Duck Creek Trail: Oneida to Seymour
A bicycle ride on the Duck Creek Trail and adjoining Newtown Blackmour State State from Oneida to Seymour is 7.4 miles. When starting in Oneida from the Mobil One-Stop Convenience Store, the distance lessens to 6.8 miles. This works well as a trailhead, as it is next to the Duck Creek Trail and the gas station and convenience store meets the needs of trail-goers. Additional public parking is found on the west side of the convenience store.
The Duck Creek Trail actually begins at Jason Drive, off County Highway J (Riverside Drive) on reservation land of the Oneida Nation. Future plans call for the trail to extend 5 miles along Duck Creek to Pamperin County Park in the village of Howard. There is no trailhead at Jason Drive, limited access to the path, and no vehicle parking available. Beginning in town near the convenience store is the best option.
From Jason Drive, Duck Creek Trail travels southwest 0.6 miles to the convenience store. Just before crossing County Highway J (Seminary Road), it passes under a sign written both in English and the Oneida language. The word Onyoteʔa:ká appears on the sign. This is the name for the Oneida Nation, which means “People of the Standing Stone.” The sign also conveys the trail’s name in the Oneida language, Talu?kowanhné Kawyhuhatáti Oháha?. This translates to “Trail by the River Flowing Along the Place of Bountiful Ducks.”
The Oneida Nation of Wisconsin is a federally recognized tribe which came from New York to Wisconsin in the 1820s-1830s. With the help of Episcopalian missionaries and U.S. Government agents, they purchased land from the Ho-Chunk and Menominee Tribes to preserve their sovereignty. In 1838 the Oneida entered their final treaty with the U.S., which established their reservation on lands now in Brown and Outagamie Counties.
Along with the Mohawk, Seneca, Cayuga, and Onondaga Nations, the Oneidas are part of the original Five Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy that dates back to the 1500s. Today, the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin operates its own law enforcement, court system, healthcare, education system, and social services for members.
Returning to the Duck Creek Trail, the path crosses County Highway J and passes behind the Mobil One-Stop. The trail is easily accessed from the convenience store’s large parking lot. The convenience store offers fuel, food, beverages, and restrooms. It is located on Wisconsin State Highway 54 in Oneida.
The Duck Creek Trail travels west out of the community of Oneida, paralleling Wisconsin State Highway 54. It crosses Red Willow Parkway, and Olsen and Cooper Roads. Before and after crossing Cooper Road, trail-goers may want to keep an eye open to the right (north). In these vast fields reside some of the Oneida Nation’s bison herd. At times they may be seen from the trail, at other times binoculars may help.
About 2.5 miles from the convenience store, the trail bends slightly northwest and departs from the state highway. It crosses Smith Road and then County Highway Y. While some sections provide open views of nearby farm fields, much of the path is surrounded by a corridor of trees and bushes. The vegetation offers limited shade, and sunscreen is suggested when riding this trail.
The Duck Creek Trail officially ends 4.6 miles from the convenience store. At this site, the trail leaves the Oneida Nation Reservation and enters Outagamie County. Trail signs identify the new trail name, Newton Blackmour State Trail. Signs there identify the name change. Little else changes: the surface remains the same. In some places screened limestone covers the full path. In other areas the trail is two tracks of compacted earth, with grass and weeds growing between.
The next intersection is Vandenheuvel Road, which marks entry into the small city of Seymour. The trail passes neighborhoods and industrial businesses. It crosses Mainline Drive and Mill Street before arriving at Nagel Park downtown. It’s 6.8 miles from the Oneida convenience store to Nagel Park.
Nagel Park makes a good Seymour trailhead. It’s at the junction of Wisconsin State Highway 55 (Main Street) and Depot Street. The park has plenty of parking, a playground, and a gazebo with picnic tables and park benches. Two museums are found there, one featuring Seymour’s unique history, and other in the old “Green Bay Route” depot. The large elevators and silos of the Seymour Flour Mill are across the street.
Nagel Park has few amenities for trail-goers, other than benches and picnic tables. But an unusual statue of Charlie Nagreen is worth examining. Seymour residents claim that Charlie created the first hamburger at an 1885 fair in their city. To honor Charlie and his tasty creation, Seymour holds a large “burgerfest” at Nagel Park every summer.
Seymour was founded in 1868, named after Governor Horatio Seymour of New York. White settlers first came to the area in 1857 and homesteaded on land first inhabited by members of the Menominee and Ho-Chunk Nations. After the railroad came to Seymour, the community grew in the 1870s and 1880s.
Map of trailheads and addresses along this section of the trail.
There are several restaurants, fast food establishments, and convenience stores in Seymour. For visiting trail-goers who delight in traditional Wisconsin supper clubs, Hotel Seymour will not disappoint. The hotel was built in 1889 and initially known as Hotel Falck after its builder, George Falck. Today the supper club housed in the hotel serves a variety of steaks and seafood. The chicken cordon bleu is a popular favorite and highly recommended.
Trail last ridden and documented in August, 2024.