UNDER ABOVE THE BOARDWALK. While portions of a new trail and boardwalk system were completed last year (as shown in this October 2023 photo), the ribbon will officially be cut April 20 to celebrate the completion of the Half Moon Lake Boardwalk Trail. (Photo by Up UP & Around)

For the first time since their development in the early 1900s, Eau Claire’s Carson and Rod & Gun parks will be connected thanks to the new Half Moon Lake Boardwalk Trail. Proposed by the City’s Engineering and Parks Departments nearly two years ago, the project will reach fruition with an official ribbon cutting on Saturday, April 20, at 9am.

Thanks to public input in the fall of 2022, what was once an idea for a connecting trail evolved into a project with potential for even greater impact and accessibility. The plan grew to include boardwalk sections to the connecting trail, with ADA and stroller access to Half Moon Lake. Approved by the Waterways and Parks Commission and the City Council last spring, construction efforts have been underway since then.

According to a recent media release, several city departments collaborated on clearing efforts, removing mostly invasive buckthorn. The wide concrete trail – 1,800 feet long and 10 feet wide – was completed and open to the public last summer, and is now a well-used biking and walking path. Connecting portions of the trail and seeing the full project complete is expected to increase park use and offer safe passage to both parks.

The boardwalk framework is made of galvanized steel, which won’t rust, and the platform surface was crafted with materials that will not rot. The legs sit on galvanized plates that are not fixed to the ground, allow them to be moved if future adjustments are needed. Since the boardwalk is raised, wildlife is free to move underneath.

“The function of the trail is 100% ADA Accessible and is part of the City’s 45-mile dedicated trail system,” a recent city media release stated. The concrete path is ground-level, and the boardwalk has a bumper railing. Where the boardwalk may reach over 30 inches off the ground, handrails are installed, and will withstand flooding that Half Moon Lake experiences in the spring.

“The aesthetics of the trail is a wonderful surprise,” the media release continued, noting the lack of street traffic noise once under the shade of the woods, the new opportunities to get closer to nature and the lake thanks to three boardwalk sections of the trail, and the ADA benches that overlook the lake and woods.

Area DNR staff were contacted to support efforts in limiting impact to existing wetlands during construction, including removing existing buckthorn or dead or dying trees. Prairie grass and pollinator seeds were spread along the edges of the path, and plans are in the works to plant native trees to replace the ones that were removed.

“We are extremely proud of this trail section and it has been a long time in the making to see it developed since our land purchase in 1993,” the release said.

The public is invited to the ribbon cutting on Saturday, April 20, at 9am, taking place behind the YMCA Tennis Center adjacent to the trail and Half Moon Lake • Keep up with the City of Eau Claire’s parks and recreation projects and more on Facebook