The Ice is Out. The Falls Are Roaring. Let’s Go.
*By Flo | florencewi.com*
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Okay, I’ll be honest with you. I’m not a geologist. I’m not a wilderness survival expert. I’m just Flo, and I live here, and every spring when the snow melts off these hills and starts running downhill fast — I get a little obsessed with our waterfalls.
If you’re planning a trip to Florence County this spring, put the waterfalls on the list. Not as an afterthought. As the reason.
Here’s what you need to know before you go.
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## We Have Eight of Them
Eight named waterfalls, all tucked into the Pine and Popple Rivers — both of which are state-designated Wild Rivers. That means no development. No guardrails. No gift shop at the bottom. Just river, rock, and the sound of moving water that’s been doing this for longer than any of us can really imagine.
Spring runoff is honestly the best time to see them. The water is high, the falls are loud, and everything smells like mud and pine and the best kind of cold. Wear boots you don’t mind getting wet.
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## Start Here: LaSalle Falls
If you’ve never done the waterfall loop before, LaSalle Falls is your first stop. It’s the most visited for good reason — a mile hike through the woods drops you out at a cliff overlook above a 22-foot cascade on the Pine River. No fences. You’ll be standing right on the rock ledge above it.
Take Hwy C south, turn onto LaSalle Falls Road, follow it about 2.5 miles to the parking lot. The trail is medium difficulty. Give yourself an hour round trip, more if you want to just sit there for a while. You will want to just sit there for a while.
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## The One Nobody Knew About: Breakwater Falls
This one has a story.
Breakwater Falls is 60 feet tall, drops in three tiers, and flows over bedrock that is two billion years old. It is Wisconsin’s 6th largest waterfall. And for about 90 years, it wasn’t on any map. Didn’t even have a name. A local guy named John Roberts found it, dug through old survey records, and found the word “Breakwater” on a map from 1906.
We had this the whole time. We just didn’t know it.
To get there, head west on Power Dam Road off County Road N until it dead ends at the We Energies powerhouse. Park at the turnaround and follow the signs up. The trail is primitive — this is not a boardwalk situation. Wear real shoes. The reward is standing next to something that genuinely feels like a secret.
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## The Popple River Falls
The Popple has four of its own: Little Bull, Big Bull, Washburn, and Jennings.
Big Bull Falls is the one to see if you want options — there are trails to the top, middle, and bottom of the falls, so you can pick your angle. Good for families, good for people who want a longer hike, good for people who just want to stand next to moving water and breathe for a minute.
Jennings Falls is smaller but the gorge and rapids below it run for a half mile. Best experienced from a canoe or kayak at the end of the gorge if you’re up for it.
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## Practical Stuff
- **The Wild Rivers Interpretive Center** in Florence (corner of Hwy 70 and US 2) has printed waterfall guides and maps. Grab one before you head out. Cell service on some of these trails is not your friend.
- **Spring trails can be muddy.** Like, really muddy. Boots. Actual boots.
- **These are wild, undeveloped areas.** No railings, no safety nets. Watch your footing near the water, especially in spring when the rocks are wet.
- **No fee** to access any of the waterfalls.
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Florence County has 265 lakes, 165 miles of rivers, and eight waterfalls most of Wisconsin has never heard of. Spring is short up here. The window between mud season and bug season is narrow and perfect.
Go see the falls.
*— Flo*
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*Planning a trip to Florence? Start at the Wild Rivers Interpretive Center on Hwy 70. And while you’re in town, grab a coffee at Merrill’s and tell them Flo sent you.*