Red Cedar Trail

The Old Abe State Trail will create the northern portion of a 70-mile trail system from Menomonie (Red Cedar Trail) through Eau Claire (Chippewa River Trail) and Chippewa Falls to Cornell. A 26.5-mile trail linking Eau Claire with the Red Cedar Trail. The five miles adjacent to Eau Claire are paved for in-line skaters.

Chippewa River State Trail is between Eau Claire and Durand, Wisconsin. This trail is one of three state regional trails that make up the Chippewa Valley Trail System. It is already connected to the Red Cedar State Trail and will eventually be connected to the Old Abe State Trail. Once completed, this trail system will be approximately 70 miles in length and connect together the cities of Menomonie, Durand, Eau Claire, Chippewa Falls and Cornell.

The thousands who use it each year find it the perfect trail for for biking, running and cross-country skiing. Keep watch for eagles, herons and other birds as you pass sandstone bluffs, prairies, wetlands and wooded areas. There are picnic areas along the trail, and a visitor's center located at the trailhead along Highway 29 in Menomonie. The Red Cedar Trail, with its crushed limestone surface, is perfect for hiking, biking or cross country skiing.

In winter the trail is open for Hiking, Biking, Cross Country Skiing, Snowmobiling. The Red Cedar State Trail is groomed for cross-country skiing. Snowmobiles are not permitted on the trail and snowshoers must stay off the groomed portion of the trail.

Fourteen miles of trail along the Red Cedar River connecting with the Chippewa River Trail. The trail can be accessed at the trail head on Hwy 29 at the Depot Visitors Center in Menomonie.

Long, beautiful sections adjacent Red Cedar River. Hard wood trees. Blue ice cliffs 1.5 miles from Menomonie trail head. Turkey and Eagle common. Trail is flat, absolutely no hills. Usually well-groomed. Located several miles north of the city of Cornell off CTH CC. Beginner loop 5.5 miles and advanced loop an additional 2.5 miles.

Hoffman Hills Park has recently been developed into a cross-country ski area. Of state significance is the Red Cedar Trail which runs parallel to the Red Cedar River from Menomonie to the Dunnville Wildlife Area.

Cost and registration:

The Wisconsin Statutes require bicyclists and skiers that are 16 and up to purchase a trail pass (warning to those who don't, there are regular hired people who bike the trail and look for bikes without passes). Passes cost $3.00 daily or $10.00 for a season pass. If no attendant is available to give you a pass, you should use the self-registration boxes to sign yourself in.

Contact Info:

Red Cedar State Trail
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Red Cedar Trail
921 Brickyard Road,
Menomonie, WI 54751
Phone (715) 232-1242
Website: http://dnr.wi.gov/

Hoffman Hills

655 acres with eight miles of cross county ski trails and a 60 foot observation tower at the top of the hill. Located Northeast of Menomonie, just west of Hwy 40 North.  Visitors can find Hoffman Hills State Park from Menomonie by following I-94 East to Highway 40 N. Follow to County Highway E West.

This 707-acre property is a mosaic of wooded hills, prairies and wetlands with a network of hiking and cross-country ski trails. Forest birds found here are the Scarlet Tanager, Common Raven, Northern Rough-winged Swallow and Tufted Titmouse.

Hoffman Hills Park has recently been developed into a cross-country ski area. Of state significance is the Red Cedar Trail which runs parallel to the Red Cedar River from Menomonie to the Dunnville Wildlife Area.

There are three picnic areas in Hoffman Hills. You can gather edible nuts, mushrooms, and berries. (Do not pick other plants.) The area is open for deer hunting during the November deer gun season. In the winter, enjoy sledding, cross-country skiing, or snowshoeing. Dogs are not allowed anywhere in Hoffman Hills.

Except for an outdoor group camp for organized youth groups, Hoffman Hills is limited to day use, opening at 7 a.m. and closing at 9 p.m. Contact the park office for group camp information or reservations.

Contact Info:

Hoffman Hills State Recreation Area
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Phone: (715) 232-1242
Website: http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/...

Location and Direction:

921 Brickyard Road
Menomonie WI 54751
Ten miles northeast of Menomonie, north of Highways 12/29 and west of Highway 40.  8 miles of beginner through expert trails. Includes striding and skating trails.

Cost: Need state trail pass if older than 16 ($3/day or $10/yr). Hilly, wooded recreation area.

Other reportedly haunted places in the Dunn county area:

• Devil’s Punchbowl — People report seeing strange balls of light and also a gnome-like figure.

• UW-Stout JTC Residence Hall — According to rumor, a student hung himself in the dorm. Stout officials will not release the young man’s name, but students and staff say they have heard voices in empty rooms and that doors lock and unlock themselves and that equipment in the cafeteria is misplaced or tips over for no apparent reason.

• Caddie Woodlawn Park — Visitors say the old cabin is a spooky place with cold spots and the sound of someone walking around on the second floor when no one is there. A sense of eeriness pervades the grounds, and people have also reported seeing shadowy figures in the park.

• Lookout tower at Mound Hill Park — Footsteps are heard coming up the stairs at the look-out tower but no one appears. People also report hearing ghostly children playing in the woods. The newest story is that a dragon is buried in the hill under the tower.

• Meridean — the ghost of a young girl named Mary Dean is said to haunt the island and the boat landing, and some visitors have reported hearing the growling and snarling of hellhounds after dark and seeing glowing red eyes in the woods.