Northwest Community Park
Park
118 acres8.5 mi of trail
Ski TrailStingerTiltedFree Willy+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Anderson, Brady and Waldermar Ager House · Photo: Jeff the quiet · CC0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Eau Claire
Eau Claire has 51 miles of mapped trails, 1.5 for every square mile of land
93% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Northwest Community Park (8.5 mi), Lowes Creek County Park (7.7 mi), Riverview Park (4.9 mi). 2,073 acres are parks and preserves, 29 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 89% of U.S. towns · #60 of 362 in Wisconsin. What drives it
Conserved land
6%
1,397 acres · of 34.4 sq mi of land
Trails
51 mi
1.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,073 ac
29 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
93%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
53 mi
14 mi lanes · 38 mi paths
Highest peak
1,014 ft
Mount Tom
Lakes & rivers
4
2 beaches · 9 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Eau Claire?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Eau Claire have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Eau Claire is ahead of 89% of U.S. towns, #60 of 362 in Wisconsin. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, conserved land lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Eau Claire’s overall grade.
Conserved land6% of the land · typical WI town 4% · U.S. 4%B+Trails1.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (51 mi) · WI 0.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land29 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,073 acres) · WI 31 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home93% of residents within a half mile of a park · WI 90% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 89%
LessMore
Wisconsin towns of 2,500+ (362)Ahead of 84%
Water is 6% of Eau Claire’s area (2 of 37 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 6%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Northwest Community Park, with 8.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Lowes Creek County Park
Park
138 acres7.7 mi of trail
Ski TrailWalking TrailMissing LinkRad+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Pinehurst Park
Park
60 acres3.2 mi of trail
Stairway to HeavenWestsideDoggerSlingshot+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Mount Simon
Managed by City of Eau Claire
70 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Putnam Park State Natural Area
Park
52 acres1.2 mi of trail
Putnam Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 50 parks & preserves
Northwest Community Park118 acres · 8.5 mi of trail
DirectionsLowes Creek County Park138 acres · 7.7 mi of trail
DirectionsRiverview Park451 acres · 4.9 mi of trail
DirectionsPinehurst Park60 acres · 3.2 mi of trail
DirectionsFairfax Park72 acres · 1.9 mi of trail
DirectionsCarson Park125 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMount Simon70 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · City of Eau Claire
DirectionsPutnam Park State Natural Area52 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsRod & Gun Park39 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsPutnam Park133 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsShale Pit17 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Sundet Dog Park10 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsBuffington Park19 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Owen Park30 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsLakeshore Trail Park15 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsBoyd Park14 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Eau Claire
DirectionsPhoenix Park10 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsTaft Avenue Park5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Eau Claire Soccer Park41 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsArchery Park8 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Eau Claire
County Farm Neighborhood Park8 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsRandall Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsJeffers Park64 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsLakeview Park17 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsDomer Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Sundet Neighborhood Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHalfmoon Beach2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Eau Claire
DirectionsUniversity Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBayview Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Eau Claire
DirectionsNorth River Fronts Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHaas Field1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBollinger Fields36 acres
DirectionsMount Tom Park21 acres
DirectionsVeterans Park10 acres · City of Eau Claire
DirectionsUWEC Campus Mall7 acres
DirectionsFairway Park4 acres
DirectionsMitscher Park4 acres
Roosevelt Neighborhood Park4 acres · City of Eau Claire
DirectionsCannery Park3 acres · City of Eau Claire
Newell Neighborhood Park3 acres · City of Eau Claire
DirectionsCameron Park3 acres
DirectionsDemmler Park3 acres
DirectionsKessler Field2 acres
L and P Park2 acres
MacArthur Park2 acres
Haymarket Plaza2 acres
DirectionsEau Claire County Forest1 acres
Wilson Park1 acres
DirectionsKappus Playground1 acres
Jaycette Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
1,397 conserved acres
6% of Eau Claire’s land. Water is left out: Eau Claire has 34.4 square miles of land and 2.1 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Eau Claire’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city1,047 ac
County176 ac
Other state land137 ac
State natural resources26 ac
Bureau of Land Management25 ac
Local Park · 1,250 acLocal Recreation Area · 100 acConservation Easement · 26 acNational Public Lands · 25 acUnknown Easement · 10 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 22 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 45 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverview Park Local Park | Town or city | 436 | Open |
| Lowes Creek County Park Local Park | County | 169 | Open |
| Carson Park Local Park | Town or city | 142 | Open |
| Putnam Park Local Park | Other state land | 101 | Open |
| Fairfax Park & Pool Local Park | Town or city | 73 | Open |
| Mt Simon Park Local Park | Town or city | 67 | Open |
| Jeffers Road Athletic Field Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 64 | Open |
| Pinehurst Park Local Park | Town or city | 45 | Open |
| Eau Claire Soccer Park Local Park | Town or city | 41 | Open |
| Bollinger Fields Local Recreation Area | Other state land | 36 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
73 places to go in Eau Claire
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Eau Claire
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Public pools in Eau Claire
Fairfax Park PoolIn Fairfax Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Eau Claire
Manz Playground
DirectionsRoosevelt Playground
DirectionsSam Davey Playground
DirectionsSt. John's PlaygroundIn St. Johns Park
Directions43 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Eau Claire
Eau Claire Dog Park
DirectionsSouthwest Dog Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Eau Claire
Brauns Bay Boat LandingIn Carson Park
DirectionsCannery Park Canoe & Kayak launch
DirectionsHobbs Landing
DirectionsSouthwest Dog Park Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 5 boat launches without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Eau Claire
7 fishing spots without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Eau Claire
2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Eau Claire
Mount Tom1,014 ft elevation · In Mount Tom Park
DirectionsMount Washington1,001 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Simon948 ft elevation · In Mount Simon
DirectionsPlank Hill
DirectionsPicnic areas in Eau Claire
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Community gardens in Eau Claire
Forest Street GardenFee
DirectionsPlus 1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 26.2 miUnpaved · 30.1 mi
Ski Trail4.4 mi
Putnam Trail1.7 mi
Stinger1.2 mi
Walking Trail0.8 mi
Stairway to Heaven0.7 mi
Missing Link0.7 mi
East Side Hill Nature Trail0.7 mi
Rad0.7 mi
Tunnels0.6 mi
Long Trail North0.6 mi
15 more trails
Tilted
0.5 miFree Willy
0.5 miWestside
0.5 miLong Trail South
0.5 miJ-Line
0.4 miDogger
0.4 miDog Park Loop
0.4 miThrillville
0.4 miSlingshot
0.4 miFence Trail
0.3 miFern Sniper
0.3 miMidline
0.3 miStart Me Up
0.3 miLa Roota
0.3 miBarb Wire
0.3 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
53 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
14 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
38 mi
off-road bike paths
2.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
58Tennis
29Baseball
19Soccer
18Basketball
13Pickleball
10Beach volleyball
9Football
5Softball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →63 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 3 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Community House, First Congregational ChurchBuilding · listed 1974
About itDavid Drummond HouseBuilding · listed 1974
About itCobblestone HouseBuilding · listed 1974
About itGeorge F. Winslow HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itPioneer BlockBuilding · listed 1980
About itBarnes BlockBuilding · listed 1982
About itSteven HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itWalter-Heins HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itA. L. Kenyon HouseBuilding · listed 1983
About itAdin Randall HouseBuilding · listed 1983
About itChristine Eichert HouseBuilding · listed 1983
About itCity HallBuilding · listed 1983
About it51 more on the History page.
When to get out
The walking year in Eau Claire
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.1 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.0 | 12.5 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 24 | 29 | 42 | 57 | 69 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 72 | 58 | 42 | 29 |
| Rain (in) | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 4.9 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 2.7 | 1.9 | 1.3 |
January is the driest month (1.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.9 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Eau Claire →
Next door
Eau Claire and its neighbors
Eau Claire has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Eau Claire51 miSeymour22 miAltoona12 miWashington11 miLake Hallie4.1 miUnion1.3 miBrunswick0.8 miWheaton0.1 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eau Claire | 6% | 1.5 | 29 | 93% | A |
| Washington | 1% | 0.2 | 38 | 44% | C+ |
| Union | 3% | under 0.1 | 119 | 30% | C+ |
| Seymour | 11% | 0.7 | 676 | 47% | A− |
| Altoona | 2% | 2.2 | 43 | 99%+ | A |
| Lake Hallie | 6% | 0.3 | 75 | 98% | A− |
| Wheaton | 1% | under 0.1 | 73 | 28% | C |
| Brunswick | 1% | under 0.1 | 146 | 7% | C |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Eau Claire
Where can I hike in Eau Claire?
The longest trail networks: Northwest Community Park, 8.5 miles; Lowes Creek County Park, 7.7 miles; Riverview Park, 4.9 miles; Pinehurst Park, 3.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Eau Claire is conserved land?
6% of its land, against a typical 4% for a Wisconsin town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Eau Claire’s trails?
Northwest Community Park and Lowes Creek County Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Eau Claire?
53 miles of bike routes are on the map: 14 of painted or protected lanes, 38 of off-road paths and 2.1 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Eau Claire?
16,013 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Eau Claire or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,098 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Eau Claire have?
Ahead of 89% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #60 of 362 in Wisconsin. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Eau Claire neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →