria Drive is a perfect place to have a picnic or meet with groups. The Chilla Woodlot, located on the west side of the trail, is a mature forest with towering oaks and pines. Woodland ponds along the trail host frogs, salamanders, and ducks. The trail follows the old route of Reserve Street\u2014watch for fire hydrants and ditches as evidence!<\/span><\/p><\/div>

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Green Circle Trail<\/h3>

1.5 miles, crushed granite\/boardwalks<\/h4>

Schmeeckle Reserve is the headquarters of the Green Circle Trail<\/a>, a 27-mile hiking and biking trail that loops around Stevens Point. The trailhead is located at the Schmeeckle visitor center parking lot. About 1.5 miles of the trail crosses the northern portion of Schmeeckle. West of the visitor center, the trail follows a boardwalk through a cattail marsh, crosses a small stream, and travels through pine and oak woodlands. East of the visitor center, the trail travels through two scenic oak savanna restoration areas and follows Moses Creek through a restored wetland.<\/span><\/p><\/div>

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Berard Oaks Trail<\/h3>

0.2-mile, mulch<\/h4>

The Berard Oaks is a 10-acre area being restored to an oak savanna. Once common in central Wisconsin, oak savannas are now one of the rarest habitats in the state. The trail meanders through 200-year old red and white oak trees towering above prairie grasses and wildflowers. This is one of the best areas to see butterflies and birds. The trail continues through a quiet woodland dominated by maple trees. The leaf colors on the edges of the savanna are stunning in fall!<\/span><\/p><\/div>

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Moses Creek Trail<\/h3>

0.2-mile, mulch<\/h4>

The Moses Creek Trail follows the edge of the Moses Creek restored wetland through a forest of large oak, maple, and pine trees. It connects the Green Circle Trail with Lake Joanis, and provides access to the Crossing Trail which crosses the wetland. The trail is surfaced with bark mulch, making for a quiet walk through the woods.<\/span><\/p><\/div>

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Sedge Meadows Trail<\/h3>

0.3-mile, woodchips\/boardwalks<\/h4>

This trail features three boardwalks that travel over scenic sedge meadow wetlands that ebb and flow throughout the year. The wetlands are interspersed with forests of towering white pine trees. The trail crosses Michigan Avenue and connects the Granite Parkway with the Lake Loop Trail. <\/span><\/p><\/div>

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Frog Chorus Trail<\/h3>

0.2-mile, crushed granite\/boardwalks<\/h4>

The Frog Chorus Trail connects the Schmeeckle visitor center to Lake Joanis paralleling Michigan Avenue. In early spring, a symphony of wood frogs, spring peepers, chorus frogs, and toads erupts from the wetlands along this trail. A long accessible boardwalk travels over wetlands on the north half of the trail to keep your feet dry. The south half, surfaced with crushed granite, travels through a jack pine woodland that is being restored. The trees along the boardwalk are often the first to change color in fall. This trail is wheelchair accessible.<\/span><\/p><\/div>

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Plank Trail<\/h3>

0.1-mile, boardwalk<\/h4>

This quiet boardwalk trail connects the Green Circle with the Lake Loop. It winds through a wet woodland strewn with granite boulders. This is an ideal place to watch for white-tailed deer. <\/span><\/p><\/div>

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Crossing Trail<\/h3>

0.2-mile, boardwalk<\/h4>

This wide boardwalk is the only one that crosses the entire Moses Creek restored wetland. Several pools provide year-round habitat for ducks, herons, frogs, and toads. At the south end of the trail, a bridge spans Moses Creek providing a unique view of the stream. The bridge is dedicated to the Milano and Sciarrone families, who donated 5 acres of land here in 2008.<\/span><\/p><\/div>

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Neighbors’ Trail<\/h3>

0.1 mile<\/h4>

This short boardwalk trail connects the Moses Creek wetland with the Lake Loop. It meanders through a white pine and red maple woodland with an understory of young pines. The trail is dedicated to the Ceplina Family and Steve Faber and Jackie Meyers, who donated the two land parcels that the boardwalk now runs through.<\/p><\/div>

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