Cabin Ridge Rides became one of the Chippewa Valley’s most unique event venues almost by accident. What started 30 years ago with a few horse-drawn wagon rides on a cut-your-own Christmas tree farm has grown into a multifaceted recreation facility that hosts everything from corporate parties to bus tours to … well, just about anything you can think to do on 400 wooded acres featuring a meandering creek, two sizable log cabins, a wedding chapel, picnic areas, and other amenities.

“The thing that’s different is it’s located in the woods and you have to take a horse-drawn wagon ride to get here,” – owner Judy Gilles, on the unique qualities of Cabin Ridge Rides

While the rural charm of a barn wedding has filled the Pinterest pages of many Wisconsin brides-to-be, Cabin Ridge Rides sets itself apart one hoof at a time. In other words, leave your car by the gate.

“The thing that’s different is it’s located in the woods and you have to take a horse-drawn wagon ride to get here,” explains co-owner Judy Gilles, referring to the deep-in-the-forest venue. “When the bride arrives by horse and carriage,” Judy adds, “she doesn’t just travel 20 feet.”

Cabin Ridge sits on land between Chippewa Falls and Cadott that’s been in Gilles’ family for more than a century. Nestled in a rural area the locals call Melville – which was settled by Irish immigrants in the 1850s – Cabin Ridge is only a few miles from the apple orchards that cover the rolling hills of Lafayette Township. The business is a testament to the changing nature of rural Wisconsin: First the land was logged, then farmed, then used to raise mink and Christmas trees. In the early 1980s, Judy and her late husband, Rusty, added horse-drawn carriage rides as a wintertime amenity. (They raise huge Percheron draft horses at the farm, as well as Lowline Angus cattle.) Things snowballed from there. On a visit to Eau Claire, Judy saw a modular home that looked like a log cabin, which she thought might be nice to entertain visitors.

“His infamous words were, ‘We could build something way cheaper,’ ” Judy recalls of her husband. “So the next thing I knew he was cutting down trees.” Rusty, the family, and their friends built their first cabin – known now as the Chalet, which seats 35 – at the end of a meandering path overlooking Paint Creek. “There are no blueprints; there was no plan. It’s this big because this is how many logs we had,” Judy said on a recent late-spring afternoon while showing off the wood-scented, gas-lit cabin.  (The lack of electricity adds to the rustic charm.) A few years later, the Gilles family built a larger cabin – the Lodge, which can accommodate 120 – and an outdoor wedding chapel dubbed Bally Bateman (“Bally” is a common Irish town prefix; “Bateman” is an old family name.)

Cabin Ridge isn’t just for weddings, of course – although it’s a perfect place for the couple seeking a special northwoods setting. It frequently welcomes motor coach tours (tour packages typically include a meal and live music), not to mention club gatherings, church groups, family reunions, birthday parties – you name it, they’ve probably hosted it. Cabin Ridge is family-owned by Judy and her son, Mark, which means the business can be pretty flexible. Within reason, they likely can accommodate your plan, from a romantic carriage ride for a couple to short-notice nuptials.

If your event, large or small, could use a breath of Wisconsin fresh air, check out www.cabinridgerides.com or call (715) 723-9537 to learn more.