Our Community Parks

Each park brings its own character and provides a welcoming space to enjoy the outdoors.
To rent a park shelter or pavilion, see the city Parks page.

Mt. Simon Park

Nestled along the Chippewa River and Dells Pond, Mt. Simon Park is one of Eau Claire's most expansive and varied neighborhood parks, with distinct Upper and Lower areas connected by wooded trails and scenic views.

Lower Mt. Simon is the busier recreation area, with an older playground, boat landing, two pavilions, a 9-hole disc golf course, two volleyball courts, picnic space, and the park's existing restroom. It is a popular spot for casual recreation, gatherings, and spending time near the water.

Upper Mt. Simon offers a different experience, with the new playground, open space, hiking trails, and access to the bluffs and the well-known "Top of the World" overlook.

Both sections of the park offer wooded trails, room to explore, and places to gather, making Mt. Simon a park that can feel active and social in one area and quiet and scenic in another.

Fun Fact: Lower Mt. Simon is one of only four Eau Claire city parks where alcohol is permitted under normal City rules, making it a popular location for community gatherings and celebrations.
Open green space at Mt. Simon Park
New playground in Upper Mt. Simon.
Mt. Simon Park entry sign near the playground
Entry sign near the playground area.
Scenic view at Mt. Simon Park
View from Top of the World.
View from a tee pad on the Mt. Simon disc golf course
Hole 2 on the Mt. Simon disc golf course.

McDonough Park

McDonough Park has long been one of Northside Hill's neighborhood gathering places. Overlooking Dells Pond, the 8.6-acre park combines playground and picnic space, a shelter, basketball, fishing,walking paths, and scenic views with one of Eau Claire's most active recreational communities.

In recent years, McDonough has undergone an impressive community-driven transformation into an Active Aging Fitness Park, designed to give people of different ages and abilities more ways to stay active and connected. Today the park includes 12 pickleball courts, bocce and shuffleboard courts, outdoor exercise equipment, table tennis and game tables, accessible walking paths, and overlooks of Dells Pond, alongside its playground and traditional neighborhood park spaces.

That community role isn't new. McDonough has been a recreation spot for generations of Northside residents, and today it continues that tradition as a place where kids play, neighbors walk and picnic, pickleball players gather, and people of all ages can spend time together outdoors. It's also home to the Northside Hill Neighborhood Association's annual neighborhood picnic.

Fun Fact: McDonough's 12 pickleball courts grew from what had once been an aging, lightly used tennis facility. Local players helped raise money to convert and expand the courts, and that grassroots effort eventually became part of a much larger transformation of the park around active aging, accessibility, and recreation for all generations.
McDonough Park entry sign
McDonough Park entry sign.
View of McDonough Park overlooking Dells Pond
Overlooking Dells Pond at McDonough Park.
Community gathering at McDonough Park
Neighbors gathering at McDonough Park.

Mt. Tom Park

Mt. Tom is one of Northside Hill's quieter treasures. Rising above the surrounding neighborhood, this 20.2-acre wooded park offers nature trails, benches, and scenic views across Eau Claire. Unlike the more activity-focused spaces at Mt. Simon and McDonough, Mt. Tom is a place to slow down, walk through the woods, watch for birds, enjoy the changing seasons, and take in the city from above.

The hill has also been part of Northside life for generations. More than a century ago, local churches and neighborhood residents gathered at Mt. Tom for community picnics and celebrations. Today it remains one of those places where the city can quickly give way to trees, trails, and a little bit of quiet.

Fun Fact: There's much more to Mt. Tom than you can see from the trail. Hidden beneath the summit is a 3.2-million-gallon concrete water reservoir built in 1924-25. Engineers used the natural height of Mt. Tom to help provide water pressure across much of Eau Claire, and nearly a century later the reservoir remains an important part of the city's water system.