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About a month before I came to visit home in 2023 a new trail in Irvine Park in Chippewa was announced, the Bluff Rapids Trail.
Obviously, I had to make the trek over to check it out! I wasn’t really sure what to expect because all of the local publications made it sound rather treacherous.
It’s safe to say I was very skeptical of that (and, spoiler alert, I was right). Here’s a quote from WQOW, the local news:
“While the views from the trail are stunning, it is a somewhat difficult trail with rocky ups and downs and narrow passages. Despite the ruggedness, Jimenez said it is still very do-able if you know what to expect.”
I mean, come on. That makes it sound a bit harrowing and it’s just not. But it’s also not wrong, it just makes it sound more intimidating than it really is.
The trail is narrow, rocky, rooty, and uneven but if you’ve ever been on a hiking trail before, you’ll be fine.
Even if you haven’t, you’ll be fine. I actually ended up doing this trail twice, once with just my dad then we took my mom to show her how (not) treacherous it was.
The Bear Den Road was closed so we had to start from the other end. We parked near the bison area after the main zoo area to access the trail.
There is a short paved trail and bridge over Duncan Creek to get to the wooded part of the trail, which does have a sign.
We crossed the bridge then curve down to go under it to get to the trailhead. The trail isn’t paved at all here.
It follows the edge of the creek, which really is beautiful, and has some natural springs coming down on the other side of the the trail.
It’s a very green and mossy trail and I loved it! I even got to see some Indian Pipe here! It’s a little white plant that looks kind of like a mushroom/upside down flower.
I’ve never seen them before so that was pretty exciting. We didn’t see anyone else on the trail either time we did it.
The trail just follows the edge of the creek and it a little rocky and rooty and uneven as it goes up and down the (very small) hilly shore.
Before you know it you’re at the other end! You can either turn around and take the trail back or cross over the creek on the bridge and take a much more flat wooded trail back on the other side.
We crossed over the bridge both times for a change up of scenery and just to make it a little loop.
Overall I really enjoyed it and think it’s much, much easier than everything makes it sound.
I wouldn’t go too far out of my way to do this but if you’re in the area already it’s definitely worth a stop.
If you’re just doing the trail, 20 minutes is plenty. You could spend an hour or two (that may be generous) seeing the rest of the park and walking some of the other trails here, too.
I don’t love the zoo part of the park (I’m very picky about zoos and animal experiences in general) so I don’t know if I would really recommend that part but the trails are nice.
I will say, I don’t know much about the quality of the zoo area here and everything going on behind the scenes but I was sad when we walked along that area and would likely skip that part in the future.
I know this isn’t a very substantial backing up of my opinion but I just wanted to mention it.
Where is the Bluff Rapids Trail in Irvine Park?
The Bluff Rapids Trail is in Irvine Park, a small park and zoo in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin.
The trail can be accessed from Bear Den Road or the Erickson Park area. I think Bear Den Road was closed when we went in 2023 though.
It’s about five minutes from downtown Chippewa Falls, ten minutes from Lake Wissota (and Lake Wissota State Park), and 20 from downtown Eau Claire.
How long is the Bluff Rapids Trail?
The Bluff Rapids Trail is about 0.25 miles round-trip. You can go back on the same trail or cross over the bridge and walk along the other side of the river.
You can easily add more distance on the other trails in the area, either paved or in the woods.
There is no fee for Irvine Park or the Bluff Rapids Trail.
Is the Bluff Rapids Trail hard?
Not at all. All the media when it opened made it sound really difficult but its really not.
The ground can be uneven and it’s not accessible in any way but it’s not difficult.
It’s a short trail and has very little elevation gain, I would be shocked if it was over 50 feet of elevation gain.
Is the Bluff Rapids Trail in Irvine Park worth it?
I think so! It may be super short but you can add it on to other trails nearby to make it a bit of a longer hike if you want!
It’s a really pretty area so it’s definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area.
Other posts you may like
Things to do in Chippewa Falls
Have you hiked the Bluff Rapids Trail? What is your favorite trail in Chippewa Falls?
Travel Services I Recommend:
AllTrails – This is my favorite hike tracking app.
America the Beautiful – The national park pass is essential.
Booking.com – This is great for finding and booking hotels.
Get Your Guide – I recommend Get Your Guide for booking tours.
National Park Obsessed – This is the best national park planner.
Skyscanner – Skyscanner is great for finding and booking flights.
Enterprise – This is my rental car recommendation.
See all my resources here.