Day Trip: Douglas Fault

Take a 500 million year trip into the past only about two hours from Rainbow's End Resort. The easy drive along US 53 is four lane divided most of the way and goes through beautiful hill, forests, and farmland.

You've heard of the famous faults in California where earthquakes occur frequently. The Douglas Fault hasn't been active for some half a billion years, so don't expect to feel the earth shake! But way back then, what is now serene woodland near Lake Superior, had an active volcano and earthquakes galore. There wasn't anybody around to tell about it, but the land has left evidence in rock formations along the Douglas Fault.

There are two state parks on the Douglas Fault. You can see farthest into the past at Amnicon State Park. In case you're not good at reading old rocks, the park center has a brochure that will guide you along marked trails that explain what went on when Wisconsin was just beginning to be put together. If you're not up to learning things while on vacation, just enjoy the trails, waterfalls, and wildlife. You can easily spend a day here.

If you are adventuresome, you can take the short drive into Superior, Wisconsin, and visit a fascinating museum and a really big ship. See our Sea Vessels in Superior page.

If you'd like to explore the Douglas Fault a little further, stop by Pattison State Park. Enjoy the beach, hike, picnic, and see the fourth highest waterfall east of the Rockies, Big Manitou Falls. The Black River starts some 22 miles from Pattison, drops an impressive 31 feet, and forms Interfalls Lake with a beach for swimming and lots of room for relaxing. At the other end of the lake is Big Manitou Falls, dropping 165 feet. The geology is part of the Douglas Fault. The fun is part of Wisconsin.

Maps and information are available at Rainbow's End Resort, your Base Camp in Chetek for family fun. You can even pay for the state park admission at the Resort office. You'll get a receipt to turn in for a window sticker at the park entrance.

Getting There

Amnicon Falls State Park is about 7 miles east of the Superior city limits in Douglas County. From Rainbow's End Resort, take US Highway 53 to where it joins US 2. From the junction of highways 2 and 53, take US 2 about 1 mile east to County Highway U. Turn left (north) on Highway U and go about 0.3 mile. The park entrance is on your left.

Pattison State Park is on Wisconsin Highway 35. You can get there by going into Superior and taking Highway 35 south. From Amnicon Falls State Park, you can take county roads to save a few miles and minutes. To get there directly from Rainbow's End Resort, you might want to take Wisconsin 35 from the south. Check at Rainbow's End Resort office for maps and suggestions for your travel.

Have fun on your outing from Base Camp Chetek at Rainbow's End Resort!