Thunderstorms moved in quickly as I headed towards Mays Ledges, a series of rapids/waterfalls on the Bois Brule River.
Thankfully the rain delay only lasted about 10 minutes before it was back to hiking. The trail nearest the parking lot is composed mostly of gravel and is very well groomed.
A large wooden staircase descends the hill and puts you directly on the river’s banks.
From here there is no “official” trail – just a foot-worn path beaten through the vegetation. Signs indicate this is a popular kayak/canoe portage but there was tons of deadfall blocking the way from last month’s storms. Path isn’t too bad but requires some agility at points to avoid going for a swim!
Moving along the river up & down stream you can then view a multitude of rapids and small falls. I believe these are class I and II rated, maybe class III when water levels are high (disclaimer: I’m not a kayaker yet, just what I have read on other sites!).
You can see how this place got it’s name – large slabs of exposed rock form shelves/ledges where the water cascades down. I can’t find anything about who it is named after (i.e. “May”) so if you know, definitely get in contact with me and I will update this page.
Two of the drops are fairly large and irregular in contour. Would be interesting to see someone navigate this in a kayak!
One final set of falls before climbing back up the hillside. Another waterfall completed from my Wisconsin checklist!
And a bonus short compilation video:
Hiking Data
Overall the hike is fairly tame for people of most fitness levels, but to see all of the rapids/falls you will need to navigate some uneven and muddy areas. Wouldn’t suggest this to anyone with physical limitations as it would be easy to slip and hurt yourself or even end up in the river. That being said, this is a neat little spot off the beaten path and worth a visit!
