Iverson
Park
Trail
Length: 2.7 miles
Surface: Crushed granite (through park) and paved roads
Activities: Hiking, jogging, biking, pets
Parking: End of Hofmeister Dr. (north), Iverson Park
(middle), Patch St. (south)
The Iverson Park Trail travels through one of the oldest
and largest city parks in Stevens Point. It spans from Hofmeister Drive (north),
travels over I-39, follows quiet residential roads, crosses over
Hwy. 66, meanders through Iverson Park, ducks under a train bridge,
and ends on Patch
Street (south).
Travel back in time by viewing rustic stone
structures built in the 1930s. Relax in Stevens Point's largest
park. Watch trains as they make their way to and from the Stevens
Point depot. And watch for waterfowl and bald eagles in the wide
backwaters and channels of the Plover River.
History of Iverson ParkIn its early days,
Stevens Point depended on the Wisconsin River for its water needs.
By the early 1920s, however, numerous mills and factories were
polluting the river, and the city needed to look elsewhere for
better quality water. In 1921, Stevens Point purchased land along
the Plover River for its new water supply. Robertson Park (named
after the president of the local water commission) was developed
here with the creation of a swimming area.
In 1935, Jules Iverson donated 60 acres
of land adjacent to the park. The Works Progress Administration
(WPA), a federal program created to bring the nation out of the
Great Depression, landscaped and built several beautiful structures
out of stone. Today, you can still see the bridges, bath house, and
shelters that define the ambiance of the park.
Iverson Park todayNestled along the Plover River,
Iverson Park is the largest city park in Stevens Point at 121 acres.
It offers restrooms, playgrounds, picnic areas, a beach, a
bathhouse, nature trails, a nature center, lodges, and picnic
shelters.
Click here for more information about Iverson.In winter,
Iverson offers lighted toboggan slides, tubing and sledding hills,
an outdoor ice rink, 2.5 miles of groomed cross-country ski trails,
and a warming lodge.
Click here for more winter activity information.
Photos