Douglas Mill Pond Spillway

I mostly try to visit only naturally-occurring waterfalls but today I’m making a quick stop in Melrose, Wisconsin to see the Douglas Mill Pond Spillway. Access from above is very easy – simply park near the intersection at Mill Street and Hogg Street and walk over the bridge. Not the ideal viewing spot but you can still see it well enough.

Douglas Mill Pond Spillway – View from above on Hogg Street bridge

Today the goal was to find a way below the spillway for a more direct view. The spillway is surrounded by private property, however I ran across some kids who were jumping off the top of the dam and they said to cut through a small lot at Melrose Farm Service. Someone has put a small rope leading down a steep dirt slide on the hill. Super sketchy but it works!

Douglas Creek – Access below the spillway on a steep path and sketchy rope

Once I was down at Douglas Creek water level there were several people swimming and fishing. Seems like a well-known secret spot for kids in the neighborhood. You can also see the backside of the farm service building which looks to be an old mill (and probably why this is named “mill pond”).

Douglas Creek – Backside of Melrose Farm Service, Inc. that looks like an old mill

Views of the spillway are only a few steps away from the slippery access path. I’m standing on a small sand island in the middle of the creek for this picture – water gets a bit deeper closer to the “falls” but you could probably wade in further if you wanted.

Douglas Mill Pond Spillway – View from below wading in Douglas Creek

Here’s another view taken from above using my Mavic 2 Zoom. [UAV Info & Disclaimer]

Douglas Mill Pond Spillway – Aerial view via Mavic 2 Zoom

Video

Here’s a short video of the spillway in action. Enjoy!