Upper Trail

The Upper Trail at Amnicon Falls State Park climbs away from the river gorge onto the forested upland above, providing a quieter counterpoint to the waterfalls loop and a different perspective on the park's ecological character. The trail begins near the picnic area and ascends through second-growth forest of balsam fir, white spruce, and paper birch that represents typical Lake Superior transition zone vegetation, the same forest type that extends north and west into Minnesota and across the Canadian border. The forest floor here is dominated by Canada mayflower, bunchberry, and clintonia lily, species that indicate cool, moist soils overlying the Keweenawan sandstone bedrock. Several small clearings created by past wind events are visible as patches of dense young aspen regeneration, their pale trunks glowing white against the darker conifer forest. The trail reaches the park's highest point near its midpoint, where a partial opening in the canopy provides a view south over the Amnicon River valley toward the Douglas County farmland beyond the park boundary. The descent returns to the river access area near the boat landing, where the Amnicon flows smoothly over flat sandstone shelves before the gradient steepens toward the falls below. River otters have been observed in this upper reach, their slides visible on muddy riverbanks in spring.