About Potato River Falls
The Potato River Falls (sometimes just called Potato Falls) was one of the more obscure waterfalls that we had encountered while passing through Northern Wisconsin.
We were lured to this falls based on our pre-trip research, where it seemed like it promised to be one of the best of the state’s waterfalls given the seemingly wide and rugged nature of the Potato River.
However, as you can see from the photo above, it seemed like there was something missing from our visit as our views of the waterfall’s accessible tiers were either obstructed or very difficult to reach.
Any attempts to improve the experience appeared to require a degree of risk that we weren’t comfortable with.
Therefore, our visit pretty much consisted of a pair of sightings of parts of the Potato River Falls.
Experiencing the Potato River Falls
The first sighting came shortly after a short jaunt to an overlook with a very obstructed view of what appeared to be the main lower drop (sometimes called the Lower Potato Falls).
That view left a lot to be desired.
So naturally, we looked around for trails leading to more satisfying views.
It turned out that there was an established trail that followed the rim of the gorge in the upstream direction from the car park (see directions below).
After a couple of minutes, it led us to a series of steps that descended to a wooden lookout platform of a different tier of the Potato River Falls (sometimes called the Upper Potato Falls).
This one was a series of shorter waterfalls, which appeared to be accessible with a bit more steep scrambling, but we opted to remain on the trail and not chance it any further from here.
This was pretty much the extent of our short visit to the falls, which lasted roughly a half-hour.
This did not count a nice conversation we were having with some Wisconsin residents who also happened to be visiting Potato River Falls, and they suggested that we visit the nearby Copper Falls).
In addition to the very steep trails of use that we saw from the lookout platform, I did notice another one closer to the trailhead parking as well as a very steep gully nearby the first lookout by the parking and picnic area.
Again, we weren’t comfortable with the risk to improve the waterfalling experience here (especially since it had been raining during our visit).
Thus, we were left with that unfulfilled feeling that I’m sure could be more fulfilling for those willing to take that risk under better conditions.
That said, while most of the worthwhile natural features in Wisconsin had well-developed infrastructure under the protection of State Parks, with Potato River Falls, we were kind of on our own.
So I guess that could also be the allure of this falls for those willing to chance it.
Authorities
Potato River Falls resides by the town of Gurney near Hurley in Iron County, Wisconsin. It is administered by Iron County Forestry and Parks. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, visit their website.
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