Council Grounds State Park in Lincoln County is a 508-acre Wisconsin River park that began as a city park for Merrill and was donated to the state in 1938. Under state ownership, it was designated first as a roadside park, then as a state forest, and finally became a full state park in 1978. During those earlier years, the Works Progress Administration planted trees and built visitor facilities that gave the grounds much of their developed character. Its name comes from reports that Native Americans once used the area for seasonal gatherings, preserving that earlier association with this stretch of river.