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About this place
Nestled along the eastern shoreline of Wisconsin's Bayfield Peninsula, Houghton Falls is a beautiful nature preserve jam-packed with beautiful gorges and scenic vistas out onto Lake Superior.
Houghton Falls State Nature Preserve is a small but mighty park located just north of Washburn, WI. Starting at the trailhead on Houghton Falls Rd, the trail takes you through a heavily forested area filled with hemlock, yew, and birch. About 1/3 mile in, the trail comes across the Echo Dells, a series of deep sandstone ravines that are home to the parks main feature, Houghton Falls.
The trail continues along the southern rim of the ravines and crosses an old railroad bed used to haul brownstone from the quarries near Bayfield to major cities like Chicago and Cincinnati. Once on the other side of the railbed, the ravine deepens from 20'-30' to nearly 100' as the creek breaks to Lake Superior.
At the end of the trail about 3/4 miles in, the trail terminates at a short cliff that overlooks Lake Superior, and is a favorite destination for cliff jumping and swimming.
Leave No Trace
