Brownstone Falls is a two-step horsetail waterfall in Copper Falls State Park, Ashland County, Wisconsin, where the Tyler Forks plunges into the canyon of the Bad River. The total drop measures about 40 feet, and the falls can be seen from a park loop trail that also passes Copper Falls.
The falls
The Tyler Forks, also called Tylers Fork of the Bad River, reaches the main river by dropping over Brownstone Falls into a gorge whose walls rise 60 to 100 feet. Lidar measurements show two steps, of about 10 and 30 feet; earlier surveys listed a single 30-foot drop. The crest spans about 10 feet wide framed by reddish-brown rock, with a setting that makes the falls look bigger than they are. The falls are also known historically as Tyler Falls.
Getting there
The falls are inside Copper Falls State Park, about 2 miles northeast of Mellen at 36764 Copper Falls Road. The park is open year-round from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., and every vehicle needs a Wisconsin state park admission pass: $13 a day for Wisconsin plates ($3 for residents 65 and older) and $16 for out-of-state vehicles, or $28 and $50 for 12 months.
The Doughboys Nature Trail, a 1.7-mile loop starting near the concession building, follows the Bad River and the Tyler Forks past views of Copper Falls, Brownstone Falls and the Tyler Forks cascades. A half-mile universal-access section with crushed-granite surface has its own accessible trailhead, offering views of Brownstone Falls, Copper Falls and the Tyler Forks Cascades over that half mile.
When to go
The park is open all year, but part of the Doughboys trail closes in winter because ice and snow make the rock stairs slippery. Visiting at lower water is often recommended.
On site
The falls are seen from overlooks along the trail, and entering the gorge is prohibited. Pets are not allowed on the Doughboys Nature Trail, and there is no trail from which to see Copper and Brownstone Falls with a pet. Vault toilets at the accessible parking lot are not themselves accessible; accessible restrooms are at the South Campground shower building.
History and name
In the early 1860s prospectors dug exploratory copper workings in the Bad River canyon between Copper Falls and Brownstone Falls, and a later mining venture found little copper. The state park was created in 1929 and developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps and the WPA.
Nearby
Copper Falls, the Bad River's first drop into the canyon, is about 0.2 mile away. Granite Falls, also on the Bad River, is about 2.1 miles away, and Wren Falls, on the Tyler Forks, about 6.4 miles. The park's CCC 692 trail climbs to a 65-foot observation tower.
Distances are straight-line.