Recreation

Rosie demonstrates how to throw strikes at J & J Fireball Lanes.

The Portage Park and Recreation Department does an outstanding job of maintaining the beautification of our city parks. The department also provides year-round activities an entire family can enjoy.

Having fun on the water is a favorite year-round pastime for residents and visitors. Boaters hit the waters of the Wisconsin River and swimmers enjoy a day at Silver Lake Beach, a wide sandy beach with wading, swimming and diving fun.

An indoor pool located at Rusch Elementary School, 117 West Franklin St., and a nearby outdoor Splash Pad at the Gary O’Hearn Recreation Complex at Goodyear Park keep youngsters cool.

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Biking enthusiasts will really enjoy the Columbia County Bike Loops. Portage is home to four of the routes. See page 23 for more information.

Also located at Goodyear Park, the Portage Family Skate Park, where construction was completed on Phase 2 and is now ready for skaters and scooters.

Golfers can try their skill at the 18-hole course at Portage Country Club or the adjacent 9-hole Saddle Ridge Golf Course with its all new clubhouse.

Take aim at good times, pizza and the pins at J & J Fireball Lanes, featuring daily food specials. The Portage Rod & Gun Club offers members full use of its outdoor pistol and rifle ranges, archery range, four trap stations, skeet station and 120 acres of hunting land.

Portage is along the Ice Age Trail, one of eight congressionally designated National Scenic Trails located throughout the U.S. The trail meanders through 31 Wisconsin counties along the terminal moraine left by a glacier over 10,000 years ago. The Heritage Trail Chapter in Columbia County maintains more than 12 miles of trails, boasts 21 hand-built bridges and showcases the intersections of prairie, wetlands and waterways.

When winter arrives, skiers and boarders in Portage are lucky to have the highly rated Cascade Mountain nearby. A recent expansion added two lifts, eight trails, increased snowmaking, an expanded main lodge, paved parking and several base area improvements. Some of Cascade’s trails are steep and challenging to any skier, while others are more than a mile long and fun for beginners. Kids 12 and under ski free when accompanied by a paid adult.

Ice skating is enjoyed on Bridal Pond in Pauquette Park, and for those who crave horsepower to get over snow, snowmobile trails run alongside Portage, connecting with other trails throughout Columbia County and Wisconsin. Snowmobile maps are available at the Chamber office.

The Scottish game of curling is played on a level sheet of ice inside the Portage Curling Club, where players try to throw the stone closest to the center of the house target. As a stone travels down the ice, teammates sweep the ice, guiding the stone to a desired position, sometimes bumping or blocking opponents’ stones as necessary.