Photo Courtesy of the Chippewa Valley Museum
Drive through scenic Eau Claire While hearing How This area became the Lumber Capital of the nation!
Take a leisurely drive through Eau Claire, while seeing important landmarks that made the city, and this area, the nation’s lumber epicenter in the 1880s and 1890s. The tour takes you to several places along the Chippewa River, which was the workhorse that drove the area’s lumber production. You will go to Hobbs Landing and hear about the ingenuis way the early lumbermen steered their logs into nearby Half Moon Lake. The tour also weaves through downtown, taking you to the Eau Claire River, where the city’s first sawmill was located. After that you will get some of the best views in the city, while stretching your legs for a short walk on our historic High Bridge. The tour finishes up at Carson Park, where you will discover what it was like to be a lumberjack in northern Wisconsin, cutting down the mighty white pine that made this area the nations lumber capital!
The downtown walking tours do touch on Eau Claire’s lumber era. However, this tour takes it to the next level, while showing you places you could not see on the walking tours. If you are interested in Eau Claire’s lumber era, you will really enjoy this tour!
Points of Interest
Photo Courtesy of the Chippewa Valley Museum
Knapp, Stout, & Co. - Nations Largest Lumber Company
Photo Courtesy of the Chippewa Valley Museum
Dells Pond - Northwest Wisconsin’s Largest Holding Pond
Photo Courtesy of the Chippewa Valley Museum
The Eau Claire Flume - A Canal/Tunnel To Move Logs To Half Moon Lake
ADditional Points of Interest
Learn why the Chippewa Valley was the nations leading lumber producer in the late 1800’s
Hear about Eau Claire’s first sawmill
A famous sculptor with a statue here
Randall’s Ditch - A canal to Half Moon Lake
Cornell University’s tie to the area
Route/Vendor Map
*Map key below
How Lumber Made the Chippewa Valley tour
Price: $7.00 per carload
Duration: 1:15 hour
Distance: 8 miles
Type: Driving
Starting Point/Parking
The starting point for the tour is the County Materials Parking lot at 1211 Menomonie Street. Park near the construction site of the Sonnetag Event Center, facing Menomonie St.
Vendor Map Key
We have partnered with some of the best vendors along the route to offer you some great one time only discounts. The discounts are good for each person in your vehicle. When you stop in, just mention the discount and show them your VoiceMap app. Plus, by purchasing one tour you get the discounts from all the tours!
Dining
20% off your first drink
2. Roadside Ice Cream and Diner
$1 off any Legend Ice Cream Mixer
1/2 priced appetizers, with purchase of a meal and a drink
