O'Neil Creek Campground

The Great Outdoors

The O’Neil Creek Campground is a good base for exploring Lake Wissota State Park, which encompasses just over 1,000 acres on the lake’s eastern shores. Boating and fishing are both popular activities within the park, and there’s a picturesque swimming beach where you can cool off during the summer months. Anglers can try their luck at luring walleye, northern pike, and bass, with crappies and bluegill also regularly caught during the winter ice fishing season. If you want to stretch your legs, you can go hiking along the Old Abe State Trail or follow the 17.5-mile hiking and biking trail that connects to Brunet Island State Park. RVers traveling with kids shouldn’t miss a visit to the Karen Lea Nature Center to get hands-on while learning about the park’s native flora and fauna.Directly north of the campground lies the Chippewa Moraine State Recreation Area, which has been designated as an Ice Age National Scientific Reserve for its outstanding glacial landforms. Explore some of these geological highlights along the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, beginning with a stop at the Chippewa Moraine Interpretive Center to learn about the area’s cultural and natural history. The trail runs for 23 miles through dense forest and past numerous kettle lakes, accompanied by regular sightings of great crested flycatchers, scarlet tanagers, and ruffed grouse.Drive in the other direction, and you’ll eventually arrive at the Five-Mile Bluff Prairie State Natural Area, which overlooks the meeting of the Chippewa and Mississippi rivers. It’s renowned for its soaring bluffs that offer sweeping views across the surrounding forests, with aspen, chokecherry, and staghorn sumac that attract a wide variety of migratory bird species. Adjacent to the Five-Mile Bluff Prairie State Natural Area is the Nelson-Trevino Bottoms State Natural Area, which is also a bird watcher's paradise, with regular sightings of pileated woodpeckers, blue-gray gnatcatchers, and broad-winged hawks.

Exploring the City

Campsites at the O’Neil Creek Campground are just ten minutes' drive from the center of Chippewa Falls, where you’ll find supermarkets for purchasing groceries. There are also a couple of gas stations here if you need to fill up your RV rental and a good selection of global eateries, cafes, and creameries.While you’re in Chippewa Falls, stop by the Edward Rutledge Charity Historical Marker, which honors an Irish-born lumber baron who was influential in establishing charitable organizations in the region. Also nearby is the Chippewa Falls Museum of Industry & Technology, with exhibits that celebrate early computing devices and industrial objects made in the local area. Architecture enthusiasts should make a point of visiting the Cook Rutledge Mansion, an Italianate-style residence that dates from 1873 and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.Families can spend an afternoon at the Irvine Park Zoo, which was founded in 1906 by William Irvine. It encompasses 300 acres and is home to cougars, bears, bison, and tigers, as well as a petting zoo where you can get up close to domesticated species. Also in Irvine Park is a 20-foot-long cave that’s traversed by natural springs and a couple of historic residences, including the Sunny Valley Schoolhouse and the Pioneer Norwegian Log Home, both of which are open for tours during the summer months.The O’Neil Creek Campground is also a good base for exploring Eau Claire, which is located 25 minutes’ drive south. Kids will love the interactive exhibits at the Children’s Museum of Eau Claire and the Chaos Water Park, as well as the kiddie train that chugs its way through Carson Park. You can delve into the local history at the Chippewa Valley Museum or coincide your visit with the lively farmers' market that takes place in Phoenix Park.Whether you want to enjoy the recreational pursuits of northwest Wisconsin or get your cultural fix in Eau Claire, book an RV rental in Chippewa County and start planning your next vacation.