The Chippewa River State Trail is one of Eau Claire's easiest ways out of town without leaving from somewhere remote. The rail trail follows the river and then pushes into the wider Chippewa Valley, giving cyclists and walkers a long, gentle route through water, woods, and small-town Wisconsin scenery.
You can use it for a short riverside walk or make it the spine of a longer bike ride. In a city that has leaned into trails, parks, and riverfront life, this is one of the pieces that makes the outdoors feel close at hand.