Friends have been telling me to go check out the Dells of the Eau Claire for literally years. So when I found myself half an hour away, driving through Wausau on my way to section hike the Jerry Lake and Lake Eleven segments of the Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin, I decided on an impulse to turn east and see it for myself. Like most last-minute micro adventures, I wasn’t disappointed!

From either of the parking lots right off of County Highway Y, it’s a short walk to the network of trails that line the riverbank on both sides of the Eau Claire River. There are about five miles’ worth of trails to be explored within the county park, and so you can see the whole show in an hour or two.

The above trail map is all you need for a hike, but look I found a sweet topo map courtesy of the DNR in case you’re into that nerdy stuff.