ONWARD. An eight-county stretch in western Wisconsin – including Chippewa, Dunn and Eau Claire counties – has created the Regional Outdoor Recreation Plan as a united, analysis-driven plan for the future of its outdoor rec. The plan is a first in the state of Wisconsin. (Area 128 in Eau Claire County, pictured)

The state’s Regional Outdoor Recreation Plan (RORP) will soon hit the USDA’s desk in hopes of gaining approval. The 164-page document was a 16-month effort between key stakeholders among eight western Wisconsin counties and could serve as a foundational turning point for the region.

A first-ever endeavor for Wisconsin, if not beyond state lines, the RORP is the product of Buffalo, Chippewa, Clark, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson, Pepin and Trempealeau counties’ shared vision to connect and bolster their rural rec scenes – consequently integrating the region’s economic, social and environmental goals.

The counties which make up the Northwestern Wisconsin Community Network (NWCN).

While the RORP's creation included a year-and-a-half planning process, its initial spark came in 2022 after seven of the counties (excluding Jackson) joined the USDA’s Rural Partners Network (RPN) program. (Jackson County has since applied to become an RPN member.)

The RPN program aims to connect rural communities to federal resources, to spur economic growth. As part of the initiative, the counties – which, as a collective, are called the Northwestern Wisconsin Community Network (NWCN) – had to identify a signature project that could “demonstrate the value of coordinated, regional action.”

As described in the RORP, each of the eight western Wisconsin counties had its own County Outdoor Recreation Plan (CORP), though a shared regional plan had never been done before. The NWCN surmised that, through collaboration and pooling of resources, the wider region could make a stronger case for investment than any one county on its own.

The result is a sweeping, in-depth, evidence-based analysis of the eight-county region’s strengths, suggested areas of improvement and shared themes as it relates to rural outdoor recreation opportunities. Ultimately, the RORP acts as a blueprint for where strategic investments can be made to see the most impact. 

How Data Was Collected & Analyzed

A steering committee made up of representatives from all eight counties guided the RORP’s creation. Additional professional support was provided by the West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (WCWRPC), Mississippi River Regional Planning Commission, Bluebird Consulting and Visit Eau Claire. Nearly 200 individuals had their fingerprints on the RORP during its 16-month planning process.

To help inform the RORP’s scope, over 1,700 survey responses from the area's residents and businesses were collected; focus groups were held; two rounds of regional public meetings were hosted; more than 1,100 recreation sites (trails, parks, campgrounds, outfitters, etc.), or “assets,” were documented and inventoried.

Through Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping, those assets were turned into a visual which revealed various bright spots and recreational hubs as well as underserved areas. Yet, as the RORP’s introduction states, the point of the project is not to simply catalog recreational assets.

“It reframes outdoor recreation as an economic development strategy, one that connects natural assets to workforce training, business support, and tourism promotion,” the plan states. “By coordinating across county lines, the Region is pioneering a model for other rural areas in Wisconsin and beyond.”

Through data collection, the RORP has identified over 1,100 recreational assets (trails, waterways, recreation outfitters, state parks, etc.) and put them into a visual context through GIS mapping, pictured.

The Eight-County Region’s Outdoor Recreation Assets

The RORP acknowledges continued efforts are necessary to compile and keep up with the region’s array of recreational and business assets. As it stands, there are over 1,100 recreational assets and 2,000 businesses inventoried and mapped.

Business assets included: agricultural tourism (orchard/U-pick, winery, creamery, farmer’s market, greenhouse, retail farm, etc.); campgrounds; food and grocery stores; gas stations; hospitality; restaurants, bars and clubs; sporting goods.

Recreation assets and sites included: ATV trail; boat ramp; canoe and kayak launch; cross-country ski trail; disc golf; historic marker; outdoor art installation; state park; swimming, among the 40-plus assets listed.

There are dozens of lakes which can host water-based recreation opportunities in the region. In the eight-county region, there are roughly 9,600 inland lakes and over 12,000 miles of rivers, including over 1,800 miles of Class I-III trout streams, the RORP states. In 2024, the region hosted 92 fishing tournaments, highlighting the popularity of fishing – and its economic potential.

As it relates to density of those assets, geographically, Dunn County’s Menomonie area was identified as the most business-asset dense.

Menomonie was also identified as the most recreation-asset dense, with more bright spots found in Jackson County’s Black River Falls area, throughout Chippewa County and along the Mississippi River.

Through mapping, the region’s most significant strengths included its extensive trail systems, water resources, public lands and “gateway communities.” Those communities include cities and towns like Black River Falls, Menomonie, Pepin and Durand, which the RORP identified as natural future investment options due to their “entry points to regional recreation.”

In identifying outdoor recreation-related assets, the RORP found several business "hotspots" in the region. Dunn County's Menomonie area displays the highest density of those assets, as pictured through GIS mapping above.

Identified challenges included connectivity issues, underserved communities (smaller rural communities, particularly in Clark and Pepin counties), condition variability (some facilities are in excellent condition while others are in poor, or are not ADA accessible) and business clusters and voids.

Creating the inventory and mapping alone is an incredible asset for the NWCN. In doing so, the project has created the first-ever shared database of outdoor recreation resources for the eight-county region.

Notable Findings In The RORP

Though Wisconsin’s scenic beauty may not be a secret, the sheer diversity of it – and its recreational opportunities – is perhaps lesser realized.

By inventorying and mapping the eight-county region’s assets – spanning waterways and trails; activities like cycling, cross-country skiing, fishing and hunting, water-based recreation and more – several themes emerged.

Public input made it clear, trails are the most essential asset for the region’s outdoor recreation; be it biking, hiking, horseback riding, riding ATVS/UTVS, etc. – trails are the most sought after amenity.

Northwest Park in Eau Claire County, pictured.

The meeting of Chippewa and Eau Claire Rivers, pictured. (Photo by Up Up & Around) 

Through feedback from community stakeholders and business owners, the RORP stated “one of the clearest messages” received was that a unified brand was necessary. It will likely be more effective for the NWCN to market itself as one destination instead of eight separate counties.

Feedback suggested marketing be done through storytelling, highlighting local stories and people alongside photography, video and seasonal campaigns.

“Water access” was also identified as a recurring area of needed improvement. While the region is certainly host to great water resources including the Mississippi River, Chippewa River, ample inland lakes and more, GIS mapping made it clear there is a lack of access points – boat landings, fishing sites, paddling routes, etc.

Overall, the RORP pointed to connectivity as the top priority: creating more trail connectivity, water trail connectivity and multimodal integration.

Next Steps & Taking Action

The RORP must be submitted to the USDA for approval, a process likely to occur in the new year. Assuming the plan is approved, WCWPRC Senior Planner Ross Pietrzak said there are at least a handful of ideal next steps.

A first step – and the most critical, at this point – is to establish a regional entity to take the RORP into its next phase: action.

Then, the RORP must be acknowledged by each county’s supervisors or leadership, which could be done by passing an acknowledging resolution stating support of the plan and a willingness to participate in it.

“Ultimately, this plan will need funding, legislative support and professional resources,” Pietzrak said. “For any of those to be available, the region’s decisions makers need to indicate they are on board with the plan.”

Core groups, composed of asset-based representatives from across the region, must also be established. “From these groups you can start implementing activities and/or organize future efforts,” Pietzrak said. “I would imagine more technical strategic plans would be developed from those groups.”

The RORP also features GIS mapping of analyzed recreational assets (ATV/UTV trails, equestrian trails, cross-country ski trails, cycling trails and more. Pietzrak said he was surprised to see such a hub for disc golf in the region (GIS mapping pictured).

Finally – to begin the post-approval implementation process, that is – Pietzrak suggested a gathering of more data to establish a baseline for what outdoor recreation activity levels are across the region. It will be important to see where the “starting point” is, to assess future impact.

The RORP also offers several other “next steps” strategies moving forward, including the launch of lower-risk pilot projects, which could act as the plan’s proof of concept.

“This plan is proposing a shift in what our regional economy/culture looks like, by emphasizing outdoor recreation and making it an anchor for the economy,” Pietzrak said.

“To do that, you need to establish momentum and a ‘proof of concept’ that these actions can have meaningful impact,” he continued. “That is part of the reason so many of the recommendations focus on gathering data and establishing baseline numbers.”

The RORP is likely to be submitted to the USDA for approval in January. Additional updates may be found on the RORP website.

Click here for the latest Regional Outdoor Recreation Plan (RORP) draft, shared on Dec. 23, 2025 • View additional information about the plan, interactive maps, individual county survey results and more online at 8-county-rorp-wcwrpc.hub.arcgis.com/.