Hit The Trails: Hiking in Menomonie, WI

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I did a lot of hiking in Menomonie while I was at Stout but very little of it was done on actual hiking trails, so I’ve been working on that.

There are a good number of newer hiking trails in Menomonie (post-2014) that are tucked away in almost residential areas.

Next time I’m home I’d like to finish the rest on this list that I didn’t get to do yet (she says about literally everything).

I went to Devil’s Punchbowl quite a few times in all seasons and even went back in July 2023 and its the same but also different!

I went to Hoffman Hills a few times and always enjoyed it. I haven’t been recently though.

And finally, I spent a lot of time on the Red Cedar State Trail, and this is where we did most of our random hiking.

Map of hikes in Menomonie, WI

Before we get into all the details, here you’ll find a map showing all the different hiking trails in Menomonie and the surrounding area I(except for the Lake Menomin Loop since it has no official trailhead).

Devil’s Punchbowl

This is a really short hike, but I love it. It’s classic Menomonie. Devil’s Punchbowl is cool to see year-round and is just a short drive from downtown Menomonie.

There is a set of stairs that takes takes you down into the punchbowl itself and a new trail taking you about halfway around the rim.

Both are easy but you will want to be careful here in the winter. I almost fell in one time on the icy stairs!

Legend even has it that this little geological wonder is home to gnomes and trolls, and that the water stays cold all the time.

Take a little water home with you (just a little) to test it out and leave some skittles behind to appease the gnomes.

Distance: 0.3-0.5 miles to go around the top and into it
Difficulty: easy (but according to another website it’s intermediate to challenging, which I find hard to believe. I asked my dad and he said easy to moderate because of some slightly slippery and steep stairs).
Pet-friendly: yes, on leash

Follow the Devil’s Punchbowl Trail here

Red Cedar State Trail

The Red Cedar State Trail is a 14.5 mile mostly paved bike trail that connects Menomonie to the Dunnville Wildlife Area.

It starts at the confluence of the Chippewa and Red Cedar Rivers, meeting up with the Chippewa River State Trail at it’s end.

While this is a great trail for biking and you can certainly bike the whole thing, I always enjoyed walking on it along the river.

We would usually start at the end of the trail near North Campus and the Swiss Miss Factory (I miss the hot chocolate smells!) and head south from there.

Usually once we passed Riverside Park we would find a creek that looked cool and just.. start walking.

Looking back I have no idea how we found our way home half the time doing this. One time we ended up way out in the country and made it back no problem without smart phones. Wild.

Anyway, this is a great easy walking path and easy to get to from the main areas of Menomonie and Stout campus, especially.

Distance: 14.5 miles
Difficulty: easy, moderate to difficult if you do the whole thing, depending on fitness level
Pet-friendly: yes, on leash

Follow the Red Cedar State Trail here

Red Cedar River Shoreline Trail

Menomin Park, on the shore of Lake Menomin, near the Interstate has some mountain biking trails and a hiking trail!

I’m not sure how long this has been here, but I think it’s fairly new. And if it’s not, it’s new to me.

This is a scenic trail through the woods, along the shore of Lake Menomin and the Red Cedar River.

You will probably hear some traffic noise on part of this since it’s close to the Interstate but it still looks like a great walk. I’d love to do this one next time I’m home.

Distance: 2.6 miles
Difficulty: easy
Pet-friendly: yes, on leash

Follow the Lake Menomin Trails here

Keil’s Birch Creek Preserve

This is another very new trail in Menomonie and it’s tucked away in a residential area with very little parking.

This is preserve, formerly owned by the Wisconsin Land Trust, is now owned by the DNR and was made as an Eagle Scout Project.

The main trail is easy but there are two steeper side trails you can also do down to the river and Birch creek.

This is a wooded trail and it looked a little spooky from the trailhead (in an “evil witch lives here” way, not a violent way). I would also love to do this one next time.

Distance: 1.5 miles
Difficulty: easy
Pet-friendly: yes

Follow the Keil’s Birch Cr eek Preserve trail here

Lion Ted Wiehe Nature Trail

While this nature trail has been around since the 1960s, it fell into disrepair but was brought back to life in 2015.

The nature trail is at the Lions Game Park (the place where you can see the bison from the Interstate), not too far from Wakanda Park.

It’s mostly a boardwalk trail through woods and wetlands with signs along the way explaining the flora and fauna of the area.

There are also some benches to relax and enjoy the nature, possibility of seeing some deer while you’re there.

This is also near the Interstate so you may have some traffic noise but don’t let that stop you from getting out there.

Distance: short, I can’t find a distance
Difficulty: easy
Pet-friendly: unsure

Hoffman Hills

About 20 minutes outside of Menomonie, toward Eau Claire, is Hoffman Hills Recreation Area, a great place for hiking and snowshoeing.

I’ve been here a couple of times and really enjoyed it. This is a nine-mile hiking trail system with a 60 foot tall observation tower so there are a few routes to choose from varying in difficulty.

I think I did the most difficult route to the tower on one of my visits here and while it’s not really horrible, it does involve a pretty solid hill or two.

The other time I remember doing an easier, flatter route back down at least. I do know I really enjoyed it both times though.

This is great year-round since you can snowshoe here in the winter, but it would be particularly great for seeing fall foliage.

This is a really great hiking area near Menomonie and I would highly recommend making a trip out here at least once. I’d like to go back here, too.

Distance: up to 9 miles
Difficulty: easy to difficult
Pet-friendly: no

Follow the Hoffman Hills trails here

Lake Menomin Loop

Finally, we have the least “hiking” hiking trail on here. The Lake Menomin Loop is an 8.3 mile walk/bike around Lake Menomin via town roads and trails.

This is more of an urban hike, if you will. Some of the trail takes you along Lake Menomin but a lot of it is through town and residential areas.

It would be a good way to get to know the area if you’re new or just feel like you haven’t seen enough of it.

While I haven’t gone all the way around Lake Menomin, one time we started at Waterfront and literally just walked around along the shore all the way to Evergreen Cemetery.

I probably wouldn’t recommend that route but the whole loop could be a good challenge without leaving town.

Distance: 8.3 miles
Difficulty: moderate to difficult based on distance
Pet-friendly: yes, on leash

Follow the Lake Menomin Loop Trail here

What to bring hiking in Menomonie

Hiking poles – These will be helpful on longer hikes that are on the steeper side. They’ll be good if you have bad knees for when you’re going downhill and will give you something to lean on going up the hills.

Water bottle – It’ll be hot and you’ll need to stay hydrated. Even if it’s not hot you need to stay hydrated. A Hydro Flask will keep your water ice cold all day long.

Sunscreen – If you plan on being outside, you’ll want sunscreen. I like the Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch a lot AND it’s reef safe! If you’re sensitive to fragrance though, it’s not a good choice. I also like the same one but specifically for your face.

Hat – You’ll want some kind of hat to keep the sun out of your eyes, or a visor. A baseball hat should be fine but I like my giant sun hat, too.

Sunglasses – This is a must no matter where you are.

Light Jacket – Because you just never know. Weather can change quickly depending on where you are, time of day, and season. I usually use my rain jacket for this.

Headlamp – I tend to carry my headlamp around all the time when we’re hiking, just in case.