Falls Loop Trail

Amnicon Falls State Park is a compact gem in Wisconsin's far northwest corner, packing four significant waterfalls, a historic covered bridge, and a spectacular red sandstone gorge into a park barely half a mile across. The Falls Loop Trail connects all the major features in a short circuit that nevertheless delivers waterfall scenery rivaling parks ten times its size. The Amnicon River drops over the Douglas Fault, a major geological boundary where Lake Superior lava flows meet red Orienta sandstone of Keweenawan age, creating a staircase of cascades including the Upper Falls, Lower Falls, Snake Pit Falls, and Now and Then Falls, each with a distinct character. The most photographed feature is the historic covered bridge, a Horton design built in 1932 that spans the river between two of the falls and serves as a pedestrian crossing on the loop trail, its weathered wooden structure framing the Upper Falls beyond. The red sandstone gorge walls are particularly beautiful when wet, their surfaces glowing deep crimson and orange in contrast to the white-brown water tumbling over them. The tannin staining from the bog-rich watershed upstream gives the Amnicon the same amber color as the Tahquamenon to the east. The park's intimate scale makes it appropriate for visitors of all abilities and is particularly popular with families with young children.