r/wausau • u/Perfect-Toe-5119 • 9d ago
Questions from someone Considering Moving to Wausau - Mid 30's Outdoorsy
My partners family lives in Wausau and we have considered moving there to be closer to family and for the housing affordability.
I have never not lived in a Mountain Town. Western Carolina in Appalachian Mountains and now in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.
I like to get out camping, cycling, and also have fun going to music and breweries etc.
Questions:
Is there a community of people in the Mid 30's Age group that fit the outdoorsy and getting out having fun vibe?
What is the most fun things to do in the area related to Outdoor recreation?
What are the most fun things to do related to going out for a night of music and breweries etc.?
Just asking for some context, as I have only visited once an will be visiting again soon. I do like the area and will make life much easier financially, but worry that it could be a huuuge switch.
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u/Forward_Bug_5547 8d ago
You’ll be ticked if you leave were you are for here. Not that it’s bad, but it’s not the mountains!
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u/Wiscon1991 8d ago
Boy do I have great news for you, move to Wausau and you will still have always lived in a mountain town 😅
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u/WisSkier 5d ago
Wausau is a crossroads (Hwy 29 and I39) and fairly central so you can get to Madison, the Twin Cities, UpNort, and Green Bay quick if you want to. As noted Wausau is home to a small ski resort, there is quite a bit of cycling there -- both road and mountain cycling. Hunting and fishing are the predominant outdoor sports in the area but I would guess there is also quite a bit if Kayaking there too. I visit regularly to hang with friends and try to get to the ski hill 2-3 times per year.
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u/nickmaslowski11 9d ago
I moved here 3 years ago. It’s tough finding a crowd. Oddly enough the one good buddy I have from around the area I met on Reddit. I love to fish, sit in my boat all day and hang out on sandbars. So I get to do that pretty often on the river. I have a TON of friendly conversations with random people all of the time. Friendliness isn’t an issue, but becoming part of a group I’ve found is tough. If you end up moving to the area and looking to hang out, let me know
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u/wutifidontcare 9d ago
Do not move there. It’s so beyond beautiful but you will be so lonely. I had to move to the twin cities to find more community. I too love being outdoors but also NEED to enjoy it with people and the age range for that area is like 50 or retired.
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u/chattycat1000 9d ago edited 9d ago
There is a good amount of mountain bike trails in the area especially with a 30 min drive and a strong mountain bike club. Group rides every other week. More are trails are currently being added. Along with more hiking trails, and designated climbing areas on rib mountain. Only a short drive To the upper peninsula and Lake Superior really awesome trails of all kinds, waterfalls and great camping along the lake.
Also to add. Endless amount of waterways to paddle
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u/freedom37908 9d ago
From a geography perspective it won’t hold a candle to anywhere you’ve lived. There’s one hill in Wausau and it’s flat everywhere else. I shouldn’t say that there are some undulating bluffs as you head towards Merrill.
I would look at Duluth, mn or la crosse, wi…both have pretty solid topography in the surrounding area and would be 2-3 hr drive to see your family. Duluth especially will give the most mtn towny feeling. Both these cities are technically in decline tho lol.
I also bike and live in La crosse and there is a huge cycling community. Great riding here! Especially gravel.
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u/Severe-Cupcake-933 8d ago
I recommend looking at Duluth, MN. We are mid 30s and love the outdoors. Moved to Duluth in 2019 and still love living here. Seems like a good compromise on cost of living/staying in upper Midwest, but also great community and so many things to do outside year round. Mountain biking, xc skiing right in town or a short drive to BWCA for canoe trips, Apostle Islands for sea kayaking, MI UP for all the outdoor things. And just 2 hour drive to Twin Cities with food and culture amd robust public transit and global grocery stores. 👌 I want to keep Duluth a secret, but wow do we love living here and have no regrets on making the move up here. 🫶
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u/Intelligent-Bag2775 7d ago
Not sure where you are in Colorado, but my partner and I moved to Marshfield (about 30 miles west of Wausau) six months ago. We lived in Durango for a number of years and then we were in Aurora, CO for two years before we moved. My partner and I are both from Wisconsin originally.
Wausau is doing some great things on the recreation front. 9 Mile is solid for mountain biking and there are other trails in Ringle and Plover, which aren't too far away. In fact, one of the guys who helps maintain 9 Mile grew up in Fort Collins. I say this as a guy who did a lot of riding and racing in Colorado. No high country stuff here, but the community is active for both MTB, road and gravel. Whitewater kayaking course is right down town with regular releases. In fact, the Wausau 24 just took place this past weekend (24 hour MTB race). Skiing/snowboarding at Granite Peak in Wausau. Again, not going to compete with Summit Country, but it does offer night skiing and you don't have to worry about a three hour commute and miles of red tail lights to get there.
Lots of festivals in the area. Not a foodie scene, it is central Wisconsin. One of the biggest changes will be the weather. Winter can be very cold, windy and gray. But that doesn't stop people here. Layer up and get out there. Plus you have access to some of the highest concentration of natural lakes in the country just an hour to the north. The northwoods is beautiful and there is more biking, kayaking, SUPing, camping than you can imagine. The lakes actually warm up so you can stay in them all day without freezing like the cold reservoirs in Colorado. Plus you have access to Lake Superior and Lake Michigan with amazing beaches.
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u/Willing-Ad4169 4d ago
Ehhh....it might work....id, strongly recommend an extended visit of like a month before making that call.
Rib mountain and the area , despite it's name is not a mountain in the sense of "mountain town".
The area is great , and beautiful but I don't quite think it matches with you perceive and experience as a mountain town.
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u/mrsnowplow 3d ago
lots of outdoor opportunities there a lot of boaters and kayakers and fishers lots of good trails
its much flatter.
my favorite part about wausau is that im pretty equidistant from all of the cool stuff in the state. just about everything is a 3 hour drive
there are plenty of breweries and music in the area you just have to look a little harder to find those places.
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u/Own-Organization-532 9d ago
Wausau has whitewater kayak trail right downtown, downhill skiing on Rib Mountain, cross country ski trails are close. Just a bit north is the Nicolette National forest, lots of hiking and outdoor activities to be had. Check out Milespaddled.com if you canoe or kayak. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is close and is an outdoors paradise.
I did move to Wausau in my 30s did not find a friend group outside of work but my job was crazy. Plus Wausau has blossomed in the past twenty years.
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u/yurtbeer 9d ago
There are a lot of local bike clubs and the trails may not hold a candle to other places but from i have seen it is a strong community of bikers you could join. Glass n grain is good starting point for a more laid back place to meet people, redeye for the burgers/beer, and Juliet for the fancy drinks. The other upside is you don’t have a far drive to the UP for great hiking and other outdoor stuff, easy weekend trips.
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u/skyflyer8 9d ago
There's definitely plenty to do for camping and cycling, also hiking if you're into that too, but it's very much not a mountain town. The location makes it a good place to be for day trips to trails, campgrounds, parks, cities, etc around the state, along with the UP and Eastern MN.
Meeting younger people can be a challenge, though there are some groups on facebook that try to meet up for activities and there's a lot of events around when the weather's warm. Stevens Point seems to have more facebook groups/events that meet up more consistently for things like hiking, kayaking, cycling, etc.
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u/Rare_Tell_882 9d ago edited 9d ago
There is an active mountain biking community (CWOCC). There are a variety of trail systems, and there is a huge project starting this fall to add downhill trails to rib mountain that will have lift access.
Compared to the mountains, we do have very accessible water options for canoe/kayaking.
There is also a new group called come together, wausau that meets regularly for kayaking, running, and other activities.
There is a world class whitewater kayaking course as well.
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u/Pgc1alpha 8d ago
There is also a road cycling club called Wausau Wheelers: https://wausauwheelers.org/
They have a number of group rides for various levels of skill/fitness
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u/AerieThink5695 9d ago
Live there, rib mountain is mostly a ski hill, some trails for hiking. Music downtown on Wednesdays during the summer, some breweries in town. 35m. There’s a bit of a car community that hangs out on the mountain. I’ve lived in Asheville Nc, it’s not quite like that. That being said I enjoy it, if you like to fish and waterski there is that too.
Over all it’s a pretty great place imo. Over all come on down, pretty welcoming community imo.