20' Eiffel Tower, Trout Ponds, and White Pine Trail

Both the Eiffel Tower replica and the fish hatchery trout ponds, now located in Paris County Park, have histories going back many years. The fish hatchery opened in 1881 and was renovated in the 1930s by Works Projects Administration crews. The Eiffel Tower was built by high school students in 1980 using discarded metal bed frames from the beds of the WPA crews.

The fish hatchery was closed in 1964 and given to the park in 1973. It's no longer a hatchery but there are trout in the ponds and machines with food pellets to throw in the water and start a feeding frenzy. To get to the parking lot to see the fish and the tower you have to go through the park entrance and pay a $7 day fee. We happened to luck into a free day but this is a small site and, in my opinion, it's not worth the fee.

 

There is also access to the White Pine Trail which runs through the park. A free parking lot is located about five miles south in Big Rapids at  Northend Riverside Park.

A steep gravel road goes to the trout ponds but the ponds are accessible with assistance. The walkway along the ponds is part grass and part concrete with some rough and uneven sections. The trail to a close view of the Eiffel Tower is hard packed dirt and gravel. It's steep so wheelchair users will need assistance. The White Pine Trail is paved and in good condition.

The parking lot is large enough for RVs.  Park  43.788, -85.50257