How To Spend Two Wonderful Days Along The South Shore Of Lake Superior

Choosing a new Wisconsin State Park to visit each summer has become a bit of a tradition for myself and some friends. We love discovering new spots in our state, getting away from our day-to-day responsibilities, and bonding over drinks by the campfire and talks on the hiking trails.

This summer's park was Copper Falls in Mellen, WI with a daytrip to Bayfield, WI. None of us had ever been to this area of our state, so we were eager to see what it was like.

I'll share what we did, our favorite parts, and a couple of things we missed on this trip. Hopefully, this will help you plan a visit to the area.

Copper Falls State Park To enter a Wisconsin State Park you will need an "Annual Vehicle Admission Sticker" or a "Daily Vehicle Admission Sticker." The "Annual" costs $28 if your vehicle has Wisconsin plates, $13 if you are age 65+, or $38 if your vehicle has out-of-state plates. The "Daily" for this park costs $8/day if your vehicle has Wisconsin plates, $3/day if you are age 65+, or $11/day for vehicles with out-of-state plates.

We hiked the two most popular hikes in the park. We started with the Red Granite Falls Trail. It is a 2.5 mile, easy loop that takes you through the forest until you reach the Bad River and the lovely falls, We did some rock scrambling here and enjoyed the views from the giant red rocks. Pets are allowed on this trail, but are not on the next trail that we went to.

The next hike was even better. It is called the Doughboy's Nature Trail and is a 1.7 mile loop. The trail winds around to give you different views of the Copper Falls, Brownstone Falls, and the Tyler Forks Cascades, and crosses over the Bad River Gorge on sturdy wooden bridges. Not only did we enjoy the gorgeous scenery, but were also impressed with the work of the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) and WPA (Works Progress Administration) crews in the park. 

In the 1930's, these crews of 18 - 25 year-old men, built the bridges, railings, covered benches, and park buildings. They also created the amazing stone walkways and stairs, cleared the land for the campground, and planted more than 4000 trees in the park. President Franklin D. Roosevelt launched the CCC in 1933 to provide employment during the Great Depression and build up the country's natural resources. Copper Falls was Wisconsin's first park site on the National Register of Historic Places because of these things. It was interesting to learn a little about this on a park sign, and I have since done some more research on the topic. (Maybe this will be a future blog post.)

Potato River Falls Twenty minutes north of the park, is the less visited but equally impressive, Potato River Falls. The parking lot is very close to the falls, but there are hundred's of steps to climb down to reach the viewing platforms. There are two trails, one leads to the upper falls, the other to the lower falls. These falls are free to visit. The park here has a vault toliet, five free rustic campsites, and a pavilion. Pets are allowed.

Bayfield Winery & Blue Ox Cider On our second day, we drove to Bayfield, WI. Our first stop was Bayfield Winery & Blue Ox Cider. We were surprised to see all the berry farms, apple & cherry orchards, and vineyards in this high-ground area overlooking Lake Superior. It reminded us of Door County. Like Door County, it benefits from special lake-effect conditions that make it perfect for growing fruit. Even though raspberries, strawberries, and sweet cherries were all available while we were there, we drove right past to get to the wine. The Bayfield Winery offers $8 tastings. We enjoyed ours with a delicious plate of cheese and crackers in the outdoor seating area. It was here that we discovered that this winery is a part of the "Bayfield Fruit Loop," and that we had unknowingly stumbled into the "Berry Capital of Wisconsin!" 

 

 Shopping Even though Pikes Creek Winery and Hauser's Apfelhaus Cidery also offer tastings, we were ready to go into the city of Bayfield and check it out. If you can't find street parking, there are a few lots that you can pay $10 to park in for the day. We enjoyed visiting the little Bayfield shops and galleries, many of which are along Rittenhouse Avenue. You can buy ice cream, handmade chocolates, sweatshirts, jewelry, artwork, home goods, and much more. Many of these shops feature locally sourced products.

The Bayfield Inn We visited the top of the Bayfield Inn twice during our day in Bayfield, first to enjoy some cold drinks and the view before our cruise, and again for supper after our cruise. The rooftop seating area is a wonderful spot to watch the boats and birds of Lake Superior. This outdoor seating area has a casual menu, while the inside restaurant is a bit fancier. During our meal, we were also able to enjoy the summer concert taking place in the park below.

Apostle Island Cruises We didn't want to be this close to the Apostle Island National Lakeshore without seeing it up close, so we took a boat tour through Apostle Island Cruises. We picked the most popular tour, the "Grand Tour," which takes you past almost all of the islands, two lighthouses, a brownstone quarry, a historic fishing camp, and the Devil's Island sea caves. Our captain was very informative and we learned a lot about the history of the islands.  (The adult price for this tour is $51.95, children age 6 - 12 are $30.95, and children under 6 cost $1.) My favorite part was Devil's Island. It is made out of a different softer rock, which has been greatly shaped by the waves of Lake Superior to form sea caves and interesting formations. This company offers other tours, including lighthouse tours and overnight camping.

* Helpful Tip: If you go on this cruise, bring warmer clothes than you think you may need. The wind off of Lake Superior when the boat is moving is COLD! It is quite a bit warmer on the lower deck of the boat. We sat on the top deck for most of the cruise, and while we could see very well, our teeth were chattering. By the end, we moved to the inside lower deck. The windows in this area do slide open, and we took note that you can see very well from on the bottom also.

Two Trails That We Missed 

 - Meyers Beach Sea Cave Trail We ran out of time to try out this trail near Bayfield. It sounds like a beautiful trail with great views of cliffs and sea caves. If you don't want to go out on the boat, I'd recommend trying this trail.

- St. Peter's Dome Trail This hike is near Copper Falls, and is 3.6-mile round-trip. This steep trail takes hikers up 1600 feet in elevation, to the highest point in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. On a clear day it offers views of the Apostle Islands and Lake Superior.

I am a travel advisor, and if you or someone you know needs help planning a trip, please contact me at Kristina@wanderfuladventurestravel.com