BY JON SPREHN

NEKOOSA — Friends of Swiftwater Trails celebrated a milestone in late July, with the official opening of the Swiftwater Trail Loop.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony held at Rendezvous in the Park officially opened the Swiftwater Loop, a nine-mile trail that runs through the streets of Nekoosa. The trail is marked with a series of signs indicating the path through the city. A grant from Incourage Community Foundation funded the signs and the City of Nekoosa was instrumental in the installation. 

Friends of Swiftwater Trails coordinated the trail to intersect with the HEART Trail which runs through a number of communities in central Wisconsin. The HEART signs will feature points of interest in each central Wisconsin community it travels through. Supporters anticipate the HEART signs will be erected soon. A special thanks goes to Wood County and the Heart of Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce for being the catalysts for the HEART trail.

Later this year, anticipate seeing kiosks along the Swiftwater Trail, providing access to other recreational trails in the city of Nekoosa. The Nekoosa High School Tech. Ed. department is undertaking the development of four kiosks that will be mounted along the Swiftwater Trail. Individuals traveling on the Swiftwater Trail will discover access to the Lynn Creek Nature Trail, the Nekoosa Environmental Learning Loop (The NELL), and the Humke Hill Nature Trail.