One of my kids’ favorite places to go, and one of the places we often take out-of-town guests, is the Dells of the Eau Claire County Park. This bridge-to-bridge loop hike offers great (and almost constant) views of the Eau Claire River, in addition to waterfalls, and cool rock formations. This almost 1.5 mile hike is mostly flat and very rewarding!
The Dells of the Eau Claire County Park, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, is located in Aniwa, WI. (The GPS location is 45.007331, -89.335618.) Once you get to this location (red dot), you should circle around to the last parking lot if you want to park closest to the falls (yellow dot).
From the parking lot you will also have easy access to a pit toilet and picnic tables. There is also a small playground with swings, and a structure with two slides and monkey bars.
You can use a stroller to walk along County Road Y to see the falls from the bridge, pictured above, but the actual trails are not stroller-friendly. Baby carriers/backpacks are a great alternative for the littlest adventurers!
There are many areas where parents of young children will have to be quite vigilant, (steep drop-offs, slippery rocks, strong currents) but I think the benefits of this hike still make it a great option for families with young kids. Swimming near the falls is not recommended, but there is a swimming area (and sometimes a beach) on the East side of County Road Y.
Let’s get started!
To get down to the falls, and the viewing platform, take the stairs (pictured above) on the south side of the parking lot. Don’t worry, they’re only covered in snow for half of the year! 😉 As you descend the stairs, you will begin to hear the rushing sound of the waterfalls. The Dells of the Eau Claire falls are very picturesque (as you can see below) regardless of whether they are framed by white or green.
The intriguing stone formations that create the falls are made of Precambrian-age rhyolite schist, which was “formed through metamorphosis and later tilted here to a nearly vertical position allowing the rock to split readily along the cleavage planes”, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. These are some seriously cool looking rocks!
When you are done enjoying the waterfalls, you can start your hike by walking west from the viewing platform. The Eau Claire River will be on your left.
This section of the trail is part of the state-wide Ice Age Trail, so make sure to keep an eye out for those yellow rectangles, aka blazes, seen below.
After about half a mile and a short but steep series of switch-backs, you will arrive at the wooden high-bridge.
When you arrive on the other side of the bridge, take the trail to the left. The trail runs close to the river, and is covered in a blanket of pine needles.
After hiking for half a mile, you will cross County Road Y and start on the East portion of the loop. There are a few stone foot-bridges that add to the appeal of this section. After only 0.2 miles, you will come to a bridge that goes over a small dam.
There is a ranger station and information kiosk near the bridge that you can visit if you’re looking for additional information about trails in the area. (There is a swimming area just to the right/East of this bridge.)
After crossing the bridge, you will turn left. You will reach the Country Road Y bridge after only 0.2 miles and after you cross the road you will be back at your starting point!
If you’re looking for a shorter hike, you could do just the East loop, which is 0.6 miles, or just the West loop, which is 1 mile, by using the bridge on County Road Y. (The East loop is not only shorter, it’s flatter too.)
East loop: East to the dam and around to County Road Y
Bonus activities:
Rent a shelter and/or go camping at Dells of the Eau Claire County Park.
See if you can find the shelter pictured below. Hint: It’s on the north side of the river.
See if you can find any tadpoles in the many small pools near the falls. Hint: They are usually easy to find in the early summer.
If you’ve never been to Dells of the Eau Claire County Park, would you like to go? If you’ve been before, what was your favorite part?
Happy hiking!
I know kids like to catch crayfish at the beach.
Good tip! That sounds fun! 🙂