Trust for Public Land Advances Protection of Lake Superior Falls, Safeguarding Public Access and Natural Heritage
Iron County, Wisc.— Trust for Public Land (TPL), in partnership with the National Park Service (NPS), today announced a major milestone in the effort to protect Lake Superior Falls—an iconic natural landscape along the South Shore of Lake Superior—conserving 213 acres for public access, ecological preservation, and expanded recreational opportunities to the North National Country Scenic Trail.
The project protects critical acreage surrounding the falls, preventing private development and securing the land for inclusion in the national park system. The effort reflects TPL’s decade long-standing mission to conserve land for people and protect treasured outdoor places for future generations.
“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, Senior Project Manager for Trust for Public Land. “By protecting this landscape, we are ensuring that it remains open, accessible, and unspoiled for generations to come.”
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.
“Conservation and protecting our natural resources are core to who we are as Wisconsinites—it’s in our DNA,” said Gov. Evers. “It’s why I’ve been proud to support Trust for Public Land and the National Park Service in their endeavor to secure and protect these lands. With this acquisition, we can continue to build on our work to conserve the beautiful and unique natural spaces here in Wisconsin while bolstering our highly successful outdoor recreation economy and ensuring these spaces are accessible for generations of Wisconsinites and visitors to come.”
Historically, this area was part of an ancient Native American trade route known as the Flambeau Trail and was the site of a fur trading post operated by John Jacob Astor’s American Fur Company from 1808 to 1830. Today, it is sought after for its rugged coastline, breathtaking views of Lake Superior and access to the popular Superior Falls, where you can watch the Montreal River drop 90 feet through steep canyon walls.
Protecting these lands also strengthens the integrity of nearby public lands–preventing fragmentation, preserving continuous habitat corridors, and creating an off-street path for the North County National Scenic 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, Superintendent of the North Country National Scenic Trail. “The setting of this property along the shore of Lake Superior and above the banks of the Montreal River overlooking Superior Falls makes this property truly special: not only in its unparalleled scenic beauty and vistas, but also in its abundance of unique habitats, diversity of natural resources, and rich cultural history.”
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.
Additionally, this land will establish a new and critically important off-road connection for the 4,800-mile North Country National Scenic Trail, America’s longest congressionally designated trail.
“Thanks to the fantastic work of Will Cooksey and the Trust for Public Land, this long-sought-after property is now in public ownership,” said Matt Davis, North Country Trail Association (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 Lake Superior region is widely recognized for its scenic beauty and ecological importance, with its rugged shoreline, forested uplands, and freshwater ecosystems supporting diverse wildlife and outdoor recreation. Protecting lands along the North Shore ensures that these resources remain resilient in the face of development pressures and climate impacts.
“The purchase of this pristine parcel has been instrumental in protecting the sensitive Lake Superior shoreline from the Montreal River to Saxon Harbor,” said Eric J. Peterson, Forest Administrator for Iron County. “Acquisition by the National Park Service further enhances Iron County’s Saxon Harbor Park immediately to the west and ensures permanent public access to this remarkable stretch of Iron County’s Lake Superior shoreline for generations to come.”
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 National Scenic Trail covering over 65,000 acres.
About Trust for Public Land
Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,500 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, raised $112 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 10 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit tpl.org.
