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Chippewa County
Attractions
Chippewa
County, located in northwestern Wisconsin's Chippewa River Valley,
was once the heart of a dense forest of white pine, and today
features beautiful wooded scenery and is rich in wildlife and
fish. Connected by the Chippewa River to the Mississippi River
and the Gulf of Mexico; and north to Lake Superior via the St.
Croix and Brule River, Chippewa County features some of the best
fishing in the country as well as some of the best outdoor recreational
adventures!
With 450 lakes,
21 trout streams, 321 miles of rivers and streams totaling 21,037
acres of water teeming with northern, walleye, large-mouth and
small-mouth bass and panfish, 10 lakes with abundant muskies,
four flowages with plenty of catfish, and three with sturgeon,
Chippewa County is one of Wisconsin's hottest sports fisheries.
Most lakes and streams are accessible by one or more boat ramps.
Others are right at the roadside or can be reached by walk-in
trails. Area bait, boat and tackle shops provide everything needed
for fun on the water, from rods and reels to pontoon party boats
and serious fishing craft. Many great fishing spots also provide
parking, camping and picnic areas for vacationing anglers and
their families.
Chippewa County
offers more than 33,000 acres of public land for hiking, camping,
snow-mobiling, sightseeing, hunting and wildlife photography.
Squirrel, rabbit, hare, turkey, grouse, pheasant, ducks, geese
and one of the largest concentrations of white-tail deer in Wisconsin
provide plenty of gun and camera action year 'round.
More than a dozen
State, County and Municipal Parks, multi-use trails, rivers, lakes
and streams offer Chippewa County visitors a great variety of
outdoor family fun. These year 'round recreational opportunities
include camping, hiking, nature study, scenic and wildlife observation,
biking, snowmobiling, horseback riding, swimming, boating, fishing,
ice fishing, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing. The county's
eight public golf courses provide 99 uncrowded and challenging
holes along lushly wooded riversides, overlooking crystal clear
lakes. Municipal parks offer tennis, basketball and volley ball
courts, children's playgrounds, campsites, picnic facilities,
and restrooms.
Chippewa County
offers a wide variety of dining experiences, including family
operated drive-in meals, outdoor dinners on the banks of an historic
stream served to stage coach passengers, full-menu supper clubs,
ethnic German, Bohemian and Norwegian restaurants and authentic
Southern cuisine, hickory smoked ribs and steaks, family restaurants,
cozy delicatessens and ice cream parlors, and exceptional selections
served in the quiet elegance of waterfront resort dining rooms.
Chippewa County
also offers many different types of lodgings available for a single
night or a month or more, including primitive forest campsites,
housekeeping cottages for eight or more, full-service RV parks,
campgrounds and resorts, luxury resort hotel suites, economy priced
motel rooms, and romantic, rustic cabins in the woods.
For unlimited
outdoor fun, adventure and sport, Chippewa County offers plenty
to do for the entire family. Whether it's a quick visit or a long
leisurely stay, Chippewa County should be included in your getaway
plans!
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Museums and Historical
Sites
Bloomer Historical
Society Museum
South Main St., Bloomer
Open Sun. 2 pm. - 5 pm., Memorial Day to Labor Day
Chippewa County
Historical/Genealogical
123 Allen St., Chippewa Falls
Open Tuesdays, year 'round.
Chippewa Valley
Museum of Industry & Technology
21 E. Grand Ave., Chippewa Falls
Rural School
Museum
State Hwy. 27, Cadott
Located in Riverside Park
Stanley Area
Historical Museum
Stanley
715-644-5758
A surprising and unusual collection located in two buildings,
the museum's collection includes: the Northern Lumber Company
display, children's toys, the Stanley Fire, military displays,
the Dr. Mathwig wildlife display and more. Open 1 pm. - 4 pm.,
Memorial to Labor Day.
Sunny Valley
School House Museum & Norwegian Log Home
Irvine Park, Chippewa Falls
Open Sundays and Holidays.
Historic Bridges
State Hwy. 178, Chippewa County
Cobban Bridge and others span the scenic Chippewa River on State
Hwy. 178.
Another unique and historic structure, the Rainbow Arch Bridge,
spans Duncan
Creek in the City of Chippewa Falls.
Cook Rutledge
Mansion
505 W. Grand Ave., Chippewa Falls
715-723-7181
This showpiece offers tours at 2 & 3 pm., June through August,
and group tours by appointment year 'round.
Historic Downtown
Chippewa Falls
Chippewa Falls
715-723-6661 / 715-723-7858
The Main Street Association historic district features many outstanding
examples of diverse 19th and early 20th century architectural
styles, and includes the Rainbow Arch Bridge and the Northern
States Power Company and Dam. Self-guided walking tour brochures
are available from the Chippewa Falls Main Street Association
and downtown businesses.
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Parks and Nature Centers
Brunet Island
State Park
Cornell
This picturesque 1,030-acre park is located where the Fisher and
Chippewa Rivers meet just north of Cornell. The main park development
lies on an island in the Chippewa River, and is open seasonally
through the summer months. Facilities include 69 campsites, picnic
areas, electricity, shelters, flush toilets, playgrounds, athletic
field, swimming beach and hiking trails. In winter, the park maintains
four miles of cross-country ski trails for more outdoor adventure.
Ice Age Trail: Chippewa Moraine Unit
Chippewa County
715-976-2800
One of nine units of the Ice Age National Scientific Reserve Park,
the Chippewa Moraine Unit contains a segment of the National Ice
Age Trail. There are 37 miles of trail on Chippewa County Forest,
state, and private lands for hiking and nature study. The Chippewa
Moraine Ice Age Interpretive Center, located in northwest Chippewa
County east of State Hwy. 40 on County Hwy. M, features exhibits,
displays and films providing a unique glimpse into Wisconsin's
glacial past. Overlooking North Shattuck Lake, this beautiful
center is open to the public from 8:30 am. to 4:30 pm. from Memorial
Day through October Ist.
Lake Wissota
State Park
Chippewa County
Located six miles east of Chippewa Falls on the north shore of
Lake Wissota, this state park is noted for its camping and boating
activities. The park's amenities include 81 well-spaced campsites,
flush toilets, showers and electrical hook-ups, and two group
campsites for up to 80 tents, boat ramp, and hiking trails. The
park is open all year and offers a variety of winter activities
including snowmobiling, snowshoeing, ice fishing and skiing over
7 1/2 miles of well-groomed cross - country ski trails across
varied terrain.
Pine Point
County Park
Holcombe
Located on a peninsula surrounded by 3,900-acre Lake Holcombe,
this park offers 48 wooded campsites, many with scenic vistas
of the lake. Plenty of trees, a nice swimming beach, boat launch,
and good fishing make Pine Point a popular vacation spot. The
park is located 2.5 miles west of the junction of County Hwy.
M and State Hwy. 27.
Otter Lake
County Park
Stanley
Situated in a forest on the shores of one of the finest fishing
lakes in Chippewa County, Otter Lake Park has 22 rustic campsites,
an excellent swimming beach, picnic area, boat launch and plenty
of pan fish, bass and walleye. For scenic beauty, this park is
hard to beat. To find it, take Cty. Hwy. H 7.6 miles north of
Stanley to Otter Lake Road and then 2 miles west to the park entrance.
Morris-Erickson
County Park
New Auburn
Located on the shores of Long Lake, this park's 28 well-manicured
campsites, boat launch and open setting offers a beautiful view
of Long Lake. The lake's exceptionally clear waters make it a
popular swimming, boating and fishing site, with excellent populations
of walleye, small mouth bass, and muskies. Located 9 miles northeast
of New Auburn on State Hwy. 40, Morris-Erickson County Park is
a great place for a family outing or extended fishing vacation.
Old Abe State
Recreation Trail
Cornell
Cornell is the trailhead for the new Old Abe Trail, a 20-mile
long multi-use trail designed foe hiking, biking and snowmobiling.
Winding along the Chippewa River from Brunet Island State Park
to Lake Wissota State Park, this trail provides scenic wonder
along the way and plenty of recreational opportunities at either
end.
Snowmobile
Trails
Chippewa County
Over 280 miles of groomed trails provide exciting snowmobiling
in Chippewa County, through farm woodlots, across fields, and
through the Chippewa County Forest. The trail system travels through
most county communities and connects with thousands of miles of
other Wisconsin trails. The more scenic sections of the trail
include the segment from Jim Falls north through the county forest,
from Holcombe to Stanley, and from State Hwy. 40 west and north.
Hickory Ridge
Ski Trail
Chipppewa County
Winding through scenic oak and northern hardwood timber, this
cross-country ski trail passes by more than a dozen lakes and
ponds in the County Forest. The trail has two loops, 4 miles and
6.75 miles, for intermediate to expert skiers in the more remote
parts of the forest for a true wilderness experience. Shelters
provide resting places and wildlife is abundant.
River Road
Ski Trail
Chippewa County
Located several miles north of Cornell and Cty. Hwy. CC, the River
Road cross-country trail includes beginner and advanced loops
winding through a scenic hardwood forest bordering the Chippewa
River. The beginner loop is about 1.5 miles long and features
rolling hills and gentle slopes. The advanced loop travels through
more challenging terrain for 2.5 miles.
Portage Trail
Chippewa County
This canoe trail, located in the western portion of the Chippewa
County Forest connects canoeists to nine separate lakes, all within
one square mile, in kettles and depressions formed by glaciers
10,000 years ago. Many of the lakes host good populations of bluegill,
large mouth bass and some northern pike.
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Points of Interest
The Stacker
Cornell
The Stacker in Cornell is the only known mechanical pulpwood stacker
in the world. Built in 1911-12, this impressive, 247 ft. long,
175-ft. high, counter-weighted piece of machinery is the sky-piercing
forerunner of today's monster lifting cranes. Today it still towers
over the community's Mill Yard Park as a reminder of the booming
mill town days.
Leinenkugel's
Brewery
State Hwy. 124, Chippewa Falls
715-723-5557
This historic brewery is open Monday through Friday throughout
the year, and Saturdays, April through December. Brewery tours Monday through
Friday by reservation.
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Special Things To
Do
Horse Trail
Chippewa County
Trail riders will enjoy riding the 8.75-mile equestrian trail
located in the southwest section of the Chippewa County Forest.
Trailhead, parking area and pit toilets are located about one
mile north of the Bob Lake Road on the Hay Meadow Trail. The rolling
glacial moraine in this area of the forest offers constant changes
in terrain and landscapes as it passes lakes, ponds and woodland
streams.
Chapman Park/Wild
Game Park
Stanley
Enjoy elk and other native wildlife at the Wild Game Park that
compliments beautiful Chapman Park. Just blocks away from downtown
on Stanley's west side.
Farmers' Market
Bridge St., Chippewa Falls
Find "Picked Fresh Is Always Best" produce, "Warm
From The Oven" baked goods, "Break Your Heart Beautiful"
flowers, "Hardy As They Grow 'Em" nursery stock and
tips on planting, growing and serving - all at the Chippewa Falls
Farmers Market, Thursdays, 2 pm. - 6 pm. from the end of June
through October in the Cobban Block lot on Bridge Street.
Rose and Lily
Gardens
State Hwy. 124, Chippewa Falls
Enjoy over 500 rose bushes in the only public rose garden between
Madison and Minneapolis/St. Paul. The Lily Garden features more
than 300 Asiatic, Trumpet and Oriental Lilies. Next to Irvine
Park and across from Leinenkugel's Brewery.
The Wall
State Hwy. 29, Chippewa Falls
View this colorful hand-painted mural of Chippewa Falls scenes,
outdoors, on "The Wall."
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