The Chippewa River may be one of the most scenic rivers in Wisconsin. The winding drive along Highway 178 curves with the river past some of its most scenic runs between Chippewa Falls and Cornell. Just outside Cornell, you can take a brief hike along the River and over feeder streams in the wilderness preserves along highway 178.
The Chippewa River Segment of the Ice Age National Trail is a 1.8-mile point-to-point footpath. A recent change in land ownership has separated this segment from the Firth Lake Segment. The trail now begins on Highway CC at a large parking area and continues south along the river and into a land reserve, then finishes at County Highway Z where there is a shoulder parking area for two vehicles.
Brunet Island State Park is the nearest camping area. It is 3.5-miles on connecting roads and paved bike trails between the State Park and the CTY Z trailhead.
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| Chippewa River on the Ice Age Trail |
Camping at Brunet Island has been a special treat. I've used it as my base camp for several trips to the Cornell area. Since I've completed all of the Ice Age Trail sections in Chippewa and Taylor Counties, it will be a while until I return. But, perhaps I can make a special trip just to enjoy the campgrounds and kayaking.
If you take a peek at some of my campsite photos in the sections below, you'll realize why I love this park so much. The waterfront campsites are scenic and large, and the forest in the campground is lush. The paved Old Abe State Trail makes for an easy bike ride into Cornell for ice cream or breakfast. You can also bike over to the Ice Age trailhead on County Z.
I chose to drive. At the trailhead I met a pair of backpackers from Minnesota who were waiting on a shuttle ride up to the Chippewa Moraine segment. I almost thought to hitch a ride with their shuttle driver over to the Firth Lake Segment and complete both the Chippewa River and Firth Lake segments in one shot. But, I had afternoon plans and a schedule to keep, so I hiked each segment on consecutive days as out-n-backs. I happened to run into those same backpackers again the next day on Firth Lake and we shared stories about the previous night's thunderstorm. I was glad I had been camping in a state park and not stuck in a primitive site along the trail beneath falling tree limbs.
The Chippewa River Segment is very short and an easy hike. You should be able to complete this out-n-back in about 1 hour. The forest along the trail is dense and lush. There is a scenic section that cuts along a high river bluff across from Brunet Island.
If you are hiking this trail I recommend parking at the Highway CC lot which is paved with crushed stone and large enough for a dozen vehicles. The pull-off on County Z is cramped and on a precarious curve; I worried my car might be swiped by a fast traveling truck coming around the bend.
There are plans in the works to reconnect the Chippewa River Segment back to the Firth Lake segment and that trail construction should be completed in the next couple of years. The unfortunate outcome of the proposed trail route is that it will bypass the scenic section along the Chippewa River, turning that route into a parking lot connector route.
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| Ice Age Trail Chippewa River Segment |
Ice Age Trail Chippewa River Segment
COUNTY
CHIPPEWA
COMMUNITIES
CORNELL
TOTAL MILES
1.8-MILE POINT-TO-POINT
DIFFICULTY
EASY
LOWEST ELEVATION
1010 AMSL
HIGHEST ELEVATION
1089 AMSL
TOTAL ELEVATION GAIN
300 FT
TOTAL ELEVATION LOST
288 FT
NEXT IAT SEGMENT HEADING EASTBOUND
LAKE ELEVEN SEGMENT
NEXT IAT SEGMENT HEADING WESTBOUND
FIRTH LAKE SEGMENT
Directions and Trail Map
DOWNLOAD PRINTABLE PDF TOPOGRAPHIC MAPCORNELL QUADRANGLE 2015
Click Map Image to load the full interactive map.
If viewing on a mobile device, open the trail map above to load into Google Maps App by touching the expand rectangle in the upper right corner.
Address for your GPS: 23778 Co Hwy CC Cornell, WI 54732
| coordinates: 45.188224, -91.172815 |
| From Milwaukee | 4 Hours |
| From Madison | 3 Hours |
| From Green Bay | 3 Hours |
| From Wausau | 1.5 Hours |
| From Minneapolis | 2 Hours |
| From Chicago | 5.5 Hours |
Photos
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| Ice Age Trail Chippewa River Segment |
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| Ice Age Trail Chippewa River Segment |
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| Ice Age Trail Chippewa River Segment |
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| Ice Age Trail Chippewa River Segment |
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| Ice Age Trail Chippewa River Segment |
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| Ice Age Trail Chippewa River Segment |
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| Ice Age Trail Chippewa River Segment |
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| Campsite at Brunet Island State Park |
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| Campsite at Brunet Island State Park |