(Press Release) MERRILL – Council Grounds State Park – newly reopened after it was hit by a violent storm April 10 – will host an open house and candlelight hike on Saturday, April 30. No vehicle admission sticker will be required on this day.

At 7 a.m. and again at 8:30 a.m., a guided bird hike will leave from the beach parking lot. At 1 p.m. a meet-the-ranger program and a question-and-answer session will take place at the park’s new office building.

Starting at 8 p.m. a candlelight hike will take place on the road around the park. The Friends of Council Grounds State Park will provide refreshments and door prizes at the new building. The walk will be postponed in the event of rain.

DNR crews and a host of volunteers worked hard to reopen the park as quickly as possible following the storm.

“Crews have worked hard to clear roads and hazards and to make Council Grounds safe for visitors,” said Dan Schuller, director of Wisconsin State Parks and Trails. “While most of the park is now open there are still a few areas that will remain closed for more work. The park staff is ready to welcome park users.”

Anyone with questions can call the park at 715-536-8773.

Council Grounds is a park with something for almost everyone. This 508-acre park along the Wisconsin River in north-central Wisconsin hosts a variety of activities and sights year round. It's in Wisconsin's Forest Transition Ecological Landscape. A 21-acre area of old-growth forest in the park is designated as Krueger Pines State Natural Area.

Council Grounds is conveniently located just west of Merrill, a community of about 10,000, and 20 minutes from the Wausau area. From U.S. Highway 51, exit onto State Highway 64 (Main Street) and go west about 2 miles through downtown Merrill. Turn right on State Highway 107 (Grand Avenue) and go about 1.8 miles. Turn left on Council Grounds Drive and go about a half mile to the park entrance station.