Marinette County

Dave’s Falls, Wisconsin

/ waterfallrecord / Leave a comment

Dave’s Falls is one of those waterfalls that I wouldn’t necessarily go out of the way for, except for the fact that it is very easy to visit (if you’re in the vicinity). Wisconsin does have some tall waterfalls. Big Manitou Falls might be one of the tallest in the Great Lakes region. Many of Wisconsin’s waterfalls, though, seem to be smaller. Dave’s Falls is maybe a total of a 20′ drop, but it’s spread out.

As I’ve said, it’s redeeming quality is that it is easy to visit. Some of those smaller waterfalls, such as Twelve Foot Falls, Eighteen Foot Falls, and Horseshoe Falls, require driving down dirt roads for at least a few miles. It’s not that the dirt roads are bad, but they are more isolated. Dave’s Falls, and its upstream counterpart, Upper Dave’s Falls, around found right of US-141 just south of the village of Amberg. And while Dave’s Falls isn’t extremely tall, it is still an interesting drop. Further north along US-141 are Smalley Falls and the very interesting Long Slide Falls.

Directions:

  1. The waterfall is south of Pembine on US-141. If you’re driving south from there, it’s only about 1 mile from the city, and the road to the park will be on your right.
  2. Turn right onto County Park Road, which leads to Dave’s Falls County Park.
  3. The most prominent path leads to the lower falls, so wander upstream to get this view of the upper falls.

Accessibility: 10/10 (easy)
Height: 20′
Length of Hike: 0.2 miles round-trip

Dave’s Falls in June 2009

Where in the World is Dave’s Falls?

Advertisement

Horseshoe Falls, Wisconsin

/ waterfallrecord / Leave a comment

I visited Horseshoe Falls over three years ago, and so some of the details seem a little bit fuzzy.  And yet there’s one thing I do seem to remember…these falls seem very remote.  Maybe not the remotest set of falls I’ve ever driven too, but there is a lot of dirt road driving involved to see the falls.  Luckily these back roads in good enough condition, and wide enough too, that I really didn’t have to many worries.  It just seems like it takes a while to get to the falls.

Horseshoe Falls is not too far south from Eight-Foot Falls, Twelve-Foot Falls, and Eighteen-Foot Falls, all of which don’t seem nearly as tall as suggested.  Horseshoe Falls is not particularly tall, maybe 3-4′.  And yet at least it does have a general horseshoe shape, at least if you use imagination!  I’m not sure I would spend any significant time going to visit just this waterfall, but since it’s in the same vicinity as the three other falls, it’s not a bad choice…And it does seem to be just a little bit more peaceful and private than the other falls.

Directions:

  1. From US-141 in Wisconsin in Marinette County, take a left on Beecher Lake Road.
  2. Turn on Smeester School Road.
  3. Turn left on Trout Haven Road.
  4. Turn LEFT onto Twelve Foot Falls Road (which Google Maps also calls Smiley Road).
  5. Turn left onto County Road 510 and drive for about 0.5 miles to the signed parking area on your left.
  6. There is just a short hike to the falls once you arrive at the parking area.

Accessibility: 10/10 (easy)
Height: 5′
Length of Hike: 0.2 miles round-trip

Horseshoe Falls in June 2009

Where in the World is Horseshoe Falls?

Upper Dave’s Falls, Wisconsin

/ waterfallrecord / Leave a comment

Upper Dave’s Falls is only a few feet tall, but it’s a rather enjoyable set of waterfalls to visit when in northeastern Wisconsin. The benefits to visiting Upper Dave’s Falls (and it’s lower counterpart): 1) It’s pretty easy to visit. There are no long drives down dirt roads or long hikes. 2) There are a number of other waterfalls in the area, so you can hit a bunch of them in one day. Not a whole lot else to say, except that I really do like the color of the rock around the falls.

Directions:

  1. The waterfall is south of Pembine on US-141. If you’re driving south from there, it’s only about 1 mile from the city, and the road to the park will be on your right.
  2. Turn right onto County Park Road, which leads to Dave’s Falls County Park.
  3. The most prominent path leads to the lower falls, so wander upstream to get this view of the upper falls.

Accessibility: 10/10 (easy)
Height: 5′
Length of Hike: 0.2 miles round-trip

Upper Dave’s Falls in June 2009

Where in the World is Upper Dave’s Falls?

Eighteen Foot Falls, Wisconsin

/ waterfallrecord / Leave a comment

When is 18 feet not 18 feet? When it’s a waterfall in Wisconsin. The three waterfalls named 8-Foot, 12-Foot, and 18-Foot falls are all not necessarily the height in their name. Twelve-Foot Falls gets the closest to its name. Now maybe there are some explanations…? It could be that we’re not seeing all of the drops, though I’m not really convinced about that. It could be how long it takes for the falls to drop whatever height they are.

No matter whether it’s 18 feet tall or not, it’s still a pretty little waterfall. It’s an enjoyable hike to the falls, and it’s rather short too. It’s near the other two length falls and Horseshoe Falls, which is not that tall, but does form the shape of a horseshoe. They are all found on very passable dirt roads in rather unexpected places in Wisconsin.

Directions:

  1. From US-141 in Wisconsin in Marinette County, take a left on Beecher Lake Road.
  2. Turn on Smeester School Road.
  3. Turn left on Trout Haven Road.
  4. Turn right onto Twelve Foot Falls Road.
  5. Instead of turning at the sign for Twelve Foot Falls, keep going for about 0.5 more miles.
  6. At the fork in the road, take the right fork.
  7. At the first turn, take a right toward the sign for Eighteen Foot Falls. You will end at a dead end parking area which leads quickly to the falls.

Accessibility: 9/10 (easy)
Height: 6′
Length of Hike: 0.4 miles round-trip

Eighteen Foot Falls in June 2009

Where in the World is Eighteen Foot Falls?

Twelve Foot Falls, Wisconsin

/ waterfallrecord / Leave a comment

I have commented before on the anomaly that seems to be present with waterfalls that have their height in their names. Often, the actual heights seem to be much lower than the height in the name. Twelve Foot Falls actually seems to be the one where height and the name seem to match. It’s not that tall of a waterfall, but compared to the nearby Eight Foot Falls, this falls is much more exciting!

This falls is one of the cooler falls in the area for another reason. This is the falls that you can get the closest to and interact with. If you look at the picture, there are some kids playing to the left of the crest of the falls. Everybody likes to be able to get closer to waterfalls, so this one wins.

Directions:

  1. From US-141 in Wisconsin in Marinette County, take a left on Beecher Lake Road.
  2. Turn on Smeester School Road.
  3. Turn left on Trout Haven Road.
  4. Turn right onto Twelve Foot Falls Road.
  5. Signs will lead you to the parking area for 12-Foot Falls. From the parking area, you can see Twelve Foot Falls.

Accessibility: 10/10 (easy)
Height: 12′
Length of Hike: 0.1 miles round-trip

Twelve Foot Falls in June 2009

Where in the World is Twelve Foot Falls?

Smalley Falls, Wisconsin

/ waterfallrecord / Leave a comment

Smalley Falls in June 2009

For some reason, I can’t remember everything I would normally say about Smalley Falls. Was it hard to get to? I don’t remember! But if I don’t remember, it must not have been that hard. Otherwise I’d remember it!

What I do remember is that Smalley Falls is a waterfall that can be somewhat difficult to view. There are multiple drops that cannot be viewed simultaneously, at least not easily. The photo included here just indicates the largest drop that could be photographed. It’s a pretty waterfall, but the nearby Long Slide Falls is just more interesting. I think they’re on the same river. Check out both of them, though, since they’re so close to each other.

Directions:

  1. From US-41 north of Pembine, turn onto Morgan Park Road. There will be signs indicating a “Waterfall Tour”.
  2. Drive down Morgan Park Road to the sign for Smalley Falls. Turn right and go to the parking area for the falls.
  3. The path to the falls is pretty obvious.

Accessibility: 9/10 (easy)
Height: 10′
Length of Hike: 1 mile round-trip

Where in the World is Smalley Falls?

Eight-Foot Falls, Wisconsin

/ waterfallrecord / Leave a comment

I’m sorry to say, but 8-Foot Falls is one of the more disappointing waterfalls I’ve seen. I’m not sure that it should really even be classified as a waterfall, though in lower flow it might have more character. And as I mentioned before, the names of these falls are often deceiving, considering the falls only look to be 2 or 3 feet tall at most. Maybe it’s 8 feet long? You can check out Eight Foot Falls while you’re visiting Twelve Foot Falls, which is at least more interesting. Other waterfalls are nearby.

Directions:

  1. From US-141 in Wisconsin in Marinette County, take a left on Beecher Lake Road.
  2. Turn on Smeester School Road.
  3. Turn left on Trout Haven Road.
  4. Turn right onto Twelve Foot Falls Road.
  5. Signs will lead you to the parking area for 12-Foot Falls. From the parking area, you can see Twelve Foot Falls. Signs will lead you to 8-Foot Falls.

Accessibility: 9/10 (easy)
Height: 3′
Length of Hike: 0.2 miles round-trip

Eight Foot Falls in June 2009

Where in the World is Eight Foot Falls?

Long Slide Falls, Wisconsin

/ waterfallrecord / Leave a comment

Long Slide Falls in June 2009

If you’re going to check out one waterfall in Wisconsin’s Marinette County (the “Waterfall Capital of Wisconsin”), check out Long Slide Falls. I believe this is the tallest of the falls in the county, dwarfing the others with an estimated height of 50′.

While it is very easy to find and drive to, taking a photo from the base is not exactly a simple task. In order to get to the base, you’ve got to descend about 30-40′, and there’s no semi-level trail. When I got down to the base, and looked back up, I realized how steep the climb down was.

Directions:

  1. From US-41 north of Pembine, turn onto Morgan Park Road. There will be signs indicating a “Waterfall Tour”.
  2. Drive down Morgan Park Road to the sign for Long Slide Falls. You will have passed the entrance to Smalley Falls.
  3. From the Long Slide Falls parking area, try and figure out a way down to the base, where the best views are had.

Accessibility: 4/10 (moderate/strenuous, to get to the base)
Height: 50′
Length of Hike: 0.4 miles round-trip

Where in the World is Long Slide Falls?