Perched on the banks of the scenic Chippewa River, Jim Falls offers a small-town feel full of local history and year-round outdoor recreational activities. The Old Abe State Trail can be accessed in Jim Falls, welcoming bikers, snowmobilers, horseback riders, and hikers. Xcel Energy's Jim Falls Hydropower Plant is the largest hydropower producing facility in the Midwest.

Boat access to the Old Abe Flowage and the upper end of Lake Wissota provides excellent angling opportunities for walleye, muskie, small mouth bass and catfish. The Old Abe War Eagle memorial statue commemorates Wisconsin's feathered Civil War hero.

The Chippewa River along Highway 178 just north of Jim Falls offers a view of the original river channel, a hiking trail with spectacular displays of spring wildflowers, an area of study for geology students, scheduled flow releases for kayakers, and an opportunity to view Wisconsin's living fossil, the lake sturgeon.