Our Stories
Trail Protection at Lake Superior Falls
This spring, the National Park Service (NPS) and Trust for Public Land (TPL) achieved a major milestone in the effort to protect Lake Superior Falls: an iconic natural landscape along the South Shore of Lake Superior in Northern Wisconsin. Together, they conserved 213 acres of land for public access, ecological preservation, and expanded recreational opportunities to the North Country Trail.
Bordering the mouth of the Montreal River, which separates Wisconsin from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, this property affords spectacular views of Superior Falls and Lake Superior. The falls and surrounding areas provide habitat for wildlife, support clean water systems, and offer world-class recreation opportunities including hiking, wildlife viewing, and nature exploration.
“Lake Superior Falls represents the very best of America’s natural heritage – clean water, rugged beauty, and a place where people can connect with the outdoors,” said Will Cooksey, TPL Senior Project Manager. “By protecting this landscape, we are ensuring that it remains open, accessible, and unspoiled for generations to come.”
The project protects critical acreage surrounding the falls, preventing private development and securing the land for inclusion in the National Park System. Protecting these lands also strengthens the integrity of nearby public lands – preventing fragmentation, preserving continuous habitat corridors, and establishing a new and critically important off-road connection for the North Country Trail.
“The successful protection of the Lake Superior Falls property is an incredibly important and exciting milestone for the North Country National Scenic Trail, and I am extremely grateful for the tremendous efforts and assistance provided by Trust for Public Land and the outstanding collaborations between the many partners that were critical to this project’s success,” said Chris Loudenslager, NPS Superintendent of the North Country National Scenic Trail.
Across the country, projects like Lake Superior Falls help address a longstanding challenge facing public lands: privately owned inholdings that can threaten access, conservation, and management. Strategic conservation efforts – supported by tools like the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) – help unify these landscapes and improve access for the public. Funding through LWCF, the National Park Foundation, and Wyss Foundation helped make this project a reality.
This milestone builds on decades of conservation work in the Lake Superior region, where TPL has partnered with federal, state, and local stakeholders to protect critical lands, expand trail systems, and enhance public access to the outdoors. Since 1990, Trust for Public Land has completed 37 land protection projects within a half-mile of the North Country Trail, covering more than 65,000 acres.
“Thanks to the fantastic work of Will Cooksey and Trust for Public Land, this long-sought-after property is now in public ownership,” said Matt Davis, NCTA Regional Trail Coordinator. “When combined with the Iron County property to the west that the NCTA helped acquire, it will provide a new off-road connection between Saxon Harbor County Park and the State Highway 122 bridge into Michigan. I can see the day in the near future when hikers will enjoy camping at Saxon Harbor, hiking across this NPS property to enjoy the amazing overlook of Lake Superior, and then continuing into Michigan and taking in Superior Falls.”
The North Country Trail Association is committed to protect the North Country National Scenic Trail and its surrounding landscape forever. Thanks to the contributions of our trail community, the Association can have the resources to continue trail protection efforts such as this, to secure a permanent route for the nearly 1,500 miles of trail that are currently not in a guaranteed position. Join the NCTA as a member today, renew your existing membership, or make a special gift at northcountrytrail.org/support.
