Finding lesser-known falls

– Everything is an Adventure: Column by Julia Wolf –

My parents and I made a day trip up north, to visit some waterfalls and Lake Superior, this past weekend. Somehow, not only did our three schedules work out, but the weather cooperated surprisingly well.

When I first suggested we go somewhere, my destination in mind was that level of exact. I took the day off, in anticipation of visiting my boyfriend on his birthday, but his plans changed and my drive would’ve been another five hours longer than anticipated. So, Plan B.

After trying to decide which state we should aim for, I ended up getting asked to just plan something. With guidance like that, how could I possibly go wrong?

My mom is an avid waterfall fan and I had one waterfall on my list, near Cornucopia, that I was pretty sure none of us had ever visited before. So, I found a few more waterfalls nearby, planned in a stop at a visitors’ center and called it good enough.

We actually ended up with a really nice trip. Our first stop, was at Potato River Falls, near Gurney. The online reviews of the little park were not kidding when they said it was a lot of steps. The trails to the falls were short, but steps. So many steps. Just to the lower falls alone, my mom counted over 160 steps on the way back to the car. That was after we already did a bunch of steps to, and from, the viewing area, for the upper falls.

I purposely made Potato River Falls our first stop, so we wouldn’t already be tired and to try to beat the heat of the day. That was surprisingly smart on my part.

All those steps ended up being totally worth it. The falls were pretty tall and even with the dry conditions, still had quite a bit of water in them. It would be a beautiful stop to make again in the fall, when the leaves are changing colors and even better if the cooler temperatures took out the bugs for the year.

After a pit stop for an early lunch, we stopped at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center in Ashland. The museum was nice, especially if it is really hot outside (God bless air conditioning) or raining, and you need something to do. We didn’t spend much time in the museum, because the weather was so nice, but we did spend some time on a third-floor outdoor viewing area. My mom brought her binoculars along, so we were looking at birds, and trying to figure out what kinds of trees and bushes were growing in the distance, along with admiring the pretty moths hanging out on the deck.

Just so you know, if you look at small fish swimming in a pond with binoculars, they look huge, even when you are three stories above them. There were also some bee houses set up in their pollinator garden area, including one shaped like a bee, which we thought was pretty cool.

Then, it was back to the waterfalls. We took County Hwy. C to Cornucopia, in search of Lost Creek Falls. I’m glad we came in that direction and not on State Hwy. 13, because my map didn’t take us to the trailhead. We just happened to see the sign a couple miles out of town.

That ended up being my favorite part of the trip. The trail to the falls is about a mile and a half long, but it is fairly flat and there were a bunch of different kinds of wildflowers to look at along the trail the entire way. You can also walk behind the falls, which was fun and very pretty. The bugs found us, once we got close to the creek, and followed us on the mile and a half back, but that is to be expected in June, in Wisconsin.

My parents knew a nice little beach area near Cornucopia, so we walked in the water for a bit, then headed to Siskiwit Falls, also off County Hwy. C, on a road with the same name. By that point, the bugs were ready to feast, but the falls were just off a small parking area, so we managed to take in the view, before hustling back to the car.

By the time we stopped for supper and drove home, it was a 14-hour trip. That is right on par for how I schedule vacations and accurately demonstrates why I always return home from traveling tired. Naturally, I’m already planning to take my boyfriend on the same trip. It was beautiful.