This week we are returning to hiking. The original trail we were going to visit was on Lake Michigan again. However my wife and I woke up too late. So we picked a local park we have not been to before.
Key Features
- Heritage Fountain: One of the park’s most recognizable landmarks, featuring an 11-foot granite fountain set within the central park grounds.
- Year-Round Trail System: Maintained paved recreational trails that wind through the park, offering walking and biking routes that connect to the broader local trail network and nearby schools.
- Winter Recreation: Includes a popular sledding hill, an outdoor ice-skating rink, and groomed cross-country ski trails during the winter months.
- Restored Native Prairie: A sprawling, flowing prairie area featuring native wildflowers and grasses, making it a great spot for peaceful walks and wildlife viewing.
- Multiple Playground Areas: Features three separate play areas with updated equipment catering to children of various age groups.
- Tennis & Pickleball Courts: Outdoor courts available for casual play and athletic practice.
- Rentable Park Shelter & Pavilion: A covered pavilion complete with a kitchen (including sink, refrigerator, and serving window), roll-down side curtains, picnic tables, and electrical outlets.
- Casual Play Baseball Field: A dedicated open diamond space suitable for recreational baseball, softball, or casual family games.
- Chip Garrow Memorial: A dedicated memorial site within the park grounds.
- Picnic Amenities & Open Play Space: Scattered outdoor grills, open green spaces, picnic tables, public restrooms, and convenient off-street parking.
Review
My wife remembers taking our youngest child to Jennerjohn Park when she was nine for her birthday with her older sister and brother. The park had a paved trail and a pond. So she thought it would be a good place for a hike to post.
We parked in the lot nearest to Ridgeway road. After briefly setting my cameras up, my wife again acted as a camera operator with the GoPro, we started our hike.
In the middle of Jennerjohn Park is a beautiful water fountain. The water is tinted blue with a chemical to stop algae growth but I hoped that the sounds of the water from the fountain would be caught by the GoPro.
We decided to head north to a section of the park with a pond. The trail was branded the Chip Garrow Memorial Trail. The trail was grassy and wrapped around the pond. Dozens of different wild flowers were in bloom. Bumble and Honey bees swarmed the flowers looking for nectar.
The end of the memorial trail brought us near to the other parking lot, near Meadowview Dr. Close to this park was a barrel on a pedestal. At first I though this may be a unique lending library, as the barrel similar to a small bourbon barrel had a door on the side.
Opening up this bourbon barrel my wife found learning materials about the local prairie grasses that surround the pond. Sponsered by Grow Native Greenville. Their Facebook group can be found HERE.
From here we walked a short way back to the central fountain of the park. At this point we turned onto the paved trail heading south. A sign on this trail gave us the layout of the entire Greenville trail system.
This area of Greenville is setup like a suburb of Appleton. With subdivisions sprawling out from the intersection of Hwy 76 and Hwy 15. This trail system with tunnels under both highways connected Jennerjohn and Greenville Community Parks with the trail system around the Greenville YMCA and Lions Park further south.
A short hike through the small park and we arrived at the first tunnel. This tunnel took us under Hwy 15 and into the subdivision to the south. Unique paintings decorated the south side of the tunnel.
On the other side of the tunnel we continued walking south. The trail zigzagged through the subdivision and past the Greenville Middle school. It eventually turned west to go under Hwy 76.
Once we reached the tunnel under Hwy 76 we decided to turn back. The route from the sign in Jennerjohn park to the Hwy 76 tunnel was marked as a mile and a quarter meaning that our hike would end up being more that 2 and a half miles including the trail around the pond. Not wanting to stress my ankle any further we returned to our car.
The hike was enjoyable though it was an overcast day. A few hikers, joggers, and a kid riding an ebike passed us as we walked but for the most part we enjoyed our privacy.
The trail was all paved with black top except for the grassy memorial trail around the pond. There was also some elevation change but nothing too harsh for most hikers.
If your bored of the local parks in Appleton this trail system may be up your alley.
Thanks again for reading. Let me know if you are liking some of my newer media in the comments. Don’t be intimidated by my normal commentors. They are just my wife and kids being snarky.
Very nice, the fountain looked like a relaxing place to sit and ponder.
I happen to like being snarky, thank you!
But I think I need to have the camera on my shoulder a little straighter. I do love the colors of all the wildflowers.