THIS TOUR ROCKS. Explore the often-hidden natural beauty of Eau Claire on the soon-to-launch Urban Nature Adventure Tour, offered by the Chippewa River Trolley Co.

Tours offered by the Chippewa Valley Trolley Co. have featured Eau Claire’s historic side, its tasty side, and even its darker side. Now, they’ll offer passengers an in-depth look at its natural side. In mid-June, the Chippewa Valley Trolley Co. will launch the Urban Nature Adventure Tour, a new partnership featuring expert naturalists from Beaver Creek Reserve.

While locals may be most accustomed to seeing these knowledgable naturalists at work at Beaver Creek – a 400-acre nature reserve in rural Eau Claire County – in this case they’ll be guiding folks through the heart of our remarkably woodsy 70,000-person metropolis. The guides will escort passengers off the trolley on short hikes into four hidden urban forests filled with plants, rock formations, birds, butterflies, mammals, and more. They’ll share surprising natural histories, fascinating facts, and maybe a bird call or two while leading urban explorers along hidden trails and through access points unknown to most locals.

On the three-hour tour, participants will traverse hidden trails high above the Eau Claire River near native pollinator habits, discover low-lying trails near small waterfall rapids along the Chippewa River, explore the newly opened Half Moon Lake Boardwalk Trail (where they’ll identify wetland and riparian native species), and summit one of the tallest peaks around overlooking the historically crucial Dells Pond. Between these hikes, passengers will enjoy open-air transportation on the vintage-style trolley, which hearkens back to the streetcars that served Eau Claire more than a century ago.

The Urban Nature Adventure Tour will begin and end at The Local Store, 205 N. Dewey St. The trolley is operated by the same folks who created The Local Store and Volume One, and shares their focus on celebrating the culture and creativity of the Chippewa Valley.

Tours are scheduled throughout the summer on June 19 and 23, July 2 and 28, Aug. 13 and 14, and Sept. 7 and 10. For additional times and dates, as well as more details about what to expect on this unique outdoor adventure, visit chippewarivertrolley.org.

The Chippewa River Trolley Co.’s Urban Nature Adventure Tour • various dates • departs from The Local Store, 205 N. Dewey St. • $35 per person • ages 10 and up