1000 Islands’ Nelson Overlook Improvements Planned for Summer 2020

Thanks to a generous grant from the David L. and Rita E. Nelson Family Fund within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region, the Nelson Overlook along Hwy Z and within the 1000 Islands Conservancy Zone will receive some much-needed improvements this summer.

The main components of the project will include rebuilding the retaining wall, replacing the existing wooden observation deck and stairs, repaving the parking lot (including additional parking stalls), as well as building a new accessible observation deck at the parking lot level.

Tentative timeline for the project:

April 2020 – Geotech and Topo work being done on site
June 2020 – Bidding Process for Construction Work
August 2020 – Construction Begins
November 2020 – Construction Complete

During the construction process, tentatively scheduled to begin in August, trail access near the Nelson Overlook as well as the Overlook parking lot will be closed. Visitors can explore the river trails on either side of the construction area by parking at the nature center or utilizing the limited parking stalls at the kayak launch.

For questions on the construction project, please contact the City’s Engineering Department at (920)766-6305.

For questions on trail accessibility and closures, please contact the Environmental Center at (920)766-4733.

Click here for a rendering of the site plan.