Things to Do in Stevens Point, From Brewery to Trails

Loggers once used this bend of the Wisconsin River as a stop before their river journeys, and the things to do in Stevens Point still start with the water, the trails and a brewery that has been brewing since 1857. The city was incorporated in 1858, counted 25,666 residents in 2020, and has a 280-acre nature reserve on the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point campus.

The main stops below are all within about 2.2 miles of the Saturday farmers market square, so a visit works with a bike, a car or a mix of both. The order here runs from the woods to the riverfront, then the brewery, an indoor option, winter and where to eat and sleep.

Walk the woods at Schmeeckle Reserve and the Sculpture Park

Schmeeckle Reserve is the place to start if you want forest without leaving town: 280 acres of woods, trails and a 24-acre lake on the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point campus.

The visitors bureau's 2026 roundup lists Shakespeare in the Park at the reserve. The reserve stays open all winter, and the bureau suggests the loop around Lake Joanis followed by a warm-up in the visitor center.

Stevens Point Sculpture Park is the next stop, about 1.1 miles from Schmeeckle Reserve, and it works as a second walk on the same morning.

Iverson Park for the beach, the trails and the toboggan slides

Iverson Park, at 4601 WI-66 about 2.2 miles east of the farmers market square, is the city park with a swimming beach and, in winter, toboggan slides. A January 2022 city notice described two 300-foot toboggan slides, and said the winter areas close when the air temperature or wind chill reaches minus 15 degrees or colder.

Check the city parks department for current toboggan hours and pricing before a winter trip, because the notices available for the slides are dated.

Pfiffner Pioneer Park and the Saturday farmers market

Pfiffner Pioneer Park is the riverside park on the Wisconsin River, with a bandshell, a gazebo and the Pfiffner Building, and the farmers market square is about 0.2 miles from it.

About 0.2 miles from the park, the Stevens Point Farmers Market fills Mathias Mitchell Public Square at 820 Main Street. It runs May through October, and the visitors bureau traces it to 1870. Saturdays from 7 am to noon bring the full lineup of vendors, and the market's site says other days have minimal vendors.

Cards and SNAP/EBT are accepted at the information booth, and leashed dogs are welcome. Reviewers mention a mushroom vendor who explains how to cook the product and advise getting there early, and one warns of a lot of walking with nowhere to sit. The 2026 season runs only through October, and the bureau says the market moves to the Boys & Girls Club in winter.

Downtown also has an outdoor skating rink in winter.

Point Brewery: the tour, the tap room and the patio

Stevens Point Brewery, at 2617 Water Street, has been brewing since 1857 and keeps a tap room and gift shop open to visitors.

The visitors bureau notes a history tour. Reviewers like the outdoor patio with a fire pit, and the brewery's site lists non-alcoholic beers. The brewery is about 1.1 miles from the farmers market square and about 0.2 miles from Rogers Cinema 7.

For a pub night downtown, Graffiti's Sports Pub and Father Fats Public House, a gastropub, both sit within about 0.1 mile of the market square.

More are collected among the bars in Stevens Point.

Rogers Cinema 7 for an evening indoors

Rogers Cinema 7, at 2725 Church Street, shows first-run films in auditoriums with leather rocker seating and laser projection.

The Green Circle Trail and the wider outdoors

The Green Circle Trail loops around Stevens Point for 27 miles on its main route and passes Schmeeckle Reserve, Iverson Park and Pfiffner Pioneer Park.

It opened on June 1, 1996 as a 22-mile trail, and the state Department of Natural Resources counts 31 miles with spurs, including a 4-mile spur to the Tomorrow River State Trail in Plover. The department says no state trail pass is required. In winter the Plover River segment is a groomed ski trail where hiking is not allowed.

Beyond the city, the bureau points to Standing Rocks County Park, which has 13 miles of mountain bike trails, and the bureau notes day or season passes are required in winter. If trails are the main reason for the trip, the parks in Stevens Point are worth mapping before you pick a base.

Museums, murals and a golf course worth the detour

The visitors bureau lists Heritage Park, with 11 historic buildings. The campus has the Arthur J. Pejsa Observatory and the Olson Natural History Museum, and downtown has historic murals, and the bureau says a mural guide is available at the Stevens Point Gift Shop. SentryWorld hosted the 2023 US Senior Open.

Trivia fans have a local claim too, since the bureau calls the area home to the world's largest trivia contest. Its May 2026 roundup also lists the Dozynki Harvest Festival, a Polish heritage celebration, and the Riverfront Rendezvous, a summer fair with music and fireworks.

Winter: slides, rinks and a sauna

Winter keeps most of this list going, since the Sculpture Park is open year-round and Schmeeckle Reserve stays open all winter. Iverson Park adds the toboggan slides, and the bureau lists outdoor rinks downtown and at Goerke Park, public skating at KB Willett Arena at select times, and a wood-fired sauna at Nordic Night Sauna.

Where to eat, drink and sleep near these stops

Several places to eat sit within about 0.2 miles of the farmers market square, which makes the Saturday market an easy anchor for a meal.

For a morning start, Cozy Kitchen and Main Grain Bakery both sit within about 0.2 miles of the square, and the visitors bureau names them for brunch and baked goods.

Both are among the options for breakfast in Stevens Point.

Polito's Pizza and Bill's Pizza Shop, an old-school pizza restaurant, sit within about 0.2 miles of the square as well, and they are two of the choices for pizza in Stevens Point.

For a sit-down dinner, Wissota Chophouse, a steakhouse, is about 0.2 miles from the square, and Tokyo Steak House, a Japanese restaurant, is about 0.9 miles away, with more among the restaurants in Stevens Point.

For a bed, Cobblestone Hotel & Suites is about 0.1 to 0.2 miles from the market square, and Comfort Suites Stevens Point is about 0.6 miles from Schmeeckle Reserve.

Both are among the hotels in Stevens Point.

A Saturday that ties it together

From May through October, start at the market when it opens at 7 am and stay until noon. Pfiffner Pioneer Park is about 0.2 miles away, the brewery is about 1.3 miles from the park, and Schmeeckle Reserve is about 2.2 miles from the brewery. That order has you at the market while the vendors are out, on the trails midday and at the tap room by evening. The Sculpture Park adds about 1.1 miles beyond Schmeeckle Reserve if you still want another walk.

Loggers stopped here on their way down the river. A Saturday market, a trail loop and a brewery that has been brewing since 1857 give you reasons to stop too.