Pattison State Park

About Pattison State Park

The Great Manitou Falls are 165 meters high and the Small Manitou Falls 31 meters higher, and Pattison State Park is home to the largest waterfall in the United States and one of the largest in the world.

The 1,436 hectare park also offers a number of hiking trails, guided hikes, and a variety of waterfalls and other natural attractions. Great Manitou Falls and Small Manitou Falls, both within an hour of Pattison State Park, are the largest waterfalls in the United States and one of the world.

Pattison State Park is named after Martin Pattison, an early logger and miner, in recognition of his services to the U.S. timber industry. At the age of 25, he became a full partner of the company and began working on the Great Manitou Mine, one of the first large-scale mining companies in the world. The company moved to the Upper Peninsula and at the age of 25 he was a full partner with his wife and two children.

Pattison sold his stake in the timber company and began searching for iron ore in the Minnesota plateau. He and his men cut off the Black River for three years, and the remains of the camp are still visible along the Logging Camp Trail.

His success there made him a rich man, and in Superior he bought an entire block of the city's harbor and built a 42-room Victorian mansion now known as the Fairlawn Mansion Museum (exit DNR). The house is open daily and worth a visit and he became one of the most influential and influential businessmen of the Superior, as well as its most famous inhabitant.

In 1917, Pattison learned of plans to build a dam on the Black River that would destroy the Big Manitou Falls. To block the development, he secretly bought 660 acres along the river from a number of landowners, including James Barden. He saved the waterfall and surrounding property in 1918 by donating the land to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Wisconsin State Parks.

Public use of the site has achieved one of its main goals: the creation of a state park on the Black River in the heart of Manitou County.

Wisconsin inaugurated its sixth state park on January 20, 1920, with a land donation, and by 1935 the Pattison facilities were modest. Through generosity, we have not lost sight of the waterfall that has been attracting people for thousands of years. Over the years I have spent a lot of time at this waterfall and experienced so much joy that has gradually become part of my life.

The dam, which was built in 1928, increased Lake Interfall, caused muddy, weed-dried shores and had a negative impact on the lake's water quality and water level. Visitors park across the street and camp on the meadow or camp on the picnic area of the park with picnic tables, picnic benches, fireplace and picnic table.

One of the first conservation projects after the end of the Great Depression in the 1930s was the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Young, single, unemployed men have been put into conservation projects by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USAC) and the National Park Service.

CCC Camp Pattison Company 3663 was founded in what is now the main parking lot at Little Manitou Falls picnic area. Over the next seven years, thousands of men worked to change the landscape around the park, from the original campground to the new campground and then to what is now Little Manitoba Falls, the state's first large park.

The CCC removed old road beds and abutments, planted trees, installed sewers and water systems, laid 3 km of footpaths, created green spaces and installed water and sewage systems. The civil protection team dug, chiseled and chopped rocks to build a new campground, picnic area, parking, water and road system.

One of the most ambitious projects was draining Interfall Lake, rerouting a river channel and pumping sand from the shore of Lake Superior to create a beach. Members of the CCC began work on the campsite and pedestrian underpasses in the early 1990s to prepare the construction of a new campsite, picnic area, car park and water system.

With World War II, the CCC program ended due to labor shortages, but this left a changed landscape. Meetings were held in the park, and CCCC veterans often returned to Pattison.
A booklet detailing the history of Camp Pattison is available from the park office. There are 59 regular family campsites, 18 of which have electricity, as well as two backpacker sites and a campsite.

There is no backpack area, but showers and toilets are available in summer and there is a sanitary sewer and water supply.

It has a pit toilet, a table and a ring of fire, but you have to take the water out and dispose of it yourself.

In front of the campsite shelter / shower building there is a vending machine for drinks and a nearby shop offers ice cream and other items. Pattison has no designated group campsites, but groups can use a single or double pitch. Firewood can be purchased at the park office, as well as a variety of other equipment such as firewood, campfires, fireplaces, tents, etc.

This self-guided booklet will help you learn more about the geology and history of the waterfalls as you walk along.

Discover the plant anumalia, which thrives in the boreal and northern forests, as well as a variety of other tree species and shrubs.

If snow conditions permit, the park has 4.3 km of trails, as Pattison is in the snow belt of Lake Superior. The Little Manitou Falls Trail leads from the Beaver Slide Nature Trail further south along the Black River to the Beaver Slide Trail. A spore trail from the Logging Camp Trail leads to three backpacker tents, where you can explore the area with a view of the Black River.

Pattison State Park has a variety of informal hiking trails, ideal for snowshoeing in winter. Three interconnected circuits start at the campsite, and the difficulty of the routes ranges from beginners to advanced. Naturalist - guided hikes are offered throughout the year, as well as a range of outdoor activities for children and adults.

There are activities to get you to explore and explore Wisconsin's natural resources and to think about the role you play in using them intelligently. Many younger visitors enjoy staying with their families and friends at Pattison State Park. The Junior Ranger and Wisconsin Explorer booklets are intended for children 5 years and older and can be purchased on the park's website.

On your left is the main entrance to the park, which is located at the intersection of State Street and South Main Street, south of the parking lot.