Frog Chorus Boardwalk Replacement

The oldest boardwalk in Schmeeckle Reserve was located just south of the visitor center on the Frog Chorus Trail/Trail of Reflections loop, with some parts over 40 years old. The boardwalk was definitely showing its age: frost heaving caused parts of the boardwalk to buckle, and the narrow width created congestion especially during special events. The Friends of Schmeeckle began fundraising in 2024 to replace the old walkway with a wider, more accessible boardwalk design. A total of $25,000 was raised, which was enough to purchase supplies to replace not only the oldest boardwalk section, but also the entire Frog Chorus Trail boardwalk for a total of 650 feet. The project was constructed by the Friends Volunteer Crew during the summer of 2025. A grand opening celebration will be held in spring 2026. View a list of our generous boardwalk donors!

The volunteer trail crew is eager to continue replacing older boardwalks in Schmeeckle so they are more accessible for everyone! Your generous donations can help fund the next round of boardwalk improvements in 2026. Click here to donate to the boardwalk replacement fund!

Project Background

The Trail of Reflections was constructed in the early 1980s as an outdoor extension of the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame being built in the visitor center. The goal of the trail was to provide a quiet outdoor space for visitors to reflect on the philosophies of Wisconsin’s conservation leaders. The loop was the first trail in Schmeeckle to be accessible to people in wheelchairs.

One of the features of the Trail of Reflections was a 170-foot-long boardwalk that meandered over a wetland just south of the visitor center. The boardwalk was constructed by student employees on treated telephone poles.

U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson, the founder of Earth Day, came to Schmeeckle during Earth Week of 1988 to officially open the trail. Gaylord Nelson and Ron Zimmerman, the Director of Schmeeckle, were the first to walk the trail together.

Since the Frog Chorus Trail boardwalk is on the shortest route between the visitor center and Lake Joanis, it is heavily used by students, families, school groups, and other visitors. Based on infrared trail counters, we estimate that over 50,000 people walk over the boardwalk annually. It is also on the main route for every fall and spring Candlelight Hike Festival.

As an icon of the “Schmeeckle experience” for over 40 years, the boardwalk began showing its age. The old supports created a bouncy surface for runners and bicyclists. The narrow width didn’t allow for multiple wheelchairs, strollers, or wagons to pass each other. And the annual freeze/thaw cycle caused the surface to buckle, creating additional barriers to access.

The purpose of this project was to replace two sections of boardwalk on the Frog Chorus Trail with a single 650-foot-long, 8-foot-wide, ADA accessible elevated walkway. The increased trail width would provide room for multiple people in wheelchairs or pushing strollers to comfortably pass each other, while reducing congestion for crowded events like the Candlelight Hike Festivals. The wider surface would also provide easier access for maintaining the trails in the future. The even boardwalk surface would benefit all trail users, whether walking, running, or wheeling.

Project Status

The estimated cost to purchase supplies to replace the entire 650-foot-long Frog Chorus Trail boardwalk was just under $26,000. The Friends Volunteer Trail Crew agreed to donate their labor to construct the boardwalk.

Fundraising for the project began in February 2024, with several generous Friends donors providing seed money for the project. In November 2024, the College of Natural Resources chose the boardwalk project to be included in the annual UW-Stevens Point Giving Tuesday campaign. Over 20 donors gave $4,265 during the campaign, which the Friends matched dollar-for-dollar, resulting in a total of $8,530. In December 2024, the Point Bock Run, which promotes running and healthy lifestyles, awarded the Friends a $6,000 grant toward the project.

As of January 1, 2025, the Friends had raised about $25,400 for the boardwalk replacement. The lumber was purchased in March 2025. Project construction started in May 2025 and was completed in three phases. The entire project is planned to be finished in fall 2025.

Phase 1: Old Trail of Reflections boardwalk replacement (complete)

The first phase involved removing the oldest boardwalk in Schmeeckle (just south of the visitor center) and replacing it with a new 8-foot-wide elevated structure. The total length of the new boardwalk was about 170 feet.

From May 13-22, 2025, the volunteer crew worked to remove the old boardwalk structure from the wetland. The old lumber was moved to the gravel parking lot and offered for free to the community (encouraging reuse instead of sending to the landfill).

Starting on May 23, 2025, the volunteer crew began constructing the new boardwalk just south of the visitor center. It was completed on June 24.

Phase 2: Extend boardwalk over granite (complete)

A short 80-foot-long section of crushed granite originally separated the old boardwalk to the north and the newer boardwalk to the south. This section often flooded in spring and after rain events, creating a soft and muddy surface. The second phase of the project was to extend the new 8-foot-wide boardwalk over the old granite trail, solving the flooding issue. This phase began on June 24, 2025 and was completed on July 15.

Phase 3: Frog Chorus Trail boardwalk replacement (complete)

A long 400-foot section of boardwalk curved over a wet woodland from just south of the oldest boardwalk toward the lake. While this boardwalk was newer than the Phase 1 boardwalk (constructed in 2012), it was still narrow, which caused congestion and reduced accessibility. The third phase of the project was to remove this boardwalk and replace it with an 8-foot-wide elevated walkway to match the first and second phases. This phase began on July 1, 2025. The crew reached the intersection with the Trail of Reflections on July 22 and connected the two boardwalks together with a ramp. The crew continued removing old boardwalk and building new sections south of the intersection through July and August. On September 4, the final decking plank was laid on the new boardwalk. The crew finished adding bumper rails and landscaping the ends of the boardwalk on September 12.

Ultimately, the three sections were combined into a single, 650-foot-long, accessible boardwalk.

Photo Gallery

Click the albums below to view photos of the boardwalk project in progress!