Accessible Lake Trail and Fishing Pier

One of the main priorities for the Friends of Schmeeckle organization is to expand access to the natural area for diverse audiences. The Lake Joanis accessibility project was supported by the Friends to improve access to the lake for people in wheelchairs and with other mobility disabilities. This included:

• Surfacing the 1-mile Lake Loop Trail with hard-packed crushed granite accessible to wheelchairs and requiring less long-term maintenance
• Constructing an accessible fishing pier and canoe/kayak launch on the south side of the lake

Fundraising for the project began in 2021. The project was completed in June 2022.

Purpose of the project

According to infrared trail counters, the popular Lake Loop Trail around Lake Joanis is used by nearly 90,000 people every year. Prior to 2021, however, the trail was surfaced with soft bark mulch, and few people with mobility disabilities could enjoy the beautiful path. The bark mulch also deteriorated quickly and required large annual expenditures to maintain. Enlarging and resurfacing the trail with hard-packed crushed granite created an accessible and long-lasting surface.

Project Results

Trail resurfacing

In spring and early summer of 2021, the Friends volunteer trail crew and Schmeeckle student staff cut trees and widened the one-mile Lake Loop Trail to prepare for the resurfacing. In July 2021, Ladick Trucking and Excavating out of Vesper, Wisconsin was hired by the Friends to level the trail and spread and compact 8 inches of crushed granite.

Click the album below to view more photos of the trail being prepared and resurfaced:

Fishing pier construction

The second phase of the project was the construction of an accessible fishing pier on the south shore of the lake. In February 2022, Prime W.A.T.E.R. Anglers, a nonprofit organization based in Stevens Point, constructed and installed the pier’s metal framework on the ice. Friends volunteers worked throughout the winter and spring of 2022 to construct and install the wood decking, railings, and accessible ramp. The finished pier, completed in June, extends about 70 feet into the water and provides excellent opportunities for fishing, wildlife watching, and launching canoes and kayaks.

Click the albums below to view concept designs and photos of the pier being constructed: