Old Abe State Trail
Old Abe State Trail
4.5
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4.5
62 reviews
Excellent
46
Very good
14
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2
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0
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Don and Karen B
Brookfield, WI30 contributions
Nov 2022 • Couples
Trail was very nice . We started at Jim Falls and headed North the first day. We biked to Cornell and then headed back. Cornell has a nice state park that you can bike through but we ran out of time. Jim Falls to Cornell is 12 to 13 miles. Jim Falls to Chippewa Falls is about 12 miles but we didn't enjoy this area as much.
Written 6 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
elanorobarge
Chippewa Falls, WI3 contributions
This is a beautiful trail that runs along the Chippewa River starting just north of Chippewa near Lake Wissota Golf Course and running all the way to Cornell, about a 30 mile bike ride. The path is connected with the bike trail throughout Chippewa Falls, and I have heard rumors that you can get all the way to Eau Claire on it, but I have not taken the time to discover that path.
The trail from Chippewa to Jim Falls is very nice. The pavement is still very smooth, and save for the few stop signs at intersections, it flows very nicely. This part of the trail is not directly next to the water, but bikers can still enjoy great wooded scenery.
From Jim Falls to the Cobbin Bridge, the trail gets to be a bit washboard-y. Bikers need to look out for frequent bumps, potholes, cracks and other obstacles (sometimes fallen trees...). It is clear that this section of the trail is not as well taken care of. The alternative to this section of trail would be to ride north on Hwy 178, which while it follows the other side of the river and is very pretty, it does have a considerable amount of traffic (that is not overly courteous to bikers) and a low shoulder.
From the Cobbin Bridge to Cornell, the bike trail picks up on it's loveliness agian and the hazards are gone.
Once you have made it to Cornell, I would reccommend going the extra mile or two and visiting Burnet Island State Park. Really a beautiful end to a lovely ride. Burnet Island is really well taken care of and you can see a lot of wildlife around.
It is a very beautiful trail filled with great scenery and interesting stops. If you make it all the way to Cornell, there are a couple cute places to stop for ice cream / lunch: The Main Scoop (opens at noon... so if you're an early rider like me, not ideal. However, if you're a family/ later in the afternoon rider - the ice cream is awesome); Dylans Dairy (a cafe/ ice cream shop/ deli. Opens early and has real food if you're craving something. It also has a great assortment of all sorts of cheese!).
The trail from Chippewa to Jim Falls is very nice. The pavement is still very smooth, and save for the few stop signs at intersections, it flows very nicely. This part of the trail is not directly next to the water, but bikers can still enjoy great wooded scenery.
From Jim Falls to the Cobbin Bridge, the trail gets to be a bit washboard-y. Bikers need to look out for frequent bumps, potholes, cracks and other obstacles (sometimes fallen trees...). It is clear that this section of the trail is not as well taken care of. The alternative to this section of trail would be to ride north on Hwy 178, which while it follows the other side of the river and is very pretty, it does have a considerable amount of traffic (that is not overly courteous to bikers) and a low shoulder.
From the Cobbin Bridge to Cornell, the bike trail picks up on it's loveliness agian and the hazards are gone.
Once you have made it to Cornell, I would reccommend going the extra mile or two and visiting Burnet Island State Park. Really a beautiful end to a lovely ride. Burnet Island is really well taken care of and you can see a lot of wildlife around.
It is a very beautiful trail filled with great scenery and interesting stops. If you make it all the way to Cornell, there are a couple cute places to stop for ice cream / lunch: The Main Scoop (opens at noon... so if you're an early rider like me, not ideal. However, if you're a family/ later in the afternoon rider - the ice cream is awesome); Dylans Dairy (a cafe/ ice cream shop/ deli. Opens early and has real food if you're craving something. It also has a great assortment of all sorts of cheese!).
Written 24 August 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tom h
Budapest, Hungary98 contributions
Oct 2019
Trail along the chippewa river smooth surface nicely done Lovely especially in the fall. Smooth pavement not thru woodland and along river/flowage to Breunet State from Eau Claire
Written 18 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bob C
Janesville, WI32 contributions
Jun 2015 • Couples
The Old Abe trail is a joy to ride. It is paved asphalt and very wide. Started at Lake Wissota State Park and went north to Jim Falls. Came back and crossed the bridge over the lake toward the Chippewa River trail. Well worth the $4 trail fee. Easy access and parking at the intersection of County Highways S and O.
Written 7 July 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dave H
Chippewa Falls, WI111 contributions
Jul 2016 • Solo
Very good paved trail on an old rail grade. Takes you through farm fields and woods with spectacular views along the Chippewa River. An easy trail to bike for beginners and folks of all ages. The best time is in fall with the leaf colors.
Written 4 July 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Italiansinusa
West Des Moines, IA23 contributions
Jul 2015
We rent 4 bicycle in town and had a lot of fun.
Trail is great, easy and very well kept. We saw deers and beautiful birds
Trail is great, easy and very well kept. We saw deers and beautiful birds
Written 18 May 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tom B
Shell Lake, WI28 contributions
Jun 2015 • Couples
We did this ride the last Saturday in June, 2015. Very flat and scenic. Surface is asphalt and in wonderful condition. The dairy cafe in Cornell had great soup and sandwiches. The ice cream looked good but we were too full for ice cream after soup and sandwiches.
Written 5 July 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tim E
wi59 contributions
Aug 2012 • Couples
Nice paved trail, following the Old Abe flowage. All the maps you see of this trail show a connection with the Chippewa Valley and Red Cedar trails. Be aware that there is no such connection. If you look closely at the maps you will see a section with a slightly different designation which means "future trail". The Old Abe basically dumps you into downtown Chippewa Falls (nice town) with no signage telling you what the deal is. Confusing at best.
Written 2 September 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Moose Lake Doodle
Nashotah, WI130 contributions
Oct 2021
Paved path along Lake Wissota-beautiful spot for fall leaf peeping! There is a covered area with benches to stop and rest. $5 trail fee.
Written 11 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Denise V
37 contributions
Oct 2020 • Friends
Had a mixed bag of weather but still enjoyed our ride. From our B&B; the Inn on Lake Wissota we rode 28 miles. A lot of very scenic parts on a crisp fall day!
Written 3 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
That can be a little tricky because if you don't get on the trail starting in a city, then you have to use the "self-pay" boxes that are very sporadically located. In Chippewa Falls, you could get a pass at the visitor center.
Written 12 September 2019
What is the flag pole for on the bridge at mile post 8 at Anson?
Written 13 July 2017
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