The Mead Wildlife Area Headquarters, on county highway S, is located about 45 minutes (30 miles) southwest of Wausau, 20 minutes (15 miles) east of Marshfield and 25 minutes (20 miles) northwest of Stevens Point. It is about 27,000 acres of mixed hardwoods and aspen uplands and open marshes that parallel the Little Eau Pleine River.
There are more than 70 miles of dikes and trails to hike. Access is restricted in some areas at certain times of the year, but there is plenty of area to explore any time. The Mead is probably the best all around wildlife watching acreage in central Wisconsin.