State Trunk Highway 52 (often called Highway 52, STH-52 or WIS 52) is a
state highway
A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either Route number, numbered or maintained by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered ...
in the U.S. state of
Wisconsin
Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...
. It runs east–west in central and northeastern Wisconsin from
Wabeno to
Wausau. It is one of four state highways that also serve
Antigo.
Route description
Running from west to east, WIS 52 begins at an interchange with the
WSI 29 freeway segment near
Rib Mountain. Almost immediately, WIS 52 also has an interchange with the
U.S. Highway 51 (US 51) freeway, which serves as Wausau's western bypass. It then enters Wausau as Stewart Street, crossing the
Wisconsin River
The Wisconsin River is the longest river in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, at approximately 430 miles (692 km) long. As a tributary of the Mississippi River, it is part of the Mississippi River System. The river's name was first recorded in 1673 b ...
into downtown.
In downtown Wausau, WIS 52 runs on one-way streets in a loop around the central business district; the eastbound lanes join Business US 51 northbound, run around the
Wausau Center shopping mall, and then back north via 6th Street. Meanwhile, the westbound lanes run along southbound Business US 51 past
Athletic Park, home of the
Northwoods League
The Northwoods League is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league. All players in the league must have National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA eligibility remaining in order to participate. The league is amateur, and players are not ...
Wausau Woodchucks baseball team, and also past the
Dudley Tower, the tallest commercial building in Wisconsin outside of the
Milwaukee
Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...
area.
Northeast of Wausau, WIS 52 runs past
Hogerty, with access to the
Dells of the Eau Claire River Park, a popular recreational park and campground known for its rock formations and waterfalls; the
Ice Age Trail
The Ice Age Trail is a National Scenic Trail stretching in the state of Wisconsin in the United States. The trail is administered by the National Park Service, and is constructed and maintained by private and public agencies including the Ice ...
also runs through the park.
Just past Marathon County, WIS 52 meets up with
US 45 and joins it for the drive north to
Antigo, the
Langlade County seat.
WIS 47 and
WIS 64 also intersect WIS 52 along this stretch. From Antigo, WIS 52 zigzags northeast past
Lily
''Lilium'' ( ) is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large and often prominent flowers. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in much of the world. Most species are ...
, where it has a junction with
WIS 55 along the
Wolf River. The road then enters the
Nicolet National Forest and into
Forest County before ending at
WIS 32 just northwest of
Wabeno.
File:Wis52 northern terminus.jpg, The northern terminus with WIS 32 near Wabeno
File:Dudleytowerkayak.jpg, alt=WIS 52 crossing the Wisconsin River, with a kayaking statue in the park and the Dudley Tower in the background, A kayak statue along the Wisconsin River as WIS 52 enters downtown Wausau near the Dudley Tower
Major intersections
See also
*
Notes
References
External links
*{{Commons category-inline, Wisconsin Highway 52
052
Transportation in Marathon County, Wisconsin
Transportation in Shawano County, Wisconsin
Transportation in Langlade County, Wisconsin
Transportation in Forest County, Wisconsin