Best waterfalls in Wisconsin

Wisconsin’s falls hide in the Northwoods, where tannin-stained rivers cut red-rock gorges — Big Manitou (the state’s tallest), Copper Falls, and Amnicon’s covered-bridge cluster near Lake Superior. Spring and fall are peak, and the marquee falls are short, scenic walks.

Willow Falls200 ftModerate hike · Hudson · 1.6 mia wide multi-tier fall in Willow River State Park near the Twin Cities.Big Manitou Falls165 ftShort walk · Superior · 0.3 mithe tallest fall in Wisconsin, in Pattison State Park.Potato River Falls90 ftRoadside · Gurneya remote, powerful gorge fall in far northern Wisconsin.Morgan Falls70 ftModerate hike · Cable · 2 mithe tallest fall in the Chequamegon forest, paired with St. Peter’s Dome.Amnicon Falls30 ftShort walk · South Range · 0.5 mia cluster of falls around a covered bridge near Lake Superior.Brownstone Falls30 ftShort walk · Mellen · 1 mia sister fall to Copper Falls over red-rock ledges.Copper Falls29 ftShort walk · Mellen · 1.7 mitannin-stained falls and a log-railed gorge loop in the Northwoods.Cascade Falls (Osceola)25 ftShort walk · Osceola · 0.4 mia fall in the middle of a St. Croix river town.

Flows change with the season and recent rain — many falls roar at spring snowmelt and slow by late summer. Check conditions and any permit or reservation rules before you go.