Thankful Outdoors: Waterfalls in Wisconsin

waterWhere to See Waterfalls in Wisconsin

MARSHFIELD, WI (OnFocus) – Wow, where did the summer go? I thought about that Monday night as I took a solo trip on the Wisconsin River. Twice now this year, I made it out in the boat on solo adventures. As I trolled and cast for musky that evening, I thought about my youngest brother and his wife, who started their two-week-long elk hunt in Colorado several days ago.

My thoughts wandered back to my last elk hunt, which was already three years gone by, thinking about how fast the summer went and that time continued to speed up. Weird how time seems to be going faster, but my body is the one thing that is slowing down.

That evening on the water, I decided to commit to another elk hunt and keep trying these elk hunts until I was successful. As with most of my luck with the outdoors, the hero photo shoots do not come my way. I’m the only one in the family who does not know the sweat equity of packing elk quarters out of the mountains. On my previous three trips, we have not been successful on them.

I wonder what the heck kind of black voodoo curse I have over myself that prevents me from reaching the level of success by showing off a trophy mount? Several years ago, I just came to accept that I don’t have the skill to sweet-talk lady luck to be on my side. Deep down, though, I wish I could convince her to throw some luck my way.

As I pulled my favorite Thankful Outdoors hoodie over my head to keep the coolness of the evening at bay, I thought lady luck had not blessed me with taxidermy bills. Still, I’m darn lucky to see as many sunrises and sunsets as I have in my outdoor career so far.

The sounds of geese honking reminded me that the fall season is fast approaching.  With the season changes coming, it reminded me that I enjoy living in the four seasons of Wisconsin. Sometimes we even have the luxury of experiencing them all in one week!

With the soon changing colors, a great outdoor activity is to take a road trip into northern Wisconsin. Along with the fall colors, there are impressive waterfalls to visit. The top five waterfalls in the state are:

• Big Manitou Falls: the tallest waterfall in Wisconsin at 165 feet. It is also recognized as the fourth highest waterfall in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains.
• Copper Falls State Park: the unique thing about this waterfall is that it has three waterfalls wrapped into one. You will see the Copper Falls, Brownstone Falls, and the Red Granite Falls all in one area.
• Upson Falls: located in Iron County, Iron County has the most waterfalls of anywhere in the state and five of ten tallest waterfalls
• Morgan Falls: offers incredible views of the Apostle Islands and Lake Superior
• Willow Falls: often considered the most dramatic and beautiful in all of Wisconsin. Several areas span 100 feet across—a very impressive sight after heavy rainfalls.

The end of September to early October is usually prime time for fall color viewing in northern Wisconsin. Use this link to check on status: Fall Color Forecast

Grab a camera, capture the fantastic scenery and share your creative pictures; let’s see what you have found in your travels outdoors!

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