Chippewa River Water Trail

Located at 999 Addison Avenue in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, the Chippewa River Water Trail is a park that offers visitors the opportunity to explore the city's rich river heritage. The trail spans 4.2 miles through the heart of Eau Claire, providing the perfect setting for canoeing, kayaking, or tubing. Visitors can learn about the endangered species that call the river home, as well as the historic remnants of the lumber-era pilings that line the waterway.

The park is also home to Phoenix Park, which was once the site of the Phoenix Manufacturing Company, a prominent business in the city's industrial history. Visitors can explore the park, attend events, and enjoy the farmer's market that takes place during the summer months.

The Gray Street Landing, once a bustling steamboat landing, is another historical site along the Chippewa River Water Trail. Visitors can learn about the role steamboats played in the city's transportation history and the famous departure of Old Abe, a bald eagle who boarded a steamer to join the Union Army during the Civil War.

Owen Park, named after lumber baron John S. Owen, is another highlight of the Chippewa River Water Trail. The park was built on land that was once a sandy bottomland and has since been transformed into a beautiful community space that stretches along the river's shoreline.

With seventeen bridges connecting neighborhoods across the Chippewa and Eau Claire rivers, Eau Claire is known as a city of bridges. Visitors can learn about the city's bridge history and explore the Water Street Bridge, which has been rebuilt several times over the years.

As visitors disembark at Hobbs Boat Landing, they follow a path that was once used by thousands of logs during the city's lumber era. The cutoff canal, constructed in 1857, played a crucial role in Eau Claire's lumber industry, making it the region's most productive "Sawdust City."