Big Manitou Falls

Big Manitou Falls is the tallest waterfall in Wisconsin and one of the most powerful in the Upper Midwest, where the Black River plunges a dramatic 165 feet over a dark rock face into a deep, rugged gorge in Pattison State Park, near Superior in the state’s far northwestern corner. The fourth-tallest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains, it is a thunderous and awe-inspiring sight, especially when the river runs high.

The Ojibwe knew the falls as Gitchee-Manitou, and revered the place; the dark, tannin-stained water of the Black River pours over ancient basalt and red rock laid down by lava flows more than a billion years ago. Overlooks perched along the gorge rim give breathtaking views of the falls and the chasm below. Together with the nearby Little Manitou Falls upstream, Big Manitou Falls is the spectacular centerpiece of Pattison State Park and a premier natural wonder of northern Wisconsin.

Big Manitou Falls is the centerpiece of Pattison State Park, viewed from overlooks perched along the gorge rim and reached by short trails, with the nearby Little Manitou Falls upstream also accessible. Hiking, photography and taking in the thunderous falls and gorge are the draws, with the park adding a beach and swimming on Interfalls Lake, camping, picnicking, fishing and more trails. As Wisconsin’s tallest waterfall and a powerful, dramatic sight, Big Manitou Falls is a premier destination in the state’s far northwest.

Spring brings the fullest, most thunderous flow from snowmelt and rain, making the tall falls especially powerful, while fall frames the gorge in northern color. Summer is pleasant for the park’s beach and camping along with the falls, and winter can transform the cascade into dramatic ice. The falls are most impressive in spring high water but spectacular year-round given their great height. Visit in spring for power, fall for color, or summer to combine the falls with the park’s lake and beach.

Big Manitou Falls was revered by the Ojibwe, who knew it as Gitchee-Manitou, a place of spiritual power along the Black River. The falls and surrounding land were protected as Pattison State Park, named for Martin Pattison, a local mining and lumber figure who bought the land to save the falls from being lost to a hydroelectric dam and donated it to the state. The Civilian Conservation Corps later developed the park. Big Manitou Falls has been preserved as Wisconsin’s tallest waterfall and a treasured natural and cultural landmark.

Big Manitou Falls plunges 165 feet where the Black River pours over ancient volcanic rock — dark basalt and red lava-flow rock laid down more than a billion years ago during the great Midcontinent Rift, when the region was torn by volcanic activity. The river has cut a deep, rugged gorge into this hard, ancient rock, and the tannin-stained, root-beer-colored water (from the river’s bog sources) pours over the dark face. The interplay of the resistant volcanic rock and the river gives the falls their great height and dramatic gorge.

The gorge, river and northern forests of Pattison State Park host white-tailed deer, black bear, foxes, and a rich community of birds, with the cool, forested gorge sheltering songbirds and the river supporting fish, while the surrounding woods shelter diverse northern wildlife. The varied habitat of gorge, river, forest and lake makes the park a fine place for wildlife watching and birding in northwestern Wisconsin, where the falls and the Black River corridor add scenic and ecological richness to the northern landscape.

Big Manitou Falls and Pattison State Park lie in the northern forests of Wisconsin near Lake Superior, where the Black River’s tannin-stained waters, the rugged volcanic gorge, the surrounding boreal-influenced forest and Interfalls Lake form a rich northern ecosystem. The cool gorge and the river support diverse plant and animal life, and the park preserves a stretch of the Black River corridor. Protecting the falls, the gorge and the river’s water quality sustains both the ecology and the dramatic scenery of this far-northern landscape.

Big Manitou Falls, revered by the Ojibwe as Gitchee-Manitou and saved from a hydroelectric dam by Martin Pattison’s gift to the state, holds a place of both spiritual and natural significance as Wisconsin’s tallest waterfall. Its thunderous plunge, its dramatic gorge and its rich human history have made it a cherished landmark of northern Wisconsin, a powerful natural wonder whose preservation reflects both Native reverence and an early act of conservation along the Black River.

Big Manitou Falls is in Pattison State Park in far northwestern Wisconsin, about 13 miles south of Superior off State Route 35, near the Minnesota border. A Wisconsin state park vehicle admission sticker is required. The park offers overlooks and short trails to Big Manitou Falls and the upstream Little Manitou Falls, plus a beach on Interfalls Lake, campgrounds and picnic areas. The gorge overlooks are along the rim. Check the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for admission, trail conditions and access before visiting.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources protects Big Manitou Falls, the Black River gorge and the surrounding forests of Pattison State Park — land saved from a dam by Martin Pattison’s conservation gift. Visitors help by staying on trails and overlooks, keeping back from the dangerous gorge edges, packing out everything, protecting the river’s water quality, respecting wildlife, and honoring the site’s cultural significance to the Ojibwe. Protecting the falls, the gorge and the Black River corridor sustains both the ecology and the dramatic beauty of Wisconsin’s tallest waterfall.

Big Manitou Falls’ gorge has steep, dangerous cliffs and the overlooks sit high above the chasm — stay on trails and overlooks, keep well back from the edges and railings, and supervise children closely, as falls into the gorge would be fatal. Do not climb down to the base or onto the wet, slippery rocks near the falls. The trails can be icy in the cold months. Wear sturdy footwear, watch footing, and respect the great height and power of the falls and the rugged gorge.

A Wisconsin state park vehicle admission sticker is required. Stay on designated trails and overlooks and back from the gorge edges; climbing into the gorge or on the falls is prohibited and dangerous. Camp only in the designated campground. Swim at the designated Interfalls Lake beach. Follow Wisconsin fishing regulations and licensing. Pets must be leashed. Drones generally require authorization. Collecting is prohibited. Pack out all trash. Check the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for current rules and conditions.

The city of Superior and the Twin Ports of Duluth-Superior on Lake Superior lie to the north of the park, with the upstream Little Manitou Falls within Pattison State Park itself, and the Minnesota border, the St. Louis River, and the broader northern forests and Lake Superior shoreline nearby. Amnicon Falls State Park is a short drive away. Big Manitou Falls anchors a region of dramatic northern waterfalls and Lake Superior scenery in the far northwestern corner of Wisconsin.

Walk the rim overlooks for breathtaking views of Wisconsin’s tallest waterfall plunging 165 feet into the gorge — visit in spring for the most thunderous flow or fall for northern color — and see the upstream Little Manitou Falls too. Keep well back from the dangerous gorge edges, wear sturdy footwear, and bring a park sticker. Combine the falls with the park’s Interfalls Lake beach in summer and the nearby Amnicon Falls State Park for a northern-waterfall tour.