DONATED AND DEDICATED. The Red Flint Recreation Area (north and west boundary of property pictured) is officially Eau Claire County property after being donated by Red Flint and Gravel LLC and a local family.

The Eau Claire County Parks & Forest Department officially unveiled its newest recreational property, the Red Flint Recreation Area, on Oct. 11. A biking and walking tour of the stunning area followed a formal dedication ceremony for the newly donated land, which lies along the Chippewa River State Trail.

More than 230 acres makes up the Red Flint Recreation Area, donated by Red Flint Sand and Gravel LLC in partnership with a local family this summer. The stretch of land is home to wildlife, plentiful native trees – including red and sugar maple, river birch, white pine, oak, and more – as well as a small prairie habitat. The property is not yet set aside for any specific recreational activity.

The Red Flint Recreation Area is off Porterville Road in the Town of Brunswick, just southwest of the City of Eau Claire. The Chippewa River and the Chippewa River State Trail wind along the north and west boundaries of the newly donated property while the now-abandoned Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific Railroad corridor runs along the southern border.

The area is also home to a small lake spanning about 104 acres and was previously a sand and gravel quarry. More than 130 years ago, the area was made up of housing and farmland that supported the nearby lumbering community. Porter’s Mill, a sawmill, was located west of the property.

Now, the Red Flint Recreation Area’s future could travel down a number of paths, with the property primed for recreational development. While no formal trails or programmatic elements have been added yet, a county brochure states the area can be used for hiking, fishing, birdwatching, swimming (though there is no defined beach), biking, and cross-country skiing with a state trail pass. 

Learn more about Eau Claire County Parks online.