Chippewa River State Trail is a 26-mile urban-rural
rail trail in western
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
that follows the path of the
Chippewa River. The trails runs from the spot of the confluence of the Chippewa with the
Eau Claire River, at
Phoenix Park
The Phoenix Park ( ga, Páirc an Fhionnuisce) is a large urban park in Dublin, Ireland, lying west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey. Its perimeter wall encloses of recreational space. It includes large areas of grassland and tre ...
in downtown
Eau Claire (), meeting up with the
Red Cedar State Trail near
Red Cedar (), to the town of
Durand ().
A former railroad corridor, the trail passes through a variety of habitat including wetlands, prairies and sandstone bluff.
The Chippewa River State Trail will eventually be part of the greater Chippewa River Trail System which also includes the Red Cedar State Trail and the
Old Abe State Trail. Once completed, the system will include almost of trail and connect the cities of
Durand,
Menomonie,
Chippewa Falls,
Eau Claire and
Cornell
Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach a ...
. Currently, the Red Cedar and Chippewa River Trails connect Eau Claire and Menomonie, but there is no trail between Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls.
The trail is also connected with several smaller trails within the city of Eau Claire including a walking trail through
Putnam Park on the far west side of the park. There is also access to the Farmer's Market in Phoenix Park, which is open on Saturday mornings.
Outside of the city limits of Eau Claire (between Interstate 90/94 and Durand), there is a fee to use the trail, except for walking and hiking. An annual pass costs $25.00 and a day pass $5.00.
References
External links
Chippewa River State Trail websitefrom Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Friends of Chippewa River State Trail websitefrom Friends of the Chippewa River State Trail
{{Wisconsin hiking trails
Protected areas of Chippewa County, Wisconsin
Protected areas of Dunn County, Wisconsin
Protected areas of Eau Claire County, Wisconsin
Protected areas of Pepin County, Wisconsin
Rail trails in Wisconsin