8 Astonishing Frozen Waterfalls in Wisconsin

With all its flowing waters, Wisconsin is home to a great number of beautiful waterfalls – from tiny hidden cascades to easily accessible, thundering spectacles. Stunning in every season, they become dramatic ice sculptures when winter arrives. These natural wonders are constantly changing, and aren’t something you see every day.

Whether you are interested in getting some fresh winter air by snowshoeing or merely want to discover a spectacular sight on a winter driving tour with friends, there’s a perfect waterfall for you and your crew in Wisconsin. Here are eight of the finest.

Big Manitou Falls

Pattison State Park near Superior is home to this 165-foot waterfall, the tallest in the state and the fourth highest east of the Rockies. Each winter, the tea-colored waters of the Black River gradually transform into a magnificent wall of contrasting white.

Designated overlooks offer safe spots for some amazing group photos. Conveniently, this is all a short distance along a paved trail from the main parking area. Don’t miss its 31-foot sibling, Little Manitou Falls, which also has its own parking lot for easy access.

Stephens Falls

Stephens Falls is made up of a thin curtain of streams falling into a small gorge in Governor Dodge State Park. The park's hiking trail begins in the nearby lot, but the paved trail to the falls is just a stone’s throw away. A staircase down into the gorge gives you another angle on the icy display, which starts small but becomes magnificent as the season progresses. Be sure to watch your step as the stairs can get icy; or, skip the steps and enjoy the bird’s-eye view from the paved path.

Wequiock Falls

Located in a tiny county park just north of Green Bay along Highway 57 to Door County, Wequiock Falls can practically dry up during hot summers. But give it time: in winter, it becomes a stunning collection of icy stalactites that trickles off the rocky edge of the Niagara Escarpment to form a spectacular frozen sight.

Fonferek Falls

Also in Green Bay’s orbit is this scenic glen in a county park along Bower Creek. A wheelchair-accessible path leads just 300 feet from the lot to view these 30-foot falls from an overlook with a railing, or you can climb down into the glen for a closer look. As the falls come off an undercut rocky lip, you and your crew can even get into the space behind the icy beard of the little stream for an impressive one-of-a-kind photo-op. Also be sure to check out the natural rock bridge!

Daggett Memorial Park

Downtown Montello is home to an unexpected sight: a stunning waterfall. To see it, park right on Highway 23 where it passes through town. Flowing from an old quarry and tumbling over what's known as the hardest granite in the world, this steady waterfall drops in four separate places, making it the widest icy falls you will find. You and your group don’t even need to leave the warmth of your car to take in the frozen splendor.

Brownstone Falls

The star of Copper Falls State Park, this thundering 30-footer is where Tyler Forks meets the Bad River on its course north to Lake Superior. In winter, the falls partially freeze and the frozen spray continues to grow along the edges, creating a magnificent, ever-changing spectacle. 

The trails here are great for hiking/snowshoeing, and the smaller Copper Falls is visible along the way as well. Bonus: venture into the western side of the park to find Red Granite Falls, a long, cascading rapids that also create ice art in winter.

Parfrey’s Glen

This precious gem of a State Natural Area – the state’s first – offers a short hike through a narrow sandstone gorge. At the head of the gorge, the creek that runs through it tumbles in as a little cascade, which grows to a picturesque ice sculpture as winter goes on.

Visit with family and friends to marvel at the natural frozen formations you can only enjoy this time of year.

Willow Falls

Just outside of Hudson, the massive Willow Falls becomes a spectacular partially frozen sculpture each snowy season. The view from the bridge at the base gives you a spectacular view and a safe photo-op. The river here flows out of a rocky gorge up to 200 feet deep and falls over three main shelves for a combined 45-foot drop. 

A somewhat steep 0.4-mile, multi-use trail leads from the parking lot. These extraordinary falls offer photographers the chance to combine ice formations with beautifully blurred running water. Don’t miss it!

Plan more outdoor adventures with friends with these winter hikes!