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Save Interstate Falls |
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Interstate
Falls is an 18-foot waterfall on the Montreal River, along the Wisconsin / Michigan
border, at the edge of the City of Ironwood, Michigan, and Hurley,
Wisconsin. A 0.3 mile trail through
hardwood-hemlock forest leads to the falls, and is a popular attraction to
residents and visitors of the Gogebic Range.
With the 38.7 acres of land currently for sale, future access to the
river and waterfall is in jeopardy. |
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Interstate
Falls is also known as Montreal Falls and Peterson Falls. In June 2007 the US Geological Survey
officially recognized two waterfalls on the Montreal River near Ironwood and Hurley. Peterson Falls is a set of three cascades,
and is approximately one-half mile upstream of Interstate Falls. Montreal Falls is an alternate name for
Interstate Falls. See below for maps
and directions to both waterfalls.
In
May 2007, 38.7 acres along the Montreal River, including Interstate Falls and
the access trail, was put up for sale.
The Michigan side of the Montreal River is private with no public
access. The Wisconsin side of the
falls is also private, but public access has been allowed along the foot
trail to the falls and river. Unless
access on the Wisconsin side is secured, this may be the last opportunity for
the community and visitors to enjoy the waterfall. For
news on the efforts to save Interstate Falls, please visit interstatefalls.livejournal.com. Maps & Directions Interstate
Falls is located at N46.47552°
W90.20085°. To
visit the falls, look for the small “Peterson Falls” sign on the north side
of US Route 2, on the Wisconsin side, about a quarter mile west of the state
line. Follow the unpaved road (Center
Drive) a quarter mile to the trailhead marked with a “Falls” sign and two
parking spaces. Follow the trail to
the north to visit Interstate Falls.
Trail is 0.3 mile long. To
find Peterson Falls, from the same waterfall trailhead, go east just a little
farther on the road, then follow the next trail on the north side. That trail soon turns and heads east 0.3 mile to Peterson Falls.
See maps. |
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Here
is a excerpt from the 2003 Iron County Land Atlas
& Plat Book, showing the property location with a red star. Here is a
map of the property from the Iron County Register of Deeds. I added the location of both waterfalls and
the trailhead. The
real estate agency selling the property, RE/MAX Action North Realty, had an
asking price of $250,000. Iron County
and the Town of Kimball have both declined to apply for Wisconsin stewardship
funds to purchase the property. We
therefore hope to find one to five private conservation buyers to invest in
the property and add a conservation easement preserving public access. There
are two ways to help! 1. Make a pledge to Northwoods Land Trust! |
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Northwoods
Land Trust is a non-profit conservation organization that works with
private land owners to help preserve natural shorelands,
natural areas, promote sustainable forest management, and enhance recreation
opportunities for the public. They
cover north central Wisconsin, including Iron County. If the community can raise the money, they
are interested in purchasing a conservation easement to protect the river
corridor and trail to Interstate Falls. |
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2. Purchase the 38.7-acre property! We
need to find one to five private conservation buyers to purchase the
property, and then sell a conservation easement to Northwoods
Land Trust. The property could be
sold and subdivided for development at any time, so we urgently need
conservation-minded investors to buy the property and work with us while we
collect donations and apply for grants.
When
all the pieces come together, saving public access to Interstate Falls would
benefit the community, the ecosystem, and the investors. The buyers would recoup their investment by
receiving a fair price for the conservation easement, while still retaining a
beautiful 38.7-acre property with a half-mile of riverfront, and an inland
lot available for a home. If
you have any other ideas, or would be willing to offer some time to help in
any way, please contact
us. More information Here is a gallery
of photos of the waterfall and property. Here is a flyer
about saving access to Interstate Falls. Here is some
information on the geology of Interstate Falls, and the Penokee/Gogebic
Range. Here
is an August 2007 news release about the recent naming of Interstate Falls
and Peterson Falls by the U.S. Geological Survey. Here
is a Wisconsin tourism video that features Interstate Falls (here referred to
as Peterson Falls). Here is a
screen shot of the RE/MAX website listing the property. The property was taken off the market for
the winter in November 2008, but is expected to be listed again in the
spring. Here is a list of all
the waterfalls in Wisconsin. There are
approximately ninety-five waterfalls in Wisconsin. Approximately sixteen are privately-owned
with no public access established.
Ian
Shackleford 724
E Sutherland St. Ironwood,
MI 49938 906-932-3779 Northwoods Land Trust: http://www.northwoodslandtrust.org/ Northwood
Alliance: http://www.northwoodalliance.org/ Western
U. P. Convention and Visitor Bureau: http://www.westernup.info/ http://www.gowaterfalling.com/waterfalls/peterson.shtml http://hunts-upguide.com/ironwood_interstate_falls.html Last
update 16 August 2011. |
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