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.

Great trails found in Chippewa Valley’s cities

Duncan Creek at Irvine Park in Chippewa Falls, Wis.

Several small cities and villages can be found in Wisconsin’s Chippewa Valley. Most of those communities have longed served as agricultural centers, but the region’s four dominant towns became manufacturing, education or government hubs. Not surprisingly, those four all are on the region’s three major rivers.

Eau Claire, with a population of nearly 70,000, sits at the confluence of the Chippewa and Eau Claire rivers. At one time, this was the nation’s lumber capital, but that role gave way to industry in the 20th century. Today, it’s best known as the home of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and as a regional government and retail center. Recent efforts to make the city trail-friendly has led to a number of hiking opportunities there, especially in the campus/downtown area and on the Chippewa River State Trail.

Menomonie, to the west, is the valley’s second most populous city at around 16,500. The Red Cedar River, a major tributary to the Chippewa River, runs through town. It is home of the University of Wisconsin-Stout campus and offers several excellent trails, most notably the Red Cedar State Trail.

Chippewa Falls, the valley’s third largest city at about 14,000, also is on the Chippewa River and shares a similar lumbering and manufacturing legacy as 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.

Though smaller than a couple of other cities in the valley – specifically Altoona and Bloomer – Durand with 2000 people is Pepin County’s seat of government. It is downstream from Eau Claire on the Chippewa River, and the Chippewa River State Trail’s southern terminus is here.

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

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.

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.

Beaver pond awaits day hikers on park trail

A boardwalk runs over a beaver dam built several decades
ago but that still stands near Lake Wissota.

Hike heads through comely
woodland at Lake Wissota

An overlook of a former beaver pond awaits day hikers on the Beaver Meadow Nature Trail in Wisconsin’s Lake Wissota State Park.

Many park visitors consider the 1.2-mile round trip to be among Lake Wissota’s most scenic trails. Both summer and autumn mark great times to hike it, with each season offering its own play on the area’s natural beauty.

Bluff top view
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 two miles on the right. Park in the lot off the park entry road just before the group campground.

The trail heads south from lot across the park road and runs on a bluff top overlooking Lake Wissota. The man-made lake covers more than 6000 square acres.

Beaver Meadow Nature Trail map,
courtesy Wisconsin DNR.

After passing a small inlet of Lake Wissota, the stem comes to the loop. Go left/east on it.

Along the way, you’ll pass through a pine forest and by a marsh. It’s mostly shaded, however.

On the loop’s east side, the pathway comes to a junction with Staghorn Trail. Stay on the main trail (or veer left).

Beaver pond overlook
You may want to bring a guidebook about Wisconsin plant life with you. The trail includes mushrooms, the rare ghost plant (aka as the Indian pipe), and ferns.

Coming to the loop’s end, the trail reaches an overlook of an abandoned beaver pond. Beavers build dams to keep predators at bay and to create ponds so that they have a ready supply of food during winter. Like human engineers, beavers begin their dam construction by diverting the stream’s flow to lessen the amount of water pressure on their main dam when it’s being built.The dam has since been abandoned, but an overlook and a bridge over the dam give a good sense of how they terraformed the area.

After taking in the views, cross the stream draining into the inlet, and follow the stem trail back to the parking lot.

As the trail heads past a bog and stream, it can be buggy. Hike the trail at midday when the heat will keep the insects at bay, and be sure to don and carry mosquito repellent with you in summer.

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

Some overlooked day hiking trails in Chippewa County, Wis.

Ice Age National Scenic Trail
at Chippewa Moraine State
Recreation Area. Photo courtesy
of Wisconsin DNR.

While much of Chippewa County, Wis., is largely farm country, split by the Chippewa River, a major Wisconsin tributary to the Mississippi, near the Barron County border, you can find a few good, overlooked hiking areas, including:
g Chippewa Moraine State Recreation Area trails – The Ice Age National Scenic Trail cuts through this public land, which also boasts an interpretative center, on County Road M, about two miles east of Wis. Hwy. 40. An Ice Age National Scientific Reserve, other trials here include three loops of 0.7 miles (Mammoth Nature Trail), 1.8 miles (Dry Lake Trail), and 4.5 miles (Circle Trail) in length.
g Marsh Miller Cedars State Natural Area trails – An extensive wetlands that will require some bushwhacking, the public land is a great birdwatching spot, boasting bald eagle and great blue heron. The area is only accessible via boat from adjoining Marsh-Miller Lake.
g Morris-Erickson County Park trails – Located off of State Hwy. 40, the county park offers a boat landing, several electric campsites, and playground. For campers, a pleasant hike is along the park's shoreline of crystal clear Long Lake.

Read more about family friendly day hiking trails in my Headin' to the Cabin guidebooks.