Whiting Park Trail


Length: 1.4 miles
Surface: Sidewalk (along County HH) and woodchips (in park)
Activities: Hiking, jogging, pets (no bikes in park)
Parking: Whiting Park

The scenic Whiting Park Walking Trail is accessed at the intersection of the McDill and Mainland Meadows Trails in the east, and the intersection of the Paper Mill and Mainland Meadows Trails in the west. Bikers should ride the Mainland Meadows Trail to bypass Whiting Park.

The eastern portion of the trail parallels County HH on sidewalks, before entering Whiting Park just west of Business 51. Trail users should use caution at this busy intersection. The western portion meanders through the forested Whiting Park, offering views of the Whiting dam, the wide Plover River, an abundance of year-round waterfowl, and Indian Mounds.

The History of Whiting Park
The current dam in Whiting Park is the original location of an 1852 sawmill which created McDill Pond. Over the years, this area was used for a grist mill, graphite mill, and pulp mill, which was known locally as the "stink mill" for the bad odors emitted from a sulfate manufacturing process. In 1954, the Village of Whiting purchased the land and mills and created a public park. The Village of Whiting is named after George A. Whiting, a papermaking pioneer who built a paper mill on the Wisconsin River in 1891.

Upper and Lower Whiting Park
Whiting Park (Village of Whiting) is divided into two sections. The Green Circle runs through Upper Whiting Park, which offers picnic tables, views of the Plover River, an interpretive trail, and an educational shelter. The park also harbors several Indian Mounds that may be one of the earliest sites of the Woodland Tradition discovered in north central Wisconsin (click here to learn more about the mounds). Lower Whiting Park, located just across the dam, provides restrooms, picnic tables, playground equipment, a boat landing, baseball fields, a shelter, fishing, and duck feeding. Click here for more information about the park.


Photos