Copper Falls State Park is often ranked among Wisconsin's top state parks, and it's easy to see…read morewhy. Located in the Northwoods of northern Wisconsin, the park's highlight is the Doughboy Trail, a well-developed two-mile loop that offers excellent views of both Copper Falls and Brownstone Falls. The trail is easy to follow, well-maintained, and includes several scenic overlooks. Because of its distance--several hours from cities like Madison--I recommend combining a visit with other Northwoods attractions. A great option is to stop here while exploring the Apostle Islands or the Bayfield area. Once inside the park, follow the main road past the ranger station until it ends at the parking lot, where you'll find restrooms and the Doughboy Trailhead. This is a beautiful park and well worth the stop, especially if you plan it alongside other northern Wisconsin adventures.

As we traveled north, we stopped at several state parks, and Copper Falls stood out as one of the…read moreprettiest--often noted in reviews for having the highest waterfall in the area. We were able to park easily and walk a short, fairly easy loop to reach the falls. The view of the waterfall was beautiful, though the trail itself isn't very shaded. Thankfully, the weather was mild during our visit, which made for a pleasant stop. Parking was plentiful, and the park overall felt accessible and well maintained. A worthwhile stop for an hour or so if you're exploring northern Wisconsin.

We came here on the ferry from Bayfield (super easy, but recommend having your car on the ferry if…read moreyou plan to head out here) and had a great time hiking. I was a little confused on where I was supposed to park for the trails, but there's essentially one road so you just kinda figure it out as you go (I went the wrong way the first time, maybe a 2 minute detour). We parked near the beach access area, and started off on the trails. We took the Woods Trail to the Point Trail to the Bayview Trail -- and it brings you right back to the same place. I recommend doing it in this order (which I think is counter-clockwise?) versus the reverse. While the Woods Trail is in a lovely, lush green woods, after seeing the rocks and lake sites along the other trails, the Woods Trail would be a very boring way to end. Starting with the Woods Trail, it's only better as you go along. I hiked with my senior large dog, and he did just fine on the paths. Pretty clear markings and nothing super treacherous if you don't venture out on to the rock formations. Dogs are not allowed on the beach or boardwalk (big sad face), so we went back to town after the hike. Along our way, we saw a small black bear crossing the road! Quite an adventure. Depending on date and time, might be limited food options on the island, so have a plan and check out your options ahead of time.

Wonderful Wisconsin State Park with unbelievable views of Lake Superior! Lots of hiking (just…read moreremember to wear insect repellent), swimming or just walking along the shoreline. We biked to the park after taking the ferry-bicyclists are free at the state park! Primitive pit toilets was the ONLY drawback at this magnificent state park!

Beautiful isolated area, be prepared to drive long distances, some beautiful waterfalls and forest.read more

Great hikes with sightly waterfalls. We started at the lake and made our way inward. According to…read moremy gps watch, the distance was higher than what was on the map we got at the ranger station, so we ended up having to double back to the truck and driving to see the last 3. Word of warning - Gorge Falls lookout was under construction and inaccessible unfortunately. We did have a hard time locating the ranger station but did tag it's location on Apple Maps so hopefully will be there in the future :)

Beautiful and strenuous hike up to the dome. One of my favorite hikes in the area. At the end of…read morethe hike, the short walk to the falls is always a nice treat.

Please be prepared with walking sticks if you need it is a short path the beginning is very easy…read morebut as it goes on you'll cross muddy river bed with lots of slippery rocks a few times, so just saying be prepared it's not a walk in the park(The beginning is groomed and wide shortly after it does get real). The view is fantastic the waterfall is beautiful just be prepared with a little bit of bug spray and perhaps a bug net over your face seem to of worked for plenty of people. I will not post a picture of the view from Saint peters Dome because that's for you to see for yourself it's gorgeous!!!

This park has a lot of nice hiking trails. I've visited often to do day hikes and have my…read morefavorites. The Lake of the Clouds overlook has a stunning view, especially in Autumn. The Escarpment trail starts there. This trail is hilly but gives you many different views of this area from different vantage points, all with their own beauty. The Big Carp River trail is another beautiful one that is a bit longer. The Presque Isle waterfall loop is an easy short walk with beautiful scenery. I also recommend a day hike starting at the Government peak trail and turn onto the Union Spring trail to Union Spring. I hiked these out and back during peak visiting season and had the place to myself.

This park is a must-see in the area. There are many trails and camping opportunities. The trek to…read moresee the Lake in the Clouds is not too far from parking. There are plenty of benches along the walkway. The views are very beautiful.

This is the perfect little park right on Lake Minocqua. We enjoyed when our children were little…read moreto pull the boat right up to it and let them out to play on the beach or have a picnic. Today I was there just to enjoy the fall weather and take a walk down all the trails near by. A lot of people were eating their lunches out on blankets and soaking up the last bit of the warm sunshine. They have a beautiful area with play equipment for children, a tennis court area, and a pavilion with a lot of picnic tables.

Great park with lots things for the kids to climb on. We loved the beach. We went in the middle of…read moreJune and there was a lifeguard on duty the whole time. There is a nice on site bathroom and shower to rinse off. Be sure to bring sand toys for the little kids or kayak, paddle board or canoe for the older kids. Within walking distance to the downtown shopping area.

a slice of heaven...right here. The Siskiwit River Preserve…read moreis my special place to go. It's just a few minutes out of Cornucopia, Wisconsin. The Siskiwit River cascading waterfalls is something you really don't want to miss. You can walk along side of the river over new boardwalks on the 102 acre preserve, or fish in the kettle hole downstream. Be sure to wear your water shoes because it can get slippery with the moss on the rocks! I have been coming to this special place for years. It was owned by Swenson family and we enjoyed many visits to the cabins along the river (the cabins have been removed to make the parking area). Originally, this was a apple orchard and farm (you can still find the apple trees here today). THIS is how much I love Yelp....I'm divulging the location of this special spot! Enjoy but please conserve this special nature area!

We hiked the Lakeshore Trail from the Meyers Beach parking lot. (National Park Service. $5 parking…read morefee; $2.50 if you have a Senior Pass or Access Pass. May, 2023). As noted by others, this is a launch point for kayaks to launch for views of the sea caves and cliffs. We were at this location twice in late May, 2023, and national park Rangers were there on both days (Wednesday, Friday) ensuring that kayakers were prepared for the rough and cold waters, and to provide guidance to hikers. There are clean vault toilets at the location. Regarding the Lakeshore Hike, we did about 2.2 miles of the hike, returning on the same trail to make it about 4.4 miles roundtrip. The trail continues to a campground site (I believe NPS reservations are required) but we didn't go that far. The first 1.8 miles are largely inland, without views of Lake Superior. Of this segment, the first 0.7 miles are almost completely on a double plank boardwalk that goes over swampy land in parts. It requires some stepping up and down on planks, following terrain changes. After you cross a service road at 0.7 miles, the trail alternates between plank boards and regular trails. As you approach the crevasse at 1.8 miles, there are quite a few ascents and descents wherein you go down to a stream-bed and then back up. Some of these are steep but have logs to help with footing. The stream crossings all had sturdy boards or bridges to cross. At 1.8 miles, you reach the crevasse area with views of Lake Superior. Take a look on both sides to see sea caves and the deep crevasse. There are benches here too so it made a great lunch spot. Be careful not to get too close to the edges. It's a long way down! Beyond the crevasse, walk another 0.4 miles to the "basin". This stretch is relatively easy (flat) walking with spectacular views. My husband, who has been hiking in the Himalayas recently, found the entire trail to be easy. For me, I'd characterize it as moderately challenging. On the positive side, there is very little elevation change, so I wasn't huffing and puffing. However, I have balance issues, so I didn't particularly like the footing for the ascents/descents to the stream beds nor all of the roots on the trail. Some of the steps up and down, even on the boardwalk, were also a bit too high for my short legs! Having walked with hiking poles and an occasional hand from my husband helped. Finally, remember bug spray. The mosquitoes are active. 4-star rating overall instead of 5 due to distance required to walk to get views of the sea caves and mosquitoes. 5 stars for the Park Service.

You have to come check out the sea caves on the shoreline of Lake Superior. Meyers beach is the…read morelaunching point for kayaks. It's also the location for the hiking trail. The views from the water are beautiful! I highly recommend the water instead of the walking trail. There are multiple vendors you can rent kayaks and wet suits from. You can even take a guided tour. We personally, have our own kayaks and decided to do our own trip. The DNR do sit at the beach and give you the whole spiel on safety and risks. It is recommended to use sea kayaks due to the rough waters of Lake Superior. We have used normal lake kayaks and used good judgement on the water/ weather conditions. Both times were just fine on the normal kayaks. Just be careful. The waters are freezing all year-round and if you do go overboard near the caves there's no good spot to pull off. Check out my pics of the stunning caves!

Camping here was so amazing, site 4 on the end may be farthest from the bathhouse but along the…read morewater was magical! We stayed two nights midweek and didn't want to leave. Deb in the office was a rockstar employee, so friendly and welcoming! We enjoyed visiting with her and will return in the future!

Township parks offering camping are off the radar and difficult to discover. This is the second one…read moreI've found and it is a gem. (First one on Madeline Island in the Apostle Islands, Wisconsin). I tripped over Ontonagon Township Park while reading a separate review of a Porcupine Mountain State Park. So, only downside, day-of-arrival reservation only. Call (no email) by 7AM and make your claim (906 884 2930). I did. It was a weekday in late June. A site was set aside for me. I wasn't thrilled with the site assigned. Together with the site operator we hopped in his golf cart and I got a complete tour of available sites. By the way, $15/night for the site I chose. On the matter of the day of arrival reservation, you might call in advance and get a sense of the level of campsite fill. It's not a guarantee but it might provide some guidance. I was tent camping generally looking for a modest amount of solitude and not hanging with the party-lights and generator RV crowd. Pleased to note that even with that constraint I had some choice. Without question, the sites directly on Lake Superior are great locations. Many are RV sites but there are a few tent-only or tent-likely sites. But strong north winds and temps down to 45 at night told me this was not the place for me. I chose a location (site 74) across the road from the lake and slightly up an incline. The strong winds diminished to a gentle breeze and the moderate temps made bugs a non-issue. I had power, which I really didn't need, but nevertheless. And water spigots were at some sites. Not mine but nearby. The vault toilet nearby was spotless. The modern restroom with coin-op showers was a short walk away. The mercury vapor street lamp lighting the access road was a little annoying and I think they could have provided a similar amount of safety without the lumens. But now I'm just picking nits. OTP was just a one night stand. Next day I back tracked 12 miles west along a lake-hugging road to the Porkies for some trail hiking and then back again through Ontonagon and up the Peninsula. By the way, for the highway freaks, Ontonagon is the head end of US Route 45 that continues south to the Gulf of Mexico. Road trip for another time.

Because this state park has a rest area, the admission is free. You only need to pay entry if…read moreyou're going to the campground or driving down to the Lakeshore. You can see the Falls and hike the upper areas for free. Friendly staff, small nature, center, restrooms, vending. Ample free parking. The fall cells are pretty cool. It was fairly busy so there were a lot of people around. If you walk to the other side of the highway and hike up there, there are far fewer people.

Overall my trip to the falls was nice. Parking was easy, it was peaceful and clean out there.read more