Making Discoveries at Amnicon Falls

Amnicon Falls State Park may not be as glamorous as some of our other parks, but both times I've stopped I really enjoyed my visit.  The campground has 36 really lovely sites, but there are no facilities and generators may not be operated in the park so it is really more suitable for tent campers.  Vault toilets and drinking water are available at the park, but its main attraction is the falls and the 1.8 mile hiking trail.

 Swimming and fishing are also allowed, but of course caution must be exercised due to the force of the water at times.  At this time of year the falls are fairly quiet.

Horizontal layers of Lake Superior sandstone

The Amnicon River's name comes from the Ojibwe (remember them?) meaning "where the fish spawn".  In the late 1800's the railroad owned this area and pine trees were felled and made their way along it to Lake Superior.  Before the different tribes of Native Americans that settled this region this area was roamed by nomadic hunters who were following the retreating glaciers.  Picture this area covered in snow and ice, and mastadons being hunted by men with spears.  The mastadon only inhabited this area for 4,000 years, they don't know what happened to them, perhaps they were hunted to extinction like other animals who have had the misfortune to cross man's path.

Upper Falls at low flow

The dark layer of basalt at the Upper Falls is solidified remnants of lava from a billion years ago, according to the park website.  The flow of the Amnicon River is so low right now that we walked right out onto the riverbed between the upper and lower falls.  Kinda cool, huh?

One of 6 surviving Horton Bowstring Bridges

The bridge was originally on a road near the park and was moved to this location so visitors could access the island  in 1930.  The roof was replaced after heavy snow caused it to collapse in 1941 and replaced again in 1971.  We didn't cross the bridge, but on my last trip out here I did and wandered the island's trail for a little while.

Logging was not the only practice that made its impact on the park, quarrying for sandstone happened here as well, though not here on the river itself.  The lower falls runs over some gorgeous Lake Superior sandstone.  We left the upper rim and made our way down on a little path to the river's edge.

Lower Falls

Wayne was urging me to move along, but I kept finding excuses to take a few more pictures, mostly because I just didn't want to leave.  If I'd been alone I would have been looking for my water shoes and wading out into the river.  Why?  Why not?

I had to settle for exploring the river's edge until I ran out of rock to walk on.

Still I dawdled on our way back to the truck, not wanting to re-emerge from our little forest hideaway next to the lower falls.  Can you believe most people didn't venture beyond the parking lot and bridge area?  Everything was so pretty thanks to the morning's rain.

When we climbed back up to the parking area I made an excuse to hit the vault toilet, and then mumbled that I'd be back after a "quick" look at Now and Then Falls behind the facilities.

Now and Then Falls were dry, but the area was covered in lichen!  I even found a new one.

Freckled Pelt - foliose, ground substrate

Getting back up to the parking area proved a little tricky as I had crossed a stream and had to scramble up a trail-less hillside.  Good thing there was all that moss to grab onto.

Branches made the trip back uphill easier too, though not ones that were rotting and covered in lichen.  I think the little spots of yellow are Powdery Goldspeck, the one that looks like little trees is probably Punctured Bushy Lichen and the round patches with brown apothecia is most likelly American Starburst.

Eventually I clawed my way up and emerged with my hair damp from overhanging branches and a guilty grin on my face.  Next time I'm bringing those Keen water shoes and wading downstream to see what else is waiting to be discovered.