Parks & Trails

Comprehensive Plan

Click here to view the Hewitt Area Parks and Trails Plan

   

Parks

The Village of Hewitt maintains Yellowstone Park as its primary recreational facility.

The 32' x 40' seating area of the main Park Pavillion is the perfect spot for the outdoor get-together. Relax and enjoy the warm summer days, play some volley-ball or watch the kids playing on the playground equipment. The shelter area can be rented by anyone or organization, but keep in mind there is no indoor seating.

Pavillion Amenities:   Picnic Tables, Kitchen facility with refrigerator and microwave, and Bathrooms

Grounds:   20 Acres with large main Shelter Building, two Volley-ball courts, two Softball fields, Playground Equipment, Sandbox, smaller Shelter Building, Gazebo, and Parking.

   

Trails

Click here to view a map of the Hewitt-Marsh Trail.

Click here to view a photo gallery of Hewitt-Marsh Trail images.

   

Hewitt-Marsh Trail

The Hewitt-Marsh Trail development project has been in process for several years.  The Trails Committee, in co-operation with the Village of Hewitt, Town of Marshfield, City of Marshfield, and Wood County worked to connect the Hewitt-Marsh Trail to the City of Marshfield Trail.  This project was supported with two 50/50 DNR grant applications which were awarded in 2013 and 2014.  Each grant had a 2-year window for completion.  Collaboration between the communities allowed for engineering, construction, and completion of the connector trail section.  Bid packages were sent out in the spring of 2015, the project was awarded, completed ahead of schedule and under budget.  We now enjoy a very scenic asphalt bike path from Stadt Road to Marshfield’s trail system on Yellowstone Drive.

   

Village of Hewitt Trail Expansion Projects

The residents of Hewitt have enjoyed a walking trail/bike path for more than a decade. However,  trail improvements over the past few years have been on an increase.  A couple of years back we enhanced the trail by replacing the barricades at the trail entrances with custom fabricated gates.  We also completed improvements at the lagoons to allow residents to walk around the lagoons by including the installation of a walking bridge, filling the gap between dikes, brush cutting, and mowing the path.  All of these efforts were provided by volunteers. 

With the lagoon trail ready for use, better access to that trail was our next focus.  In 2014 we started construction of the first section of boardwalk to allow access during the wet seasons from the main trail to the lagoon trail.  For this phase, with the donations of railroad ties from Canadian National Railroad, pallets from Felker Brothers, equipment use from Draxler's Service, and help from many volunteers, we completed the first 120 foot section. We also constructed a temporary boardwalk over a wet section of the Hewitt-Marsh Trail.

Effort was also spent on the planning and initial development of nature trails within the remaining village property.  Some of these trails were cleared in fall by brush cutting and handwork, then groomed for winter use.

This past year, the Trails Committee expanded its efforts on the boardwalk and nature trail projects.  With the regular support of our volunteers and sponsors, we have been able to complete the boardwalk project between the Hewitt-Marsh Trail and the lagoons. We also extended the boardwalk to include a Y intersection for a future portion of the trail.

While the boardwalk project was in the works, the development of the nature trails continued.  Draxler's Service invested in a brush-cutter and donated the time and equipment to allow the previous trails to be widened.  With the use of the brush-cutter, new trails that had been previously planned were developed.  The trails in the Hewitt Natural Area are now available for use.

Also during 2015, partial construction was completed on a paved walking path around the outfield fences at the Yellowstone Recreational Park.  We now have approximately 5.5 miles of accessible trails within the village.  New signs have been recently installed to welcome residents to the trails.

Our team of volunteers also provides many hours of trail maintenance including brush-cutting, mowing, general trail repairs, and clean-up.  This trail system is supported by equipment and fuel provided by the volunteers.  So, if you’re on the trail and see them working, please take a second to say thanks as this all could not have been done without them.

   

A special “Thank You!” goes out to these Volunteers:

Jeff Binder, Paul Draxler, Darrell Hawks, Pete Hulke, Mike Morissey, Kevin & Carla Nowack, Steve Rauth, Dave Schoepke, Becky & Jason Wagner, Roxie Wanta, Travis & Beckie Wienke, and Mike & Vickie Draxler.

   

Reminder: No Hunting is Allowed on Village of Hewitt Property   

For the safety of trail users, there is NO hunting allowed on property owned by the Village.

   

Activity Plans for 2016

  • Nature trails will be groomed during the winter months to allow access for hiking, snowshoeing, skiing and fat biking.  This is a multipurpose trail and last winter the system was in great condition after the temperatures dropped.
  • With the help of Wood County Planners, we will have GPS data for our trail network and will start the process of developing trail maps and signage.
  • The boardwalk system will be expanded to complete the loop east of the Y intersection back to the Hewitt-Marsh Trail depending on the availability of donated materials.
  • A bridge/boardwalk is under consideration for spanning a wet area and connecting the northeast corner of the Lagoons to the nature trail.
  • We will continue to try to improve the surfaces of the trails in Hewitt Natural Area.
  • We'd like to improve signage and trail identification from the trailhead at Yellowstone Park to the gate at 3rd Street and Lanae Street.
  • Grants will be pursued for trail surfacing between 3rd Street and 7th Street.
  • A maintenance plan will be developed for the current system.
   

Volunteers Wanted/Needed

The trails committee meets between the months of March and October every 3rd Monday of the month at 6:30 at the Village of Hewitt Administration Building, and anyone is welcome to attend.  If you would like to participate in our workdays, please contact Kevin Nowack at 715-897-3356 or Mike Draxler at 715-305-0247 and we will add you to our e-mail distribution list.

   

Ideas Welcome

If you have ideas, suggestions, comments or concerns about the trails system, please feel to share them by contacting either Kevin Nowack or Mike Draxler.

Thanks for your support!