Whitewater Park: June 6-7 dam release will bring rapids to downtown Wausau

Just two blocks from downtown Wausau, the steady rhythm of city life is interrupted by the roar of rushing rapids. Wausau Whitewater Park isn’t hidden deep in a remote, pine-scented forest; it’s an urban oasis where kayakers pull off gravity-defying tricks right in the heart of the city. For roughly 10 weekends each year (the first being next week), a scheduled dam release transforms a quiet trickle into a premier playground for absolute beginners, seasoned professionals and everyone in between.

“The experience is unique because it’s in an urban setting,” said Tom Schraeder, a Whitewater Park volunteer. “It’s just not something you find very often when it comes to having rapids right in town.”

Whitewater Park is unique for its placement directly in a city center — a move that goes against historical settlement methods.

“Towns were oftentimes settled on the moving water sections of the river, but not necessarily rapids, because that wasn’t really conducive to loading up boats, unloading, whether they be barges or other types of craft for moving stuff around,” Schraeder said.

The waterway is actually a bypass channel of a Wisconsin River dam, so the rapids are only active during a scheduled water release by the Department of Natural Resources.

“If we don’t have a release scheduled, there’s nothing to paddle on. It’s a trickle of water as maintained by the DNR,” Schraeder said.

Kayakers, canoeists and boogie boarders of all ability levels are welcome to enjoy the river during recreational releases, the first of which is June 6-7. Prospective rapid-goers need to sign a waiver in advance, but registration is done on-site for $20 a day or $30 for the weekend. The course is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. during recreational release dates.

Are you adventurous enough to brave the waves? The rapids at Whitewater Park will be rushing June 6-7 as the first scheduled release of dam water takes place.

Photo courtesy of Whitewater Park

Kayaking down rushing river rapids might look intimidating, but at Whitewater Park, it’s a bucket-list adventure that almost anyone can try. Completely run by a dedicated team of volunteers, the park offers one of the state’s most accessible entry points into the sport. For just $55 on select dates, curious paddlers can get outfitted with gear, hop in the water for a 2.5-hour lesson and get a taste of the rapids — all within walking distance of a celebratory post-paddle dinner.

“In terms of beginners, there is a group that comes and we facilitate, they teach lessons at our site,” Schraeder said. “They bring all that gear for the teaching they do. And they teach anything from, ‘I’m a brand new boater, I’ve never been in a boat and I want to see what this is all about,’ up to an intermediate level.”

But you don’t need to know how to navigate a kayak to get swept up in the energy of Whitewater Park. Thanks to recent renovations that added sidewalks and amphitheater seating to the riverside, anyone can grab a front-row seat to the action for free.

“It’s a great opportunity to come watch and spectate,” Schraeder said. “Many of the events that the city puts on happen to fall on weekends we’re doing stuff, so you might be able to pair up spectating kayaking with Balloon Fest, the Blues Festival or Chalk Fest. It’s a two-block walk from the 400 block, the main downtown area Wausau.”

First established in 1974, Whitewater Park regularly hosts local, regional, national and sometimes world championship event through the years — in addition to special events like Team River Runners for disabled veterans and their families. Over time, the park has made a significant economic impact to the greater Wausau area. But that impact isn’t just due to the big events. Every time the water is turned on for a recreational release weekend, the park volunteers estimate more than 200 boaters (often from multiple states) come to Wausau.

At the end of the day, whether visitors come to learn how to whitewater kayak, simply spectate or face the challenging rapids course head-on, they will find themselves at the center of Wausau — a prime spot for their next adventure, whether it be a delicious meal, a refreshing drink or an additional activity or two.

“You’re downtown, you have access to all of the other stuff that goes with being in a city. It’s easy to go out to dinner. You can go mountain biking at Nine Mile or at Sylvan Hill,” Schraeder said. “It’s just really nice to have a bevy of recreational activities to do right at your disposal.”

For more information, or to plan your next road trip, visit wausauwhitewater.org.