Shawano, Wisconsin
.25 mile
Alpine Shores Park Grace Trail®
Small in Size. Full of Wonder.
Alpine Shores Park Grace Trail®
Tucked into a wooded neighborhood park, this quarter-mile Grace Trail winds past a quiet pond, wildlife, and 23 hand-forged woodland animals—creating a surprisingly magical place to walk the five questions.
About This Trail
Every Grace Trail shares the same five questions, yet no two are exactly alike. Discover the landscape, stories, and community that shape this one.
Just steps from a residential street, the Alpine Shores Park Grace Trail® slips quietly into another world.
The compact wooded loop winds beneath mature trees and alongside a peaceful pond, with glimpses of ducks, deer, changing light, and wildlife throughout the seasons.
Along the way, the Five Questions appear in English, Spanish, and Menominee, honoring the people, cultures, and history connected to the region.
At just a quarter mile, Alpine Shores is proof that a meaningful Grace Trail doesn’t require a vast landscape. Sometimes, a small patch of woods can hold an extraordinary amount of possibility.
Trail Features
Every community is different. Grace Trail is designed to adapt to the people, places, and purpose of each one.
Accessibility
• Quarter-mile loop
• Level natural walking surface
• Easy roadside access
• Neighborhood setting
• Suitable for all ages
Landscape
• Wooded neighborhood setting
• Peaceful pond
• Mature tree canopy
• Seasonal wildlife
• Changing light + views
Along the Way
• Five Grace Trail questions
• Multilingual signage
• 23 hand-forged animals
• Interactive QR codes
• Locally crafted elements
How to Experience
• Walk the full loop
• Search for hidden animals
• Pause beside the pond
• Bring a child or friend
• Spend time with one question
Powered By Community
Every Grace Trail is rooted in its community. From the people who champion it to the stories it reflects, each trail becomes a one-of-a-kind expression of place.
Small Trail. Big Heart.
Alpine Shores may be compact, but the community effort behind it was anything but small.
Residents, businesses, civic supporters, volunteers, and generous donors stepped forward with funding, materials, craftsmanship, professional services, and time. Their care is woven throughout the Trail, from its art and multilingual signage to the landscape and locally crafted details that make the experience distinctly its own.
That generosity continues to be celebrated through Trail events, local media, and community gatherings—because this is a place that truly belongs to the people who helped create it.
A Vision That Keeps Growing
Alpine Shores began with one person seeing possibility in an ordinary piece of land.
Through Janis “Matty” Mathison’s leadership, persistence, and gift for bringing people together, that possibility grew into something shared. Residents, businesses, volunteers, and local organizations found their own way to take part, each adding something to the Trail and the community growing around it.
Matty’s approach is simple but powerful: invite people into a meaningful idea, give them a way to help, and celebrate every person who makes it possible.
Life Along The Trail
Along the way, simple moments begin to stand out— what you notice, what you feel, and what stays with you.
Nature's Rythym
The pond, mature trees, wildlife, and changing seasons give the Trail a different character throughout the year. Ducks appear near the water, deer move through the woods, and shifting light invites walkers to notice a landscape that never feels quite the same twice.
Footsteps & Life
The small loop becomes part of everyday life—neighbors out for a walk, families searching for hidden animals, children exploring, and visitors spending time with the Five Questions.
Its scale makes Grace feel approachable: something to discover together or return to quietly on your own.
Held by Community
The community is visible in the details. Hand-forged animals, locally crafted elements, and signage in three languages give this small neighborhood Trail a character all its own.
What surrounds the Five Questions reflects the many hands, ideas, and traditions that helped shape the place.
Tales From The Trail
Love in any language is fluently spoken here.
At Alpine Shores, some of the magic is in discovering what isn’t immediately obvious.
Hidden among the trees are 23 hand-forged woodland animals, turning the Trail into a quiet scavenger hunt for children—and often the adults beside them. Finding them invites people to slow down, look a little closer, and notice what they might otherwise pass by.
A glimpse of iron among the leaves, a duck beside the pond, or a Grace Trail question encountered at just the right moment can make an ordinary walk feel anything but ordinary.
Here, wonder comes from noticing what’s already there.
There are days I come here with a problem and leave with a little more perspective. There are other days I come with no agenda at all and leave grateful I did. This trail has become part of the rhythm of my life.
Richard L
Community Member
I came looking for a quick walk and found something much more. Between the quiet woods, the pond, and the hidden artwork, this trail has a way of helping me clear my mind and return to what matters.
Loew
Local Resident
This trail proves you don't need a large space to make a meaningful difference. It has become a quiet gathering place for reflection, conversation, and community connection.
Nora N
Local Resident
Made Possible Together
Alpine Shores was brought to life with the support of local organizations, businesses, donors, and community members who believed in what this space could become.
With Special Thanks
To Peter Keenan and Mary Lisa Carenza-Keenan, Matty Mathison, the Shawano High School Class of 1970, Nancy Schultz, Lenore Behnke, Sam and Wendy Crawford, Nita Charnon, Heather Zimba, Sharrie Schweitzer, Dale Hutjens, John and Cindy Mathison, Ed and Gloria Grys, Steve Franzoi, and Steve and Paula Landeau—thank you for the generosity and belief you brought to this Trail.
Our gratitude extends to Shawano Pathways, Little Rapids of Shawano, Shawano Optimist Club, Sperberg Construction, Torborg’s, Schneider Monument, Dave Koeller, and Otto’s Trucking, and to everyone who continues to care for, share, and walk the Trail. Alpine Shores carries the generosity of the Shawano community throughout it.
An Idea Finds Its Way
Sometimes, bringing Grace Trail to a community begins simply: someone discovers it, sees what it could become, and takes the first step.
In this conversation from Alpine Shores, Matty shares how she first found Grace Trail, how support from AARP helped bring the installation within reach, and what the Five Questions have come to mean in her own life.
Her story offers a glimpse into the many ways a Grace Trail can take root—with an idea, the right support, and a belief that something meaningful can grow from where you already are.