Went here on Independence Day weekend due to recommendations I've received from locals. The actual…read moreviewing area for the animals is a little bit longer of a drive once you enter the park winding through the forest. Parking and admission is free but they do accept donations. They were a decent amount of animals to look at from birds to bears. The only downside is that the animal exhibits were only a few which isn't bad if you're three for picnics or exploring the forest/play on one of their various playgrounds. They do have a concession stand in their welcome center but doesn't look like much. All in all, a good place to spend a summer afternoon if you way to plan a picnic or do something outdoors as well as spend some time petting animals!

This is one of the best parks in the Midwest…read more The zoo is fun during the summer, with peacocks that are free to roam around the avian area. We spent a good couple of hours just watching them doing bird things, including ostentatious displays of power and mating ability. This year, we went in fall and the birds were away. We did see some bison behind a fence. It's quite amazing to be three feet away from them, something which you wouldn't be able to do safely in the wild. Further down the road, there are a couple of donated buildings: an early 20th century area school and a 19th century pioneer log home. The school is a particularly fine piece of architecture. Scattered through the park are many pavilions and covered picnic tables. It's a great park and zoo!

What an amazing slice of nature. I love a water feature - always so calming and beautiful. The…read moretrials were pretty accessible and it was crowded with a diverse group of ages and physical abilities. Seriously a great park!

The falls at this park are beautiful!…read more It's a short hike from the parking area ($5 fee to park) to the falls. The trails aren't labeled, but I believe most of them lead to the falls. With the water so high this year, you can hear the falls from the parking lot, so you can literally follow the sound. The trails are unpaved, and not flat and easy. We didn't find many hiking trails other than what led to the falls, but we were on the south side, so perhaps there are more on the north side?

My wife and I camped here for a weekend in mid-July. Weather wasn't too hot or humid luckily. We…read morehad heavy rain Friday evening but were prepared so actually enjoyed drifting off to sleep with it. Woke up to all our belongings still dry and the sun drying things up. We ended up hiking around 6 miles of the park. Tried our hand at fishing off the fishing pier but no luck, lots of algae bloom. The lake was a lot clearer but we didn't have a boat or canoe. The bathrooms were super clean and updated. Showers are free and well lit. Will definitely be back!

This is a nice sized state park. The friendly lady at the gate suggested that if we wanted a harder…read moretrail, to go all the way to the end of the drive and take the beaver trail. We did. It was a beautiful trail, unpaved (my preference), but kept up. Not all the trails were marked, so either get a map at the front gate or take a picture of one you find. We also took a couple other trails - all enjoyable. The bathrooms are pit toilets in a decent setting (I've definitely experienced worse). Because of the size, beauty, and diverse offerings, it would be easy to spend a day at this park. Day parking fee is $11.

The Chippewa Valley Railroad operates on a loop in Carson Park, across the street from the historic…read morebaseball stadium. Appropriate for kids of all ages, especially those of us with grey hair that remember the real thing, the railroad operates passenger trains pulled by live steam or "diesel" power. The diesel, actually a model of GM's famous F series locomotives, runs on a Wisconsin internal combustion engine. It was built by the Miniature Train Company sometime between 1948 and 1956. It is one of at least 5 such trains operating in Wisconsin. (Fond du Lac, Oshkosh, Green Bay, Wausau and here.) Chippewa Valley Railroad goes the typical MTC railroad one better with live steam. You can ride the MTC train or a live steam train. The loop is about a half mile and takes you along the bluff above the Chippewa River, past a picnic shelter, over the road that takes you to the depot, past a silent observer (keep your eyes peeled!) before returning to the station. When your train arrives, the next one departs. The trains were obviously built for little people but there is an open-air gondola that's a little more comfortable for larger folks. It's pulled behind the steam engine. Rides are reasonably priced, considering ticket sales are the only source of income for this rolling museum. It is manned by volunteers who love railroads, and you can tell when you speak with any of the staff. The Chippewa Valley Railroad only operates during the summer and only on Sundays and July 4. You might think it's only for kids. In that case, borrow a couple of kids from the neighbors and go ride the train.

The lower park area and the boat launch area are both really nice, but the actual trail is…read moreseemingly nonexistent guesswork and really dangerous - typically being an inch or two from a near-sheer cliff into the water. Worse, the path isn't cleared by anyone (i.e. forestry or park services) and so you can't actually see the path and it's complete guess work on extremely slippery leaves before it just disappears entirely and you're left with no idea where is safe to go. Pretty disappointed after looking forward to trying to go to the peak of this big hill for a romantic little hike. Also kind of gross and weird you have to pass through a toilet paper factory to get here? There is such a dissonance between a factory and hiking up a woody hill that it just makes it feel weird. The two stars are because I'd love to give 5 stars to both the boat launch and the park areas if they were listed by themselves. Without those included this is just a 0 for me.

The base of Mt. Simon is a blast! I always came here to go frolfing and they have a nice, medium…read moredifficulty range, with 9 holes in total. There's usually a decent amount of people playing, but the park itself is really well kept. There are several volleyball nets, a boat landing, and even a few pavilions set up for patrons. Some of my best summer days were spent here frolfing and just meeting new people who all share a love of the sport.

As a previous campground host, this was THE # 1 place I recommended people check out while here…read more It's only a 5 minute drive up. It is SPECTACULAR. I cannot imagine why anyone would give it less than 5 stars. While there are only swings here ( marked down by a previous viewer for this reason) there is lots of grassy area for kids to run around far away from the cliffs. Be aware, there are no guardrails at the viewing point... so watch kiddos closely . Enjoy the views of the Minnesota bluffs across the water as you gaze upon the Mississippi river down below and the Alma dam to your right ! You might get lucky and see a barge coming through. There is a steep hiking trail @ the north end of 2nd St in Alma to start your way up. Otherwise, you drive up from the far South end of town. Well marked. Don't miss this "beautiful view"!

Buena vista park is nice little place with a terrific view of the Mississippi, the Alma lock and…read moredam and a lot of interesting scenery in between. There are some nice stair and benches, plus a restroom (that I did not go into, so no idea if it is a flush one or not) by the parking lot. Not any barriers between you and the bluff, but it isnt too bad as far as the fear factor. We had a nice little visit and the photo ops are GREAT!! It was an easy enough drive up to the park from Alma as well. Nice little place

We were looking for a place to walk after supper and someone had told us about this park. It has a…read morelovely lake around it, some baseball fields, tennis courts, a great playground area for kids, a museum, picnic areas, fishing spots, etc. We had a nice walk, caught part of a jazz concert, and watched an inning of a baseball game. Lovely area full of green! Coming from the desert, the green was a treat!

Love this place and the surrounding park areas that I assume are part of Carson Park as well. I…read morelove being near the water and to be able to just sit on a quiet bench right at the edge is really nice, and to walk around the rest of the place is nice and peaceful too. Amazing it's in the middle of a big downtown, especially how quiet it is.

Really nice (I believe pretty new) park with a great location along the Eau Claire River…read more While parts are still under construction such as the splash pad, this park really brings a lot of free entertainment.... walking trails, some outdoor art (which includes this weird sculpture that plays sound when you touch it), and nights of concerts in summer. The best part is the restaurants, food trucks and other retail that surrounds the park. It's a great destination for food and entertainment in the Eau Claire Area. Although there is a lot of parking, spots can be tough to find during evening dining hours. There is overflow parking not too far away however.

It is Probably the smallest pork I've ever seen, but I've been coming here since I was little, so I…read morehave a lot of Nostalgia for this park. Things are in generally good condition, But some things can be iffy. The park also has a creek, which is good fun for minnow fishing.

Two acres of nice park along Highway 63, built by volunteers 1987. It has a non-functional…read morerotating Dutch windmill, playground, bathrooms, picnic tables, trees for shade on sunny days, grassy field, a creek running through it. It appears CLEAN and well cared for-the flowers are cared for and the bathrooms clean. It's a welcome place to stop. Psst...there's a secret bench hidden in the trees, surrounded by hostas-be sure to check it out!

This is a beautiful location! Not far from Chippewa Falls, we thoroughly enjoyed this scenic drive…read more A few windy roads, some interesting homes on one side of the road & beautiful water on the other side. They do charge for parking passes. We were prepared to pay $16 for our non- resident vehicle ( they do have the prices on their website). To our delight, since we were attending a family reunion at the only covered pavilion on the island, our parking was just $5! Plenty of parking, bathrooms aren't a far walk fe the pavilion (& they're clean!). Playground is adequate. The water area for play seemed a lot bigger when I was younger & attended reunions here. Water was calm but gorgeous!

Such a cool state park! The campsites almost all have water access so you can canoe or kayak right…read moreto your site! If you don't bring canoes or kayaks, you can rent some from the park office for a minimal fee. Highly recommend exploring the island from the water. Way cool. The campsites are all pretty flat (perfect for pitching tents) and all have fire pits with good moveable cooking grates. Both nights we were there had a good breeze so the bugs were non-existent which was amazing considering we camped right next to the water. The park also has several short well-maintained trails to explore . Will definitely be returning.