Unfortunately this trail is way too sandy. Having biked from Eleva to Osseo, this part of the trail, so I make the assumption of the rest is not for bike riding. It is however a beautiful trail, just not an enjoyable bike riding experience, more like a trudging through sand, it seems to be used by ATVs, which for them is a great trail !

This is a great trail experience, A paved trail that hugs the Chippewa River for most of the trail. When not hugging the river it travels through a tunnel of tress and some open fields. We found most of the trail was shaded. Many scenic views of the river and the tree covered areas are just as scenic. Wonderful trail and we will return in fall.

Pretty fun little loop. There are some great views of the Chippewa River and some woods on the northeastern part of the loop. Also some interesting things to see in Chippewa Falls on the western part. Pavement is a bit rough at times and some sections aren't super well marked, but still a fun place to skate or bike.

Rode this rail on a very windy day. It was scenic and had some good places to stop and eat our packed lunch. Early part of the trail offers some shade but the latter half is pretty uncovered and has no wind breaks. It was wonderfully paved and ran along some great views of the river. We also got to see the only existing log piler.

First part of the trail is paved then suddenly it is gravel-like but they used crushed river rock held together with what appeared to be an asphalt mix.
An enjoyable ride and very historic. Many bumps (it is early spring) and lots of after rain tree debris. Still, really no issues.
We ended our ride with an evening spent in downtown Eau Claire. The city of bridges.... Stayed at the Eau Claire Best Western Plus, which was right off the interstate and wonderful. 1/2 mile from the trail!

Rode this great trail from Cornell to Chippewa Falls and back. Great scenery especially along the river between Cornell and Jim Falls. I was under the assumption that this trail linked up to the Eau Claire section but trail markings end on the outskirts of Chippewa Falls. There are facilities in Jim Falls via the Hometown gas station. Went to Leinenkugel Brewery Visitor's Center hoping for lunch, but they only serve beer and pretzels. We look forward to riding again, especially in autumn!

Very nice trail for a hot summer day. Very shady and cool. The trail is very well maintained with a smooth gravel surface. Pretty much a straight run through deep woods with not a lot of scenery. While not spectacular, very quiet and pleasant. The ride south from Woodville is slightly more downhill than riding north from the southern trail end. Parking on the south end is non existent except for beside a country road. Plenty of parking in Woodville near the trail head, although not right at trail head.

This is a great off road crushed gravel trail, peaceful and quiet. For directions to the trail we followed what is really the end of the trail and there was no parking except on the side of the road. We road to Woodville which is the main trailhead but still not too much room to park. This was a good training trail as there is rolling hills to break the monotony of the flats. What keeps the review from getting 5 stars was lack of signage and parking. I’ll go back again.

Estimatehub's 2017 review is very accurate and makes many good detailed points in ways this beautiful trail should be improved. The Old Abe State Trail could use more signage reference points as this is a long trail and people traveling do not reference points as to where stuff is. There are NO BATHROOMS, WATER FOUNTAINS or TIRE PUMPS at the trailheads in Chippewa Falls, Jim Falls or Cornell as they consisted of a posted map, bench with a little sun protection and a parking lot....nothing special or unique at all. It's amazing to think that the state spent so much money on a nicely paved path and so little to welcome or comfort travelers. Much of the trail has 3 and 4G cellular coverage. You must ride through Brunet Island State Park at the Cornell end of the trail as it is breath taking and provides quality miles. There is a short connecting route to Lake Wissota State Park for additional mileage if one chooses. The Old Abe is a road biker's dream as it is very smooth, except for a few unexpected big bumps between miles 2 and 4. The trail was clear of any debris and had very few low hanging branches...hats off to the crew that maintain this trail. Thirty-three of the forty round trip miles I road on on July 25 were in the rain, many of which were poring, and the trail was safe and a great ride...no regrets.