All-abilities Chad Erickson Treehouse on south side of La Crosse dedicated

A new feature on a La Crosse hiking trail has now been dedicated.

Though the all-abilities treehouse actually was opened for public use in July, the wooden treehouse’s official ribbon cutting took place Wednesday on the Chad Erickson Trail (google map), along the bluffs near the Hillview Health Care Center. 

The structure uses whole trees and sections, similar to the design of the wooden bandshell at Riverside Park in La Crosse.

Ben Morris from the ORA Trails said the builders had a specific design in mind.

“What would it look like if we had a pirate ship, and what would it look like if we used whole trees?” Morris said. “And we’ve seen this type of really amazing architecture show up in our city.”

The Erickson family has sponsored the trail and the treehouse in memory of Chad, who was 15 when he passed away in 1995.