Top fall hikes in west-central Wisconsin, Pt. I

Sisters’ Farm Trail System

There’s no better way to experience autumn colors in west-central

Wisconsin than a hike.

The brilliant yellows, oranges and red

of maples to the scarlet and russets of oaks...the crisp, fresh autumn air and

the last warm rays of sunlight before winter arrives...the crunch of fallen leaves and acorns beneath your boots...stopping to enjoy a warm mug

of apple cider or a caramel apple pulled from your backpack – it all calls for an afternoon on the trail.

Fortunately, there are plenty of great autumn trails across west-central Wisconsin to hike. Some are right out your back door, while some are a day trip that you can do in an afternoon.

Chippewa County
Day hikers can enjoy a pleasant walk around several placid lakes and ponds on the South Loop at the Hickory Ridge Recreational Area east of Bloomer. Though primarily cross-country skiing trails, the series of stacked loops can be hiked during the other seasons. The South Loop, a 3.1-miles round trip lollipop, is a good choice, as almost the entire trail runs through a northern hardwood forest. In Wisconsin, such a forest typically consists of sugar maple, beech, basswood, white ash, and yellow birch. The trail makes for a colorful walk in autumn when the leaves change. From Bloomer head west on Wis. Hwy. 64. Go left/north onto County Road AA then right/east onto 226th Avenue, which as veering south naturally becomes 225th Avenue (aka Bob Lake Road). The parking lot is on the north side of the road just east of Big Buck Lake.

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Day hikers can walk under a canopy of amber, orange and scarlet leaves at Irvine Park. A paved 1.1-mile paved trail loops through the park’s southeast corner, runs alongside a creek and passes through a tiny zoo, making it a perfect autumn outing if children are with you. From downtown Chippewa Falls, head north on Wis. Hwy. 124. Turn left/west onto Bridgewater Avenue. Go right/north onto Bear Den Drive and pull into the parking lot on the left/west. At the lot, angle northeast past the restrooms. At Bear Den Drive, walk left/north along the sidewalk.

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A cornucopia of colors await hikers each autumn at Lake Wissota State Park. Though much of the park consists of evergreen plantations, sections of it contain deciduous forests. Try the south end of the Lake Trail, which runs 1-mile round trip from the beach house to the Red Pine Trail junction. Yellow-, orange, and red-leaved sugar maples, russet-colored oaks, and a few evergreen red and white pine – surround the trail. From Chippewa Falls, head north on Wis. Hwy. 178. Turn right/east onto County Road S. Immediately after the Chippewa River bridge, go right/east on County Road O. The park entrance is about two miles on the right. Park in the lot for the beach house.

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For more Chippewa County trails, see Day Hiking Trails of the Chippewa Valley.

Eau Claire County
Day hikers can enjoy a walk along two waterways through a wildlife-laden forest in the heart of Eau Claire. Several undesignated trails run through the Putnam Park State Natural Area on the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire campus. Hike the natural area’s eastern section, which is largely centered on Little Niagara Creek. The natural area is heavily forested, with red and white pines dominating the higher ground while hackberry, paper and river birch, and red and silver maple thrive in the lower, wetter areas. Tamarack and white cedar also can be found in the eastern portion’s wettest sections. Day hikers will be impressed by the size of the trees, especially the red and white pine, which have largely been undisturbed for more than a century. It can be reached by walking alongside Putnam Drive, which starts across from campus parking lot #14.

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Hikers can enjoy a waterfalls shrouded in autumn colors while perched atop rock that is at least 1.85 billion years old at Big Falls County Park. Though there’s no designated trail, hikers easily can walk a half-mile along the Eau Claire River and across the rock. The waterfalls – surrounded by trees that have turned yellow and various shades of red– consists of two drops that total 25 feet over outcroppings of ancient gneiss. From Eau Claire, take U.S. Hwy. 12 east. Turn left/north on N. Elco Road. At County Road SS (aka 9 Mile Creek Road), go right/east. This road runs out at County Road K (aka N. 130th Avenue); head left/north onto County K. Just before crossing the Eau Claire River, turn left/west onto Big Falls Forest Road. The sandy road heads straight to a parking lot; from there, walk west toward the river.

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Day hikers can walk through an oak savanna and along a stream at the Beaver Creek Reserve north of Fall Creek. The 1.3-mile round trip Interior Loop runs through a small section of the 400 acres overseen by the Friends of Beaver Creek Reserve. Each autumn, the savanna's oak leaves range from yellow-brown to wine red. A variety of colors also can be seen on other trees along the creek and the trail's uplands portion. From U.S. Hwy. 12 in Fall Creek, go north on County Road K. The reserve is on the north side of the Eau Claire River. Park in the lot for the nature center on the road’s right/south side. From there, take a connector trail east to the trailhead.

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For more Eau Claire County trails, see Day Hiking Trails of the Chippewa Valley.

Rusk County
By Wisconsin standards, the 1300-foot high Blue Hills are like mountains. With that kind of relief from the surrounding terrain, it’s an excellent place to see a variety of fall colors. The Blue Hills primarily sit in a mixed deciduous forest of maple basswood, and oak, but you also can find red and white pines, balsam and hemlock. The Blue Hills West Trail’s first stacked loop at 2.3 miles total is particularly good during autumn. From U.S. Hwy. 8 in Weyerhaeuser, go north on Second Street. Take the road out of town for about seven miles. At the Y intersection, turn right/east. After passing Christie Mountain, turn left/north onto Fire Lane Road. Next, go left/west onto Excelsior Road (unmarked); if you pass the turnoff for the East Side Trailhead and parking lot, you’ve gone too far.

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Autumn colors can be found aplenty on the Sisters’ Farm Trail System just outside of Ladysmith. Ten miles of trails cover the varied terrain inside a bend of the Flambeau River. Leaves along the trail shimmer red, yellow and orange. From downtown Ladysmith, take U.S. Hwy 8 south. Turn right/west onto Port Arthur Road then straight/left-south on Sisters’ Farm Road, which leads to the parking lot.

Some overlooked trails in Chippewa County

Witt Park Nature Walk. Photo courtesy City of Bloomer.

While Wisconsin’s Chippewa County is well-known for its number of high-quality hiking trails –those at Brunet Island and Lake Wissota state parks and the Old Abe State Trail among them – there are a few lesser known ones that are interesting to walk.

Four of them in particular take hikers into remote woodlands, offering great back-to-nature experiences:
• Hay Meadow Horse trails – The 22-mile equestrian trail system runs across glacial moraines through woodlands full of lakes, ponds and streams. An easy to access route is the Beaver Pond Trail, which runs east from a parking lot off of Hay Meadow Flowage Trail road north of 225th Avenue northeast of Bloomer.
• Moon Ridge Trails – Located in the Chippewa County Forest northwest of Cornell, a number of trails (including the Ice Age National Scenic Trail) crisscross the maple, basswood and ash woodlands. Watch for trailheads off of Moon Ridge Trail road (aka 226th Street), south of County Road M, and park on the road’s shoulder.
• Ruby County Forest trails – A number of jeep trails run through the Town of Ruby County Forest northeast of Cornell and southwest of Lake Holcombe. One good trail is on the north side of 245th Avenue east of County Road G.
• Tom Lawin Wildlife Area – No designated trails run through the wildlife area and the Lawin Sedge Meadow State Natural Area it surrounds, but there are a number of deer trails that traverse the grounds southeast of Jim Falls. Parking areas can be found along 127 th Avenue (aka Wildlife Drive) and County Road K west and south of their intersection.

Two others can be found of the county’s cities:
• Chapman Lake Trail – A narrow footpath loops Chapman Lake with a couple of scenic white footbridges on the nearly 2-mile route in Stanley. Parking is available at Chapman Park off of West Eighth Avenue north of County Road O/West Fourth Avenue.
• Witt Park Nature Walk – A small trail winds through the Bloomer park that sits along the shore of Duncan Creek. The park is on Chipprewa Road south of Main Street.

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Great hikes crisscross Chippewa County

Rocks cliff alongside Irvine Park Loop.

Wisconsin’s Chippewa County is prime day hiking country. Two state parks, a state recreation area, the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, the Old Abe State Trail, an impressive city park in Chippewa Falls, and several smaller county and city parks all can be found there. Much of the county’s northern portion is a showcase for moraines, kettle lakes and other post-ice age features. The Chippewa River splits the county in half, running diagonally northeast to southwest.

Chippewa Falls, the county’s largest city, sits on the Chippewa River and shares a similar lumbering and manufacturing legacy as nearby Eau Claire to the south. Today, it is headquarters for the original Cray Research and home of the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company. The southern end of the Old Abe Trail is located here; a couple of other good trails also can be found in Irvine Park.

In Cornell, Brunet Island State Park covers 1300 acres on the Chippewa River and boasts several quiet lagoons. To the south, Lake Wissota State Park spans over a thousand acres along a reservoir on the Chippewa. The Chippewa Moraine State Recreation Area at more than 3000 acres in size preserves several unique landforms created during the last ice age.

Six great trails to hike in Chippewa County include:
• Jean Brunet Nature Trail
• Lake Trail
• Circle Trail
• Ice Age National Scenic Trail
• Old Abe State Trail
• Irvine Park Loop

Learn more about nearby day hiking trails in my Day Hiking Trails of the Chippewa Valley guidebook.

How to reach Chippewa Valley hiking trails

White pines on the Bjornson Education-Recreation
Center Loop

Wisconsin’s Chippewa Valley – loosely defined as Chippewa, Eau Claire, Dunn and Pepin counties –boasts a number of parks and trails ideal for hiking. Several major highways offer access to the valley.

From the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, take Interstate 94 east. Trails in Dunn and Pepin county trails can be accessed by exiting on Wis. Hwy. 25, while many trails in Eau Claire and Chippewa counties can be reached by exiting onto U.S. Hwy. 53 or U.S. Hwy 12. An easy to reach Chippewa Valley trail from I-94 is the Bjornson Education-Recreation Center Loop.

From northern Wisconsin and Minnesota, take Hwy. 53 south into Chippewa County. Continue south into Eau Claire County or take Wis. Hwy. 29 west to Dunn County. A good valley trail close to northern Wisconsin and Minnesota is the Circle Loop.

From southern Minnesota and Iowa, either Interstate 35 can be taken north to Minneapolis-St. Paul and then I-94 east into Dunn and Eau Claire counties or U.S. Hwy. 63 can be taken north to I-94, which then is traveled east. A fun valley trail that is close to southern Minnesota and Iowa is the Silver Birch Park Trail.

From eastern Wisconsin, either U.S. Hwy. 10 or Hwy. 29 can be driven east to I-94. A good trail for visitors from that area is Lake Wissota State Park's Lake Trail.

From the Upper Peninsula, take U.S. Hwy. 8 west then Hwy. 53 south. Some excellent valley trails along this route are those at the Chippewa Moraine State Recreation Area.

From southern Wisconsin and Illinois, head north on I-94 into Eau Claire County. Among the first trails visitors from that area can reach is the Coon Fork Lake Trail.

Learn more about nearby day hiking trails in my Day Hiking Trails of the Chippewa Valley guidebook.

My latest hiking guidebook now on sale

My latest book, Day Hiking Trails of the Chippewa Valley went on sale Monday. The book lists more than a hundred great family-friendly trails in Wisconsin’s Eau Claire, Chippewa, Dunn and Pepin counties. Among them are the Chippewa River State Trail, the Red Cedar State Trail, the Old Abe State Trail, and the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. Two state parks – Lake Wissota and Brunet Island – are explored as well. The book includes a bonus primer about day hiking essentials such as gear, clothing, navigation, and how to avoid various trail dangers. Day Hiking Trails of the Chippewa Valley is available as a paperback and as an ebook on Kindle/ Ebook versions for Nook, iBook/iPad, Kobo, and other formats are coming out later this month.

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Logging-era remains visible on Ice Age Trail

Map of Deer Fly Trail Area segment, courtesy
Chippewa County, Wis.

Day hikers can enjoy a walk along the famous Ice Age National Scenic Trail in northern Chippewa County.

More than 20 of the trail’s proposed 1200 miles rambles through the county. A particularly good county section to hike is the 2-miles round-trip Deer Fly Trail area segment in the Chippewa County Forest’s Deer Fly Trail area.

To reach this segment, from Bloomer, drive east on Wis. Hwy. 64. Turn left/north onto County Road E then left/north on 180th Street. This road curves west to become 205th Avenue and then north to become 175th Street. When the road turns west and becomes 225th Avenue, head right/north on Hay Meadow Flowage Trail. Then go right/northeast onto the gravel Deer Fly Trail. When the narrow Ice Age Trail crosses the road, park on the shoulder (If you pass the junction with High Ridge Trail road, you've gone too far).

The trail meanders through a mixed hardwood forest. Be careful not to turn off onto crossing logging trails, which will be much wider than the Ice Age Trail. Yellow blazes mark the main trail.

Statewide, the trail roughly marks the advance of glaciers during the last ice age. Those glaciers entirely shaped the terrain throughout the area.

While 11,000 years ago ice towered high above the ground, today the area consists mainly of tag alder swamps, swamp conifers, swamp hardwoods or a mixture of these. The upland areas, however, consist of aspen, oak or northern hardwoods.

When the trail passes wetlands in about a half-mile, you're close to Birch Creek. The trail largely parallels the stream until veering southwest to the Harwood Lakes.

Along the trail, you’ll likely spot deep ruts. They are a testament to man’s impact on Mother Nature, for they date to the late 1800s when sled runners pulled by horse teams hauled large loads of white pine logs out of this forest.

The Deer Fly Trail area is fairly secluded, so you won’t likely see other hikers out here except maybe on weekends. The Chippewa County Forest covers 33,653-acres, and the Deer Fly area makes up about a quarter of that at 8,589 acres.

About a mile from the trailhead, the trail crosses a narrow spot in the widening creek via a log corduroy. These are logs sand-covered logs that were placed perpendicular to roads that crossed swampy areas. While an improvement over muddy roads, they still made for a bumpy ride and when loose logs shifted could injure horses.

The crossing marks a good point to turn back.

Parks, trails abound in Chippewa Valley

Brunet Island State Park. Photo courtesy of Wisconsin DNR.

Wisconsin’s Chippewa Valley – loosely defined as Chippewa, Eau Claire, Dunn and Pepin counties –boasts a number of parks and trails ideal for hiking.

Highlighting those attractions are two state parks. Brunet Island State Park covers 1300 acres on the Chippewa River and boasts several quiet lagoons. To the south, Lake Wissota State Park spans over a thousand acres along a reservoir on the Chippewa.

Several minor state public areas as well as county and city parks can be found in the region.

The Chippewa Moraine State Recreation Area at more than 3000 acres in size preserves several unique landforms created during the last ice age. Hoffman Hills Recreation Area covers a little more than 700 acres and includes an observation tower at its highest point.

Each of the Chippewa Valley’s three largest cities operate large parks. Chippewa Falls’ Irvine Park includes a zoo, cave and walk along a creek. Eau Claire’s Carson Park offers historical museums and a trail near the Chippewa River. Menomonie’s Wakanda Park sits on Lake Menomin and adjoins a game park with nature trail.

Four lengthy trails crisscross the valley. The Chippewa River State Trail runs 26 miles along its namesake from Durand to the Lake Hallie area north of Eau Claire. The Old Abe State Trail heads 19.5 miles along the Chippewa River from Chippewa Falls to Brunet Island State Park. The Red Cedar State Trail hugs the Red Cedar River for 14.5 miles from Menomonie to northeast of Durand. Each of those three trails were built on old railroad grades. A fourth trail, the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, marks the farthest advance of glaciers in the last ice age, and runs for 23 miles in Chippewa County, from north of Stanley to northeast of New Auburn.

Learn more about Chippewa Valley day hiking trails in my Day Hiking Trails of the Chippewa Valley guidebook.

Wis. trail leads to sawmill dam from 1875

Glen Loch Dam and sawmill structure in Chippewa Falls, Wis.

Map of Glen Loch Dam Trail (in yellow),
courtesy city of Chippewa Falls.

Creek falls 37 feet
at Glen Loch Dam

A nearly 150-year-old dam and a century-old bridge over a deep, narrow ravine await day hikers on the Glen Loch Dam Trail in western Wisconsin.

The 1.4-miles round trip trail sits in Chippewa Falls' Irvine Park. It's not the official name of the trail that essentially follows two narrow park roads doubling as walking paths.

To reach the park, from downtown Chippewa Falls head north on Wis. Hwy. 124. Turn left/west onto Bridgewater Avenue. Go right/north onto County Road Q/Wheaton Street then right/east onto County Road S. Head right/south onto Ermatinger Drive and upon entering Irvine Park, use the first parking lot on the left.

Walk south on Ermatinger Drive. The paved path is nicely shaded, and in autumn offers up great fall leaf displays.

Between the trees, you’ll can catch views of Glen Loch. It covers 39 acres and was created by backing up Duncan Creek so the dam could power a sawmill managed by local businessman William Irvine. The Pure Ice Company cut frozen water from atop the lake beginning in 1935 and sold it as ice.

About 0.2 miles into the hike, the trail comes to the Rumble Bridge. The narrow, steel bridge – built in 1914 – crosses a deep ravine. Irvine paid for the bridge so parkgoers had access to the park’s north side.

In 0.4 miles from the bridge, the walkway junctions with Irvine Park Drive. Turn left/southeast onto the road.

An overlook of the dam is in another 0.1 miles. Glen Loch Falls and an old saw mill structure sit at 900 feet elevation.

The Chippewa Lumber and Boom Company Sawmill built the dam in 1875 to serve what at the time was the world’s largest sawmill within a single building. A mere four years later, Hector McRae erected a flour mill next to the dam. The mill could produce 100 barrels of flour a day. It was tore down in 1924.

The dam has survived three major floods. In 1959, it was modified. Today, it stretches 149 feet wide with a 37-foot drop.

When Wisconsin’s logging days were over in the early 1900s, Irvine donated the lake and surrounding land to the city for a park.

Once taking in the view of the dam, retrace your steps back to the parking lot.

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Trails explore Chippewa Valley geography

Chippewa River near Ella, Wis. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

The geography of Wisconsin’s Chippewa Valley – defined loosely as Eau Claire, Chippewa, Dunn and Pepin counties – includes three distinct areas. A number of trails allows hikers to explore the landforms.

The Chippewa River runs about 183 miles from northern Wisconsin into the Mississippi River, where sediment helps back up the river and forms Lake Pepin. Only the Chippewa River’s lower 50 miles from the Mississippi River northward is navigable.

About half of Chippewa County – the northeast corner – sits in the Northern Highlands. The site of an ancient mountain range, it is now a hilly region will virtually no lakes or swamps. It mostly belongs to the North Central Forest ecological zone.

Most of Dunn County, the southwestern half of Chippewa County, and the northern and eastern portion of Eau Claire County are in the Central Plain. Half-a-billion years ago, much of this area was a coastal plain bordering a sea. It has since been uplifted hundreds of feet with erosion over the millennia and the most recent ice ages reducing the terrain to the fairly flat surface that once existed here. Ecologically, it’s part of the Western Coulee and Ridges area.

The western edges of Dunn County, much of Pepin County, and the southeastern portion of Eau Claire County is part of the Western Upland. A system of ridges and valleys make up the area around the Chippewa and Mississippi rivers. This region ecologically also is part of the Western Coulee and Ridges area.

Great trails to explore the area’s geography include:
• Jean Brunet Nature Trail (Northern Highlands)
• Tower Ridge Recreation Area trails (Central Plain)
• Tiffany Bottoms SWA trails (Western Upland)

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Trails explore Chippewa Valley’s geology

Waterfall at Devils Punch Bowl near Red Cedar River. These rocks were
formed from sediment at the bottom of a sea some 500 million years ago.

The geology of Wisconsin’s Chippewa Valley – defined loosely as Eau Claire, Chippewa, Dunn and Pepin counties – shows two major periods very distant in time. A number of hiking trails offers access to the geological sights.

While rock can be found in Wisconsin’s Chippewa Valley that dates to at least 1.85 billion years, most of the area’s bedrock was formed much later. Prior to 545 million years ago, the four counties making up what is now the river valley sat off the edge of the North American continent near the equator.

Over the next 50 million years, the bedrock for most of Eau Claire and Chippewa counties formed in the Cambrian period and then in the 50 million years following during the Ordovician, the bedrock for Dunn and Pepin counties developed. Most of the sandstone above this bedrock is visible in road cuts and where the Chippewa and Eau Claire rivers have carved through it.

Much of the geological record between 443 million and 1.8 million years ago has disappeared from the Chippewa Valley. During that time, the area probably lay under a sea for several million years with the rest lost to erosion, both from everyday causes such as rain and wind and from the glaciers that swept through the area.

Much of the landscape today in the Chippewa Valley is shaped by the glaciers of the past ice age, which ended about 10,000 years ago. As the glaciers’ advance stopped in northern Chippewa County, sediment brought from those melting ice sheets formed a thin layer over much of the area’s existing bedrock. How the melting ice shaped the Chippewa Valley – the Chippewa River itself was a major channel for the meltwater flowing into the Mississippi River – is a complex story that varies across the region.

Great hiking trails for discovering the Chippewa Valley’s geology include:
• Big Falls Trail (1.85 billion year old rock)
• Irvine Park Loop (rock from Cambrian period)
• Devils Punch Bowl Trail (rock for Cambrian-Ordovician periods)
• Circle Trail (Ice Age moraines)

Learn more about Chippewa Valley day hiking trails in my Day Hiking Trails of the Chippewa Valley guidebook.

Trio of Wisconsin trails head around lakes

Trail at Hickory Ridge. Photo courtesy of chippewacounty.com

Day hikers can enjoy a pleasant walk around several placid lakes and ponds at the Hickory Ridge Recreational Area in western Wisconsin.

Though primarily cross-country skiing trails, the series of stacked loops can be hiked during the other seasons. There are three main trails on site.

To reach Hickory Ridge, from Bloomer, head west on Wis. Hwy. 64. Go left/north onto County Road AA then right/east onto 226th Avenue, which as veering south naturally becomes 225th Avenue (aka Bob Lake Road). The parking lot for the South Loop is on the north side of the road just east of Big Buck Lake. To reach the North and the Tram Lake loops, from 225th Avenue, go left/north on 157th Street immediately after Hemlock Lake and then turn right/east onto Hickory Ridge Trail.

The trails include:
• South Loop – The 3.1-miles round trip lollipop mainly circles around Burnt Wagon Lake as cutting through a classic northern hardwood forest. Before getting to the lake, it passes a wet meadow known locally as the “Great Swamp.”
• North Loop – The 3.75-miles round trip trail mainly winds around Fishpole Lake. Park on the shoulder of the road west of Hay Meadow Trail.
• Tram Lake Loop – To reach the trail, which winds around Tram Lake, head north on the western leg of the North Loop then take the first trail junction going right/east. Tram Lake Loop runs 2.2-miles. As with the North Loop, park on the road shoulder.

A nonprofit, Friends of Hickory Ridge, maintains the trails. No fee is required to hike the trails, but a donation box is at the parking lot. Dogs are not allowed on the trails.

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Variety of sights await Lake Wissota hikers

Trailhead for Prairie Wildflower Trail at Lake Wissota
State Park in western Wisconsin.

A picturesque lake, ancient effigy mounds, and a former beaver pond await day hikers at Lake Wissota State Park in western Wisconsin.

Ten major trails, many of which can be done in combination with another, can be found at the park northeast of Chippewa Falls. Campgrounds and picnic grounds are at the park.

To reach the state park and trailhead, from Chippewa Falls head north on Wis. Hwy. 178. Turn right/east onto County Road S. Immediately after the Chippewa River bridge, go right/east on County Road O. The park entrance is about 2 miles on the right.

Among the major trails at the park, from northwest to southeast, are:
• Old Abe State Trail link –The paved railroad grade trail runs for 20 miles and connects the state park to Brunet Island State Park in Cornell or heads south across the Chippewa River into Chippewa Falls.
• Lake Trail – Day hikers can walk alongside ancient effigy mounds on a bluff overlooking scenic Lake Wissota. The trail runs 1.4 miles (2.8-miles round trip) with connectors running to other walking paths.
• Plantation Trail – A square route with the access trail runs about 1.4 miles through a red pines plantation. Hikers can reach the trail via the northwest corner of the Red Pine Trail.
• Red Pine Trail – The Nevada-shaped trail runs past a meadows and through a red pine forest for 1.5 miles (stem is 0.5 miles one-way, loop is 0.5 miles). Start from the lot off the main park road just beyond the campground.
• Prairie Wildflower Nature Trail – The self-guided 0.5-miles trail in the middle of the park offers an up-close view of tall grasses and a variety of other plants. In July, many flowers bloom, making for a beautiful walk.
• Eagle Prairie Trail – Shared by hikers and off-road bicyclists, the 0.5-mile (one-way) trail connects the Red Pine and Fox trails, and must be accessed via one of them.
• Fox Trail – The roughly square-shaped trail runs about 0.5-mile and is shared by hikers and off-road bicyclists. It can be reached either via Red Pine-Eagle Prairie tails or by heading up a segment of the Jack Pine Trail.
• Jack Pine Trail – The 0.75-mile loop is largely wooded. Reach it via the parking lot off the park entry road, just before the group campground.
• Staghorn Trail – Located in the park’s southern section, the 2-mile loop intersects several other park trails. Access it via the parking lot off the park entry road, just before the group campground.
• Beaver Meadow Nature Trail – An overlook of an abandoned beaver pond awaits day hikers on what many park visitors consider to be among Lake Wissota’s most scenic trails. Both summer and autumn mark great times to hike the 1.2-mile round trip trail, with each season offering its own play on the area’s natural beauty.

Learn more about nearby day hiking trails in my Day Hiking Trails of the Chippewa Valley guidebook.

Loop circles lakes formed during last ice age

Map courtesy of Friends of Hickory Ridge

Day hikers can enjoy a pleasant walk around several placid lakes and ponds on the South Loop at the Hickory Ridge Recreational Area in western Wisconsin.

Though primarily cross-country skiing trails, the series of stacked loops can be hiked during the other seasons. The South Loop, a 3.1-miles round trip lollipop, is a good choice as it’s a little flatter than the other two routes on site.

To reach the trailhead, from Bloomer head west on Wis. Hwy. 64. Go left/north onto County Road AA then right/east onto 226th Avenue, which as veering south naturally becomes 225th Avenue (aka Bob Lake Road). The parking lot is on the north side of the road just east of Big Buck Lake.

The trail runs north from the lot, curving around a wet meadow known locally as the “Great Swamp.” It then passes the eastern side of Horseshoe Lake, which is on the trail’s west side. At 19 acres in size with a maximum depth of 28 feet, panfish are common and northern pike thrive in the lake.

Next, the trail slips between a pond and another wet meadow. The lake-pond terrain is part of the same geographical system that makes up the Chippewa Moraine State Recreation Area to the north. The region consists of irregularly shaped lakes and ponds formed by glaciers at the end of the last ice age.

Upon reaching a trail junction, the loop portion of the route begins. Go left/west.

Horseshoe, Burnt Wagon lakes
This takes you between Horseshoe (on the left/south) and Burnt Wagon (on the right/north) lakes. A ski shelter sits next to the trail on the Burnt Wagon Lake side.

Almost the entire trail is through a northern hardwood forest. In Wisconsin, such a forest typically consists of sugar maple, beech, basswood, white ash, and yellow birch. The trail makes for a colorful walk in autumn when the leaves change.

The loop next curves north along Burnt Wagon Lake’s western shore. A 19-acre lake, Burnt Wagon has a depth of 17 feet.

On the lake’s north side, the trail forks; going left/north takes you onto the North Loop. Continue straight/east, leaving the lake behind and passing a wet meadow on the left/north.

Silver Lake
At the next junction, go right/southeast; the other way takes you onto another leg of the North Loop.

As the trail heads south, it passes a pond and then Silver Lake, both on the left/east. Though small at 2 acres, Silver Lake has a maximum depth of 16 feet so supports panfish, largemouth bass and northern pike.

The next trail junction is the stem you came in on. Continue straight/south back to the parking lot.

Friends of Hickory Ridge, a nonprofit, maintains the trails. No fee is required to hike, but a donation box is at the parking lot. Dogs are not allowed on the trails.

Learn more about nearby day hiking trails in my Day Hiking Trails of the Chippewa Valley guidebook.

Trail heads along Chippewa River reservoir

Trail map courtesy of Wisconsin DNR.

Day hikers can enjoy a walk alongside a Chippewa River reservoir on the Old Abe State Trail.

A former rail line, the 20-mile trail links Chippewa County’s two state parks – Brunet Island in Cornell and Lake Wissota near Chippewa Falls. It winds through farmland and forests, past historical sites, and along the Chippewa River shoreline. Though a bicycle trail, it also is open to hikers.

Old Abe Lake
A pleasant 6-mile round trip segment of the trail to day hike is near Jim Falls. To reach the trailhead, in downtown Jim Falls look for the trail parking lot off of County Road S between Barber Drive and 139th Avenue. An access trail heads southeast from the lot to the trail.

Head north on the Old Abe; houses and a county highway sit between the trail and Chippewa River if you go south. While the same is true as heading north through Jim Falls, the built-up area gives way to countryside upon crossing County Road S.

Once north of the county road, the trail passes a transmission substation that pulls power from the hydroelectric dam on the Chippewa River to the east. In short order, the trail comes alongside Old Abe Lake (Some maps refer to it as the “Old Abe Flowage.”), a reservoir created by two dams. The first backs up a side channel of the Chippewa River at County Roads S and Y while the other is farther north on the main channel. The Chippewa River’s main channel rambles across several cascades.

Eagle mascot
As the lake narrows, the surrounding land grows swampier. On the opposite shoreline, bluffs rise over the lake and river, each autumn offering a scenic backdrop of fall leaf colors.

Flat and wide, the Old Abe Trail is a former Chicago and Northwestern rail line. The trail is named for the eagle that served as mascot of the 8th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment during the Civil War. Soldiers purchased the eagle from a tavern owner in Jim Falls and took it into many battles across the South.

A good spot to turn back is about three miles into the hike, just after the trail curves northeast toward the 2 o’clock position (with north at noon). Following the spring snow melt, the water can be high here, and the elevated trail forms a causeway over a finger of the lake.

Alternately, you can continue north to Cobban, which at five miles from Jim Falls makes for a great point-to-point trail in which someone picks you up at your destination. Just before arriving, the trail crosses another causeway over the river’s side.

Other trailheads
Other trailheads for the Old Abe include:
• Lake Wissota – A lot is off of Elks Club Road immediately west of the County Roads S and O intersection.
• Cornell – Park at the Cornell City and Visitors Center off of Wis. Hwy. 64 west of Park Road.
• Brunet Island State Park – The trail runs south from the park headquarter’s lot on Park Road.

Learn more about nearby day hiking trails in my Day Hiking Trails of the Chippewa Valley guidebook.

Trails follow Chippewa Valley’s history

Red Cedar River along the Red Cedar Trail

Located along Wisconsin’s Chippewa, Red Cedar and Mississippi Rivers, the Chippewa Valley offers plenty of great trails opportunities for day hikers.

Originally the term “Chippewa Valley” referred to the Chippewa River watershed, but in the public’s eye soon came to more narrowly mean the Eau Claire-Chippewa Falls metro area. As the nearby communities of Menomonie and Durand became increasingly intertwined economically with those cities, the “valley” has broadened to include those towns.

Today, hiking trails in the area tend to offer glimpses of the area’s natural beauty that existed before the logging industry cleared the forests. A number of trails also honor the region’s history, from burial mounds and pioneers to logging and the great railroads.

Before Europeans arrived, the Dakota Sioux dominated the Chippewa Valley, and remnants of their presence via effigy mounds still can be found. The first Euro-Americans to explore the region were the French, and Lake Pepin – which the Chippewa River forms by dumping sediment into the Mississippi River – likely was named for two of those adventurers, the brothers Pierre Pepin and Jean Pepin du Cardonnets. These explorers primarily sought a water passageway through North America to the Pacific Ocean, and portages from the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River brought them to the Chippewa River Valley.

In the late 1600s, Frenchman Nicholas Perrot brashly claimed all lands west of the Great Lakes, and for the next century his country dominated mining, trading and trapping in the region. Archeological evidence indicates several French trading posts existed on Lake Pepin during the 1700s.

With the growth of the American colonies on the East Coast, Native American tribes migrated west, leading to conflicts with the already existing Indian nations. Among them was the pressing of the Ojibwa in northern Wisconsin into Dakota Sioux territory. For Euro-Americans, this heightened the value of the Chippewa River as a route between Lake Superior and the Mississippi River to avoid being caught up in tribal tensions.

Great Britain ended French dominance in the area during the French and Indian War of 1754-63, and when the American colonies gained independence, they claimed the area as part of the Northwest Territories.

Wisconsin became a state in 1846, but most of the population lived in the southern portion near the Illinois border. The Chippewa River served as a major route to the great pineries of the north as settlers arrived in the area during the next five decades. The river also was the main waterway for bringing felled logs to sawmills in Chippewa Falls and Eau Claire and then exporting the cut lumber via the Mississippi River to other parts of the rapidly growing United States.

Two of the most famous children’s stories of pioneers – those of Laura Ingalls Wilder and Caddie Woodlawn – both have their origins in the Chippewa Valley. “Little House in the Big Woods,” the first in the Laura Ingalls Wilder series, is set north of Pepin, while the Caddie Woodlawn tales took place south of Menomonie.

With the great forests logged off and arrival of the railroads, agriculture quickly became the mainstay of communities throughout the Chippewa Valley. Dairy farming in particular dominated with manufacturing springing up in the region’s larger cities.

Among the great Chippewa Valley trails to hike area:
• Chippewa River State Trail – Follows Chippewa River on old rail line between Eau Claire and Durand)
• Bjornson Education-Recreation Center Loop – Heads through grove of towering red pines and past ruins of an old dairy farm
• Lake Trail – Passes effigy mounds at Lake Wissota State Park
• Red Cedar Trail – Parallels Red Cedar River on old rain line between Menomonie and Durand
• Tower Ridge Recreation Area trails – Runs through oak forest east of Eau Claire

Learn more about Chippewa Valley day hiking trails in my Day Hiking Trails of the Chippewa Valley guidebook.

Hiking route follows Class I trout stream

Elk Creek in the Elk Creek Fishery Area, looking at the southern cascades.

Topo map, Elk Creek Fishery Trail.

Hiking route follows Class I trout stream A pleasant walk along a scenic trout stream awaits day hikers in west-central Wisconsin.

The hike runs about a half-mile round trip at the Elk Creek Fishery Area near the border of Chippewa and Dunn counties.

To reach the trailhead, from Chippewa Falls head west on Wis. Hwy. 29. After about nine miles, go right/north on 40th Street then left/west on County Road X. A gravel road on the right/north leads to the parking area, which overlooks the creek.

From the parking lot, head west down a small hill to the creek. At the water’s edge, go right/north, following the meandering stream. Though there is no official trail here, the open meadow along its banks make for an easy hike. Autumn is particular beautiful as the hardwoods and tag alder leaves change color.

In about 800 feet, you’ll pass a small cascades.

In total, the fishery covers 330 acres and includes 3.3 miles of Elk Creek, a class I trout stream. Such high quality streams are able to sustain a reproducing population of trout.

Brown trout dominates the main stream with brook trout present at its tributaries’ confluences. You’ll be able to see such a spot about 400 feet upstream from the cascades where a small stream flowing out of the surrounding farmlands joins with the main creek.

The confluence marks a good point to turn back. Upon reaching the spur heading up to the parking lot, however, instead continue walking downstream. Another small cascades appears about 150 feet from the spur.

Be sure to wear hiking boots as the grass and sandy ground along the streambanks can be wet.

Learn more about nearby day hiking trails in my Day Hiking Trails of the Chippewa Valley guidebook.

Trail parallels, offers view of Chippewa River

River Road Ski Trail. Map courtesy of Chippewa County, Wis.

Families can hike rolling, wooded terrain alongside the Chippewa River on the River Road Ski Trail near Cornell, Wis.

The 3.5-mile cross country trail rambles through the 270-acre Harold Walters Memorial Forest and can be hiked when snow isn’t on the ground. A segment of the trail with the gentlest terrain changes runs about 2.1-miles round trip and offers some views of the river.

To reach the trailhead, from Wis. Hwy 178 in Cornell, drive north on County RoadCC. In 2.2 miles, turn right/northeast onto 239th Avenue; a parking lot is on the road’s left/west side.

From the parking lot, go around the gate on the trail that heads northwest. At the first junction, turn right/northeast.

The trail parallels the Chippewa River, which runs for 183 miles, rising out of Lake Chippewa in Sawyer County, and flows into the Mississippi River. Where the two rivers meet, the sediment backs up the Mississippi to form Lake Pepin. The trail moves away from the northern tip of the Cornell Flowage, a section of the Chippewa.

In 0.4 miles from trailhead, the route reaches junction 1; go right/east. Within 200 feet, you’ll come to junction 2; continue going straight/east.

From there, the trail heads up a steep hill, offering vistas of the Chippewa below. It’s particularly scenic in autumn when the leaves of the forest’s northern hardwoods turn color and the understory clears away to give views of the blue river.

The Chippewa sits in a wide river canyon, formed more than 18,000 years ago when ice sheets began to melt and retreat in this area of Wisconsin. It has been a major trading route since prehistory, and during the late 1800s was a main riverway for moving cut logs from the Wisconsin Northwoods to mills in Chippewa Falls and Eau Claire.

The river garnered its name from an anglicization of “Ojibwe,” the name for the native American tribe who controlled much of the upper Chippewa Valley during the early 1800s.

After walking 0.2 miles, go right/northeast at junction 3. In 0.4 miles at junction 6, turn back, retracing your steps to the parking lot.

Learn more about Chippewa Valley day hiking trails in my Day Hiking Trails of the Chippewa Valley guidebook.

Brunet Island park offers variety of trails

Brunet Island State Park. Photo courtesy of TravelWisconsin.com.

Day hikers can enjoy walks alongside scenic rivers, through old growth hemlock forests, or amid fragrant red pines at Brunet Island State Park in western Wisconsin.

The state park, just north of Cornell, sits at the confluence of the Chippewa and Fisher rivers. The most developed section is on Brunet Island. To reach the park's main entrance, from Wis. Hwy. 64 in Cornell, take Park Road north.

Among the many great trails at the state park are:
• Ice Age National Scenic Trail segment – About 2 miles of the 1200-mile trail crosses the park's sparsely visited west side. Park at the trailhead off of County Road Z west of County Road CC and hike west then north to the trailhead at County Road CC.
• Jean Brunet Nature Trail – Day hikers can experience a river island full of giant trees on this 0.8-mile loop. Park off the road where Park Road and 255th Street intersect on the island.
• Nordic Trail – The 4.3-mile loop in the park's eastern section crosses a variety of post-glacier terrain and for part of the way parallels the scenic Fisher River. Start from the lot at the park headquarters.
• Old Abe State Trail – The northern end of the 14-mile trail starts at the park's dumping station and runs south alongside Park Road into Cornell. Use the lot at the park headquarters.
• Pine Trail – This 0.6 mile consists of two forks in a red (Norway) pine plantation at the island's center. Park at the boat landing off of 255th Street south of Park Road.
• Spruce Trail – The 0.33-mile trail connects a boat landing and boat landing, running alongside a back channel of the Chippewa River. Park at the same lot as for the Pine Trail.
• Timber Trail – Mature hemlocks and young aspen stands line the 0.6-mile route that runs between the swimming beach and the North Camp Area. Park at the lot for the fishing pier.

Map

Learn more about Chippewa Valley day hiking trails in my Day Hiking Trails of the Chippewa Valley guidebook.

Trail passes through zoo, along creek, cave

Rock formations are about 500 million years old along
Irvine Park's Duncan Creek.

Loop cuts across park's heart

Day hikers can enjoy a pleasant walk alongside a creek, through a tiny zoo, and past a cave at Irvine Park in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin.

Irvine Park heralds back to the day when cities set aside large swaths of land for multiple recreational purposes. It feels a lot like a miniature Central Park or Griffith Park.

Multiple walking paths run through Irvine Park, but the popular wooded ski trail often listed as a hiking trail tends to be overgrown by late summer. A good alternate is a paved 1.1-mile loop through the park’s southeast corner.

To reach the park, from downtown Chippewa Falls head north on Wis. Hwy. 124. Turn left/west onto Bridgewater Avenue. Go right/north onto Bear Den Drive and pull into the parking lot on the left/west.

Tigers, bears

Map, Irvine Park Loop,
courtesy City of Chippewa Falls

From the parking lot, angle northeast past the restrooms. At Bear Den Drive, walk left/north along the sidewalk.

Formed in 1906 by Chippewa Falls resident William Irvine, the park now covers 318 acres. Irvine envisioned a park that preserved the area’s natural history for all area residents to enjoy at no cost.

At Wolfe Drive, go left/northwest. A bridge crosses Duncan Creek and in short order enters the tiny zoo. Among the features are a duck pond, an exhibit including Bengal tigers, and a black bear exhibit.

As leaving the zoo, the trail follows Duncan Creek, offering various views of it. Starting several miles north of the city near New Auburn, the stream in the park offers a number of small cascades before flowing into the Chippewa River.

Go right/southeast onto Irvine Park Drive and cross the creek. When the trail curves south alongside the creek, it becomes Bear Den Drive.

Cave, ancient rocks
This portion of the hike focuses more on the area’s natural setting. Duncan Creek runs on the trail’s right/west side while sandstone walls line the left/east side.

Along the way is a small cave that can be entered. To the cave’s south are a set of 60-foot high tiered rocks that can be scrambled up.

The rock is Mt. Simon sandstone, which formed about 495 million to 500 million years ago as Wisconsin rose from the sea. Most of the rock layers were created by sediment, as tidal currents reclaimed Wisconsin for the ocean.

Upon reaching the restrooms, angle southwest back to the parking lot.

Learn more about nearby day hiking trails in my Day Hiking Trails of the Chippewa Valley guidebook.

Chippewa Moraine Recreation Area offers variety of day hiking trails to explore ice age

Ice Age Interpretive Center at Chippewa Moraine State Recreation Area.
Photo courtesy of Wisconsin DNR.

Day hikers can walk amid several lakes and ponds, all created during the last ice age, at the Chippewa Moraine State Recreation Area and Ice Age National Scientific Reserve near New Auburn, Wis.

The recreation area sits atop a 10-mile long moraine, a landform of rocks, gravel and debris pushed together by bulldozing glaciers. It was formed about 12,000 years ago as the most recent ice age came to an end in these parts.

To reach the recreation area, from U.S. Hwy. 53 in New Auburn, go east on County Road M. The rec area is in 7 miles; watch for signs for the David R. Obey Ice Age Interpretive Center, which is on the left/north. The interpretive center is a good spot to start any of the trails, as it offers several displays about the ice age and local natural and cultural history.

Among the trails to hike are:
• Circle Trail – The 4.5-mile loop circles both North and Shout Shattuck Lake as well as several ponds. A variety of access points exist for the trail, but the interpretive center is a good spot to park and start the hike.
• Dry Lake Trail – The 1.8-mile loop passes five ponds. It starts near the interpretive center.
• Ice Age National Scenic Trail – The 1200-mile statewide trail runs roughly where the glacier reached its farthest southern advance during the last ice age. It cuts east-west through the recreation area. From the interpretive center, access it via the Circle Loop.
• Mammoth Nature Trail –The 0.75-mile loop passes three ponds. It also starts near the interpretive center.

Map

Learn more about Chippewa Valley day hiking trails in my Day Hiking Trails of the Chippewa Valley guidebook.