After this morning’s ~4 mi. hike it was time for a lunch break. I decided to venture outside the park in search of more waterfalls (and a burrito at a place called Poco Loco). Next stop was Cascade Falls in Osceola, Wisconsin. History lesson: the town was named after Osceola, leader of the Seminole resistance against the US government who were trying to forcibly relocate the tribe from Florida. Yay history?
The falls are very easy to access by walking down a staircase directly off the main street running through town into the canyon known as Wilkie Glen.
From the top of the stair tower you can catch a faint glimpse of the falls through the trees, but it’s much better to walk to the bottom.
Once at the bottom you don’t have to walk more than about 20 yards to reach the falls. If you don’t mind getting wet you can even walk behind them, and if you visit at night they are lit up by a series of LED lights!
Geiger Falls
After climbing back up the staircase, if you walk a short distance behind one of the local restaurants you can also catch Geiger Falls.
The village was settled because of the falls which powered a lumber mill, flour mill, and a brewery. A water turbine wheel remains as evidence of these early industries.
Geiger Falls is pretty neat but not very easy to see through the dense vegetation. It drops into Osceola Creek as a tributary to Cascade Falls directly below. Not a bad place for a quick walk and 2-for-1 waterfall photo op!
Video
Here’s a short video of both falls combined:
Hiking Data
As mentioned earlier this one is extremely easy to reach if you can walk up & down a few flights of stairs. The payoff of the falls is definitely worth the quick visit.
Geiger Falls is even easier and worth a brief stop. Honestly I was a bit upset I had already eaten lunch as the restaurant overlooking the falls smelled like they had some good stuff.
