The Red Cedar Trail is 14½ miles long, and runs from Menomonie
to the confluence of the Red Cedar River and Chippewa River.
The
northern end of the Red Cedar Trail passes by wooded bluffs.
Farther south the
landscape
changes to marshes and farmland. At
the south end of
the trail is the
Dunnville Wildlife Area, a floodplain
of river bottoms
and restored
prairies. There are eleven railroad
bridges on the trail,
and for the
most part, the trail follows along
side of the Red Cedar
River.
An 860 foot railroad trestle provides the connecting link
from
the Red Cedar Trail to the Chippewa River Trail.
Traveling
east to Meridean, the trailway passes through
prairies and oak
savannas. From there, the trail travels
through mostly undeveloped river land to Caryville. From
Downsville to Caryville,
a distance of 19½ miles, there
are no stores or restaurants. The Eastern end of the trail
ends at Phoenix Park in
downtown Eau Claire. Trailhead
facilities at the park are scheduled to be added in 2004.
At the railroad trestle a new section was added to the
Chippewa Trail which runs SW to Durand.
The Chippewa River
Trail is now close to 30 miles long. Eventually the
CRST will be connected to the Old Abe State Trail. Once
completed, this trail system will be 75 miles in length and
connect Menomonie and Durand to Cornell.
convenience store
