Ellsworth Area Attractions:

Recreational Facilities:

Nugget Lake County Park

Location: Rock Elm & Union Township

This 752-acre park, established in 1974, is the flagship of the Pierce County Parks Department. The main feature of the park is Nugget Lake. The 116 acre lake is nearly two miles long and is entirely surrounded by forested property managed by the county. The lakes primary feature is fishing, but its scenic beauty also draws a large number of outdoor enthusiasts.

Approximately 25% of the parkland is developed for outdoor recreational activities. The main outdoor recreational activity is camping. The park provides a 55 site modern campground complete with electrical sites and comfort station. The campground also has several other amenities that include swing sets, a playground and camping cabins. The park also provides environmental educational programs. Nature movies are shown at an outdoor amphitheater every weekend between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Camper and various small groups participate in the nature programs that are conducted on a weekly basis. Past studies have indicated that Pierce County residents are the primary users of the campground.

The park also has over six miles of maintained hiking/ski trails located throughout a variety of natural resource systems. The back drop for the trail system is the Rock Elm Creek and Plum Creek. The meandering creeks converge in the center of the trail system and continue on as Plum Creek. Located throughout the trail system are various sites that contain interpretive and educational information. Several scenic overlooks and rest areas are also located throughout the trail system.

Trout Streams

For fly anglers, this area of Western Wisconsin is a little bit of heaven on earth. The Kinnikinnic to the north of Ellsworth and the Rush River to the east, provide hours of trophy trout fishing for the serious angler and someone who just wants to spend an afternoon in fishing paradise.

The Kinnikinnic boasts one of the densest trout populations in Wisconsin with over 3000 fish per mile on the lower portion and over 6000 per mile on the upper portion.

The Rush River begins its journey just south of Interstate 94  near Hammond and runs to the Mississippi 50 miles downstream. One can expect to encounter Brown, Brook and Rainbow trout in the Rush.

Other trout streams are the Trimbelle, Eau Galle and Cady Creek and small spring creeks that feed the Kinnikinnic and Rush.

If you are looking for game fish like walleye, smallmouth bass, and muskies, there is the St. Croix and Mississippi River that border Pierce County to the West. These rivers also support good populations of catfish, sturgeon and panfish.

Ellsworth Country Club

People looking for an inexpensive day of golfing on a challenging and scenic course that will test their skills should check out the Ellsworth Country Club. This par 37, nine hole course, clubhouse with locker room, bar and banquet facilities is open to the public. The Country Club also offers cart rentals and practice driving nets. The course lends itself to the rolling hills and forests of the nearby scenery, which makes for a challenging nine or 18 hole experience that's reasonably priced. Memberships are available. Located two miles north of Ellsworth on Hwy 65. Yardage is 3,111 (blue tees), 3,015 (white) and 2,609 (red). Call for tee times, 715-273-4438.

Pierce County Snowmobile Clubs

Pierce County offers 222 miles of snowmobile trails which run through scenic countryside, including wooded areas and open rolling hills.

The county has 10 snowmobile clubs and a governing body of volunteers. The trails are groomed and maintained by the council, which also regulates the opening of the trails.

The county's snowmobiling trails are state funded through registration fees and an allocation of gas fees. Anyone interested in joining a club can call 715-639-6311. For information about the condition of the trails, call 715-639-6311.

Pierce County Shooting Range

Location: Ellsworth Township

Established in 1975, the Pierce County Shooting Range provides a supervised recreational activity that is open to the public on a scheduled basis. The range is also utilized by various Pierce County law enforcement agencies for training purposes.

The range was primarily managed by the Pierce County Sheriff's Department for the majority of its existence. In 2006 the range was under management by the Pierce County Clerk's Office. The Pierce County Shooting Range Committee has been the governing body of the facility. In 2006, the Pierce County Shooting Range Committee became a subcommittee of the Pierce County Parks Committee.

The range is a semi-secure outdoor facility that consists of three separate shooting lanes to accommodate various types of firearms. The facility has various types of shooting benches, rests, targets, and a small storage shed. Each shooting lane is divided by an earthen berm located approximately one mile north of the Village of Ellsworth. The property surrounding the range is primarily deciduous forest under private ownership.

Klaas Jonas Swimming Pool

www.ellsworth.k12.wi.us/middleschool/pool_news.htm

Located adjacent to Ellsworth Middle School on Panther Drive in Ellsworth. The pool has a slide, shower and locker room facilities and is covered by an inflated come in the winter. For more information, call 715-273-0754.

Ellsworth Parks:

Summit Hill Park

Summit Hill Park, a lush green expanse of 16 acres, is located in the residential area midway between East and West Ellsworth. Access is made on West Grove Street or West Summit Ave where parking is available. The beautiful park is home of the Ellsworth Hubbers Baseball team at Bob Young field. The park is used by families who spend leisure time at the picnic shelter and picnic tables. The park also has grills, drinking fountain, playground equipment, tennis and volleyball courts, a softball field, tennis courts and plenty of park benches. The baseball field also has a concession stand and restroom facility. Summit Hill Park is often the scene of community festivities.

East End Park

Sometime in the early 1900's, several of the East Ellsworth business people got together and built a dance pavilion in the East End Park, known as the Park Pavilion. It was built on pillars because of the danger of floods in the park. The pavilion flourished until 1919 when the Fair Ground Pavilion was built. A pillar from the old pavilion still stands in the East End Park today. In 1922 the Ox-Bow Inn was officially opened and the tourist kitchen was built of logs near the Park Pavilion. Ox-Bow Inn still stands today and is used for various festival activities. The park is located on Hwy 10 and East Wall Street, close to the East Ellsworth business district. Picnic tables, shelters, grills, drinking fountain, benches, restroom facility, basketball hoop and playground equipment are available at the site.

Cairns Woods

Cairns Woods is a beautiful woodland area located on North Cairns street just off Highway 65 North. It has groomed and non groomed trails for exploring or spending quality family time together.

Pierce County Fairgrounds

Located on the North side of Ellsworth the fairgrounds is perfect for walking, biking or skating when not in use by numerous county and local events and festivals. Enter on Grove Street or Highway 65.

Historical Sites:

Visit Pierce County's Historic Sites

Buildings reflecting Pierce County's rich history are available today for visitors and residents alike to enjoy.

The River Bluffs History Center

The River Bluffs History Center overlooks Lake Pepin, a widening of the Mississippi River. The center is at W6321 E Main Street, Bay City, one block west of Hwy 35, the Great River Road. The Pierce County Historical Association (PCHA) received the former St. John's Lutheran Church as a gift in 1995. The 28-by-60 foot building was erected in 1933. The hand-carved altar, communion rail, pulpit, organ and five pews were also donated, as well as kitchen furnishings, tables and chairs in the downstairs fellowship room. PCHA volunteers, with professional help, have redecorated the interior, re-roofed and resided the exterior. In 2001, an accessibility fund was initiated for easier building access. Activities at the center include: special exhibits, workshops, association and chapter meetings, the 85-Mile Garage Sale in May, a pancake breakfast during Bay City Days, the annual October Open House and a holiday party in November. Anyone is welcome to attend the gatherings. The center is also available for small gatherings. The dining room seats up to 50 people. Call the PCHA office at 715-273-6611 for hours available and suggested donations for use.

Pierce County Courthouse

The Pierce County Courthouse, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, contains Marquette Rain Drop Stone, Siskiwit Stone, Dunville Stone, and Pink Tennessee Marble.  Four original paintings depicting the beauty of the Midwest grace the courthouse dome.

The cornerstone was laid by the Ellsworth Masonic Hancock Lodge #229 on June 21, 1905 and the building constructed at a cost of $85,000.00.  Extensive remodeling, which included the jail being built adjacent to the courthouse, was completed in 1968.

A World War I 88mm Austrian cannon compliments the war memorial on the courthouse grounds. The cannon, obtained from an arsenal in New Jersey, was dedicated in 1926; the memorial was erected in 1989. Plaques honoring Pierce County service people was dedicated on June 24, 1989 and was paid for by grants from Bob and Evelyn Young, Ellsworth Class of 1939, Pierce County Chapters and Posts of the American Legion, Ellsworth and Prescott VFWs, The Viet Nam Veterans of America, Disabled American Veterans and the 40 & 8.

The most recent entry was for Burt Hoyer of Ellsworth and Trevor Diesing of Plum City, who lost their lives in the defense of liberty in the Iraq.

A twin to this courthouse can be found in Rugby, North Dakota.

The courthouse is open to the public Monday through Friday.  An official directory of Pierce County is shown on this page. A printed copy is available from the office of the County Clerk.

Conlin Log House

The Conlin Log House is located on the history center site.

This 17-by-25 foot 1850's log house was built by Patrick Conlin, an Irish immigrant, near the Village of Esdaile in Hartland Township. Patrick and his wife, Margaret, were parents of seven children; only three survived until adulthood. The house was inhabited until 1901, when it was sold at a sheriff's auction.

In the 1920's, the house was moved, log by log, to a different location on the Vincent Wood farm, where it was used as a granary. In 1998, Mr. Wood donated the building to the association. A Conlin descendant, Millicent O'Connor, paid the moving expenses. The house was moved intact from Esdaile to the center.

PCHA volunteers, with some professional help, replaced some logs. Doors and windows were added in the style of the original house, and ceiling joists, downstairs flooring and the entire loft floor were replaced. The building was rechinked and a cedar shake roof replaced the tin roof.

Volunteers also furnished the home with items used in the early settlement period, including a rope bed used in the early 1850's.

The home is open to visitors one weekend each month in the summer, as is the center. Signs are posted along Hwy 35 when the buildings are open.

The Freier Schoolhouse

In 1959, the Freier Schoolhouse was moved to the Pierce County Fairgrounds along Hwy 65 in the Village of Ellsworth as a memorial to all the rural Pierce County schools. It is open to the public during the county fair in August. PCHA installed new windows and a new entrance door, furnished the interior and has special exhibits during the county fair and for other occasions.

Freier School was built in 1855 in Sec. 9, Ellsworth Township. Local basswood and maple was sawn and used in the 20-by-32 foot building. The total cost was $539. Metal decorative walls are still in the building. The school closed in 1957 when the area was consolidated with the Ellsworth School System.

Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the nation's official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation. Properties open to the public in Pierce County are:

• Pierce County Courthouse, 411 W Main St, Ellsworth, built in 1905. The Pierce County Courthouse has a twin in Rugby, North Dakota. The structure was built by the same contractor and engineer.
• H.S. Miller Bank (also known as Pierce County Welcome and Heritage Center), 233 Broad St, Prescott.
• North Hall at UW-River Falls, 410 S 3^rd St, River Falls, built in 1914.
• South Hall at UW-River Falls, 410 S 3^rd St, River Falls, built in 1875 and rebuilt in 1898.

For more information, visit or call the Pierce County Historical Association Office and Archives in the lower level of the Ellsworth Police Department on North Chestnut Street, Ellsworth. Call 715-273-6611 for hours of operation.

Places of Interest:

Crystal Cave

www.acoolcave.com

Just beyond stately silos and barns of the Pierce County countryside is Crystal Cave, a cool summer outing beneath the earth. One-hour guided tours of the cave leave frequently. Lighted passageways are accessed by stairs and ramps. Gift shop, gem panning and picnic area available. Hours of operation for the general public are: April and May, weekends 10am - 4:30pm; May 15 to Labor Day, daily 10am - 5pm; September and October, daily 9:30am - 4:30pm. Last cave tour leaves 30 minutes before closing.

Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery

The Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery is a 500+ member dairy farmer owned cooperative. It processes 1,750,000 lbs. per day of cheese, cheese curds, fluid milk, and whey powder, making the cooperative known as the Cheese Curd Capital of Wisconsin.

A new item sold at the creamery is the extremely popular, lightly hand-breaded cheddar cheese curds. The perfect appetizer to compliment the fresh all natural cheese curds. Experienced staff are available year-round to assist in assembling customized wooden gift boxes filled with customers preferences of assorted meats, cheeses and souvenirs.