Wisconsin Waterfalls "blog"

Closures:
July 2017 ---  The trails to Morgan Falls and St. Peter's Dome were washed out in 2017... original projection was that the trails would be open late 2017... the National Forest people have just announced that the current projection is that the trails will be open in the spring of 2018... update summer 2018, all trails are now open!
August 2018 --- Pattison State Park... many trails and access to some of the falls are closed because of severe damage caused by heavy rains in June and August... as of May 2020 many trails and falls access are still closed... update Sept 2020, all trails and falls are now open!
June 2021 --- The access road to Gilmore Falls is closed... please advise us when you see it is open.

Comments:
(BC) Received my guide today and its awesome.
(JB) Thank you for your website!
(JW) I love your book...
(DC) Your supportive website is very nice...
(PF) Thank you for a wonderful waterfall guide!
(RB) Your guide is super with wonderful  information...               
(JS) I’ve very much enjoyed your book.  Thanks for your hard work,
        and your attention to detail.
(AM) Most complete guide to waterfalls in Wisconsin...

(SS) Awesome channel! Really helps out, thanks for the hard work 
(DD) Wow, this video is amazing
(JJ) Love taking pictures there 
(JP) Great video of the Merrillan waterfall
(JT) Keep up the good work
(J) Thank you
(DW) Love the extra "turn by" booklet

Editorial Comments:
2-1-18  Shown here is Tar Falls... the picture shown here is from an old postcard that labels it Tar Falls near Sparta, Wisconsin but that is all we have for a location.  The Wisconsin Historical Society also has a post-card picture of the falls that is quite similar and it also states the falls are near Sparta, Wisconsin.  Searching on Internet we found a location named “Tar Valley” that is located about 2.7 miles north northwest of Tunnel City.  Further research on USGS maps show that the Valley is named Tarr Valley and runs the entire length of Tarr Creek, so it is north as shown on Internet, then runs southwest all the way to its intersection with Sparta Creek.  Tunnel City is on Route 21 just northwest of Tomah, Wisconsin and just east of Fort McCoy.  We talked with people at the Monroe County Local History Room & Museum and they told us about Tarr Creek which is just west northwest of Tunnel City (notice that the name is spelled Tarr as opposed to Tar Falls as shown on the postcard). To add a little more confusion we found a 1887 map of Monroe County that labels the creek as Tarrs Creek (another different spelling).  We found another map dated 1858 and the creek shown is not named.  An interesting area on the 1887 map is labeled McCoil's Mill... most mills of that era were powered by water wheels; so it is very possible that Tar (or Tarr or Tarrs) Falls is near that spot.  The mill was located at the intersection of Tarrs Creek and Sparta Creek 7 miles west of Tunnel City.  The 1858 map also shows the mill at the same location and it is named L. A. Farr's Mills (cannot be sure that is the name of the mill... it could just be a landowner's name adjacent to the mill).  So, now we add Farr to the Tar, Tarr, Tarrs confusion.  The big problem is that this mill is located on what is now Fort McCoy property and it is doubtful access is available.  We will continue to research the area in an attempt to eventually find the falls (or determine that it no longer exists).  In the meantime, if anyone has more definitive information about Tar Falls and where it is located please send us an email.

Old postcards:  We mentioned “old postcards” in the paragraph above... we have found old postcards to be an excellent source of photographs of waterfalls.  We have started a collection of waterfall postcards, most of which are in the early 1900's and some back to 1887.  If you do a search on eBay you will find quite a lot of early postcards.  A word to the wise... you seldom need to pay what they are asking... most will take a price much less than they ask... we have never paid more than $5.00.

Mystery Photo (from private viewer 3-4-18): We have a photo of a falls, submitted by a reader, that we cannot identify... it was taken about 1965 and is shown below... it was originally a slide, so it could have been reversed when printed... so the picture may be either of the two pictures shown below.  The falls are thought to be in Wisconsin, but may be in Michigan Upper Peninsula.  Can anyone help us identify where the falls are???  Let us know and the info will be forwarded to the owner!  UPDATE --- A viewer thinks the picture on the left may be Gabbro Falls in Michigan!  Can anyone confirm???