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Pattison State Park
State Park Information
State Park Overview
Pattison State Park features the highest waterfalls in Wisconsin and the fourth highest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains. Big Manitou Falls is 165 high and
Little Manitou Falls is 31 feet high.
The 1,436-acre park also has a lake with a beach, nature programs and guided hikes - nature center, camping, 9 miles of hiking trails and
abundant wildlife.
The cities of Superior, Wisconsin and
Duluth, Minnesota Amnicon Falls State Park Brule River State Forest and Lake Superior are all within an hour of Pattison State Park.
Camping
Pattison has 59 regular (family) campsites, 18 of them with electric hookups and
three backpack sites.
There is a sanitary dumping station but no sewer or water hookups. Showers and flush toilets are available during the summer.
The backpack sites are about 1.6 miles from the parking area. They have pit toilets, tables and
fire rings. Water must be carried in garbage must be carried out.
Pattison has no designated group camping, but groups may use available individual or double sites.
Firewood may be purchased at the park office. There are soft drink vending machines outside the shelter and in the campground shower building. Nearby businesses offer ice and other items.
Trails
Pattison State Park has a total of 10.2 miles of trails, 9 miles of which are open to hiking
Big Manitou Falls Trail, .5 mile long, provides views of the falls and gorge from different vistas. A self-guiding booklet is available to help you discover more about the geology and history of the falls as you hike along.
Beaver Slide Nature Trail, 2 miles long, circles Interfalls Lake. Discover the plants and anumals that thrive in the boreal (northern) forest.
Little Manitou Falls trail continues from Beaver Slide Nature Trail south along the Black River.
Logging Camp Trail, 4.7 miles long, explores the upland hardwood forest and lowland boreal forest, with glimpses of the Black River from overlooks.
A spur trail from the Logging Camp Trail leads to three backpack campsites.Cross-country Ski Trails
When snow conditions permit?and Pattison is in the Lake Superior snow belt?the park maintains 4.3 miles of cross-country ski trails. Trail difficulty levels range from beginner to moderate. Three linked loops begin at the campground.Snowshoe Trails
Pattison State Park has a number of informal trails available for snowshoeing in winter.
History of the Area
Pattison State Park is named for Martin Pattison - early lumber man and miner. He began work in his first lumber camp in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. By the age of 25, he was a full partner in the company. The company moved to the Upper Peninsula and
then, in 1879, on to Superior. For three years, Pattison and his men logged along the Black River. The remains of their camp can still be seen along the Logging Camp Trail.
Pattison sold his lumber interests and began exploring for iron ore on the Vermilion Range in Minnesota. His success there made him a wealthy man. He became one of the largest individual holders of iron lands in all of Minnesota. In Superior, he purchased an entire city block on the harbor and built a 42-room Victorian mansion, now known as Fairlawn Mansion and Museum (exit DNR). The house is open daily and is well worth a visit. (Call (715) 394-5712 for more information.)
In 1917, Pattison learned of a plan to build a power dam on the Black River which would have destroyed Big Manitou Falls. To block the development, he secretly purchased 660 acres along the river from a number of landowners including James Barden. With the donation of the land, in 1918, Pattison saved the waterfall and property surrounding it.
"In being able to grant this site to the public, I have accomplished one of my chief ambitions. For years I have spent much time amid the surrounding of the falls and have received so much enjoyment there that it gradually became a part of my life."
With his generosity, the waterfall that had attracted people for thousands of years would not be lost. With this donation of land, Wisconsin dedicated its sixth state park on January 20, 1920.
Until 1935, facilities at Pattison were modest a small picnic area, some wooden overlooks, pit toilets and
a rangers cabin. Visitors camped on the lawn and parked along the road. A dam formed in 1928 had enlarged Interfalls Lake, causing a muddy and weedy shore.
One of the programs of President Franklin D. Roosevelts plan to end the Great Depression of the 1930s was the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) (exit DNR). Young, single, unemployed men were put to work on conservation projects. On July 25, 1935, Camp Pattison Company 3663 of the CCC was established at what is now Little Manitou Falls picnic area. For the next seven years, thousands of men labored to transform the landscape into what is now the main park area.
The CCC put in sewer and water systems, removed old roadbeds and abutments, planted trees, landscaped and built 3 miles of foot trails.
During the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps quarried rock and chiseled it into blocks to create the park shelter building, nature center, bathhouse and former office building.
CCC members began work on the campground and pedestrian underpass. One of the most ambitious projects was draining Interfalls Lake, rerouting the river channel and
hauling sand from Lake Superiors shore to make the beach.
Once World War II was underway, the labor shortage ended the CCC program. CCC veterans often return to Pattison and
reunions have been held at the park. The CCC left a legacy of beautiful buildings, practical facilities and
a changed landscape in its wake. A booklet detailing the history of Camp Pattison is available at the park office.
More Info
Photos from Pattison State Park.
oak. Branch/river. Leaning trees. Rainbow. Beaver tree. History of Pattison State Park. The area around the two waterfalls on the Black River have
...icial home page of Pattison Cliff State Park, in northwestern Wisconsin
State Parks Welcome Pattison State Park Current Conditions History Map Trails Pattison State Park 6294 S. State Rd. 35
...tos from our camping trip at Pattison State Park!
...tison State Park Certified Trail Trailhead - the entry gate of Pattison State Park, on Wisconsin Highway 35 about 12 miles south of Superior, Wisconsin. Look for NCT emblems. Length of
...de to scenic waterfalls in Wisconsin, including a table of the ten highest waterfalls.
About 13 miles S of Superior in Pattison State Park, Douglas County. Brownstone Falls This waterfall drops
Falls, the highest waterfall in Wisconsin. BELOW | One attraction in Pattison State Park is the 300-foot swim beach. Above The CCC was stationed at Pattison State Park for seven years. photos |
...aterfalls in Wisconsin
click here for list by LOCATION) Amnicon FallsWentworth Manitou FallsPattison State Park Potato FallsGurney WI Waterfalls by Location (click here for list by
Manitou Falls August 15, 2003 State Wisconsin Location Pattison State Park, south of Superior Wisconsin Height 165 Crest 10
is located in Wisconsins Pattison State Park . This is the
Nature Programs
Naturalist-guided hikes and programs are offered throughout the year.
The Gitche Gumee Nature Center in the shelter building houses interpretive displays about the parks colorful history -bundant wildlife and
unique geology.
Many young visitors enjoy the Junior Ranger or Wisconsin Explorer booklets during their stay the booklets are available at the park office.
Two special backpacks for children are available for free loan at the park office
1) The Forest Forever Parkpack and Great Lakes Pack are geared for middle school youths in families, youth groups, or school classes. Theyre filled with activities designed to get you hiking, investigating and
thinking about Wisconsins natural resources and your role in using them wisely.
2) Learn about fire safety and the true story of Smokey Bear and write about Smokeys adventure with you in his daily journal as you use the Take Smokey Bear Camping pack during your stay.
Pattison State Park