This morning marks day 12 of the trip and things were getting a little weird. Woke up and showered before going out to explore because I just couldn’t stand my own smell any longer. Boots were still wet because humidity was high and they just won’t dry out. Lots of fog on the roads early on and the only other vehicle I saw was a biker who disappeared into the mist making me wonder if he was a ghost or if I was dreaming. Anyways, after shaking off my self-induced paranoia, I headed towards Buckley Creek in Wascott, Wisconsin to try and find a falls that I failed in the past.
I started by exploring access from the south on St Croix Drive which runs parallel to the St Croix River (and is all a part of the St Croix National Scenic Riverway). Definitely a nice location and looks like it has some great fishing, but the road ends before getting close enough to start a hike. Instead, I looped all the way around on Buckley Island Road and attempted to gain access from the northeast. I had tried this route in the past but couldn’t pass one particular sandy spot, though today it seems the road has been further improved and I was able to reach the parking turnaround as the road ends.
There is a visible trail that is not much more than a game trail most times, and a sign that says “FOOT TRAVEL WELCOME NO MOTOR VEHICLES” but you can barely read it due to all the bullet holes and faded paint. I don’t know about you, but I can always spot a classy place when signs are riddled with bullet holes and buckshot. Anyways, I strapped on my wet boots and made my way down the trail with only a vague GPS pin as my destination.
Here’s what the “trail” looks like when things are good – a single track foot path that has clear direction through the woods…
Most times the trail is completely blocked by deadfallen trees or completely obliterated/missing as nature has reclaimed it over the years. I highly doubt many humans come through this way, it’s a real pain to get back here.
If you are thinking hunters would be back here you might be right, but I only saw a couple small turds and most looked like turkeys. The stem count is pretty dense back here so it isn’t the most ideal habitat. I did jump a few good sized bucks way towards the end but I can’t imagine you’d ever get back there without spooking them so probably not worth it. Quite a desolate area.
Not many other photos of the trail, but I did finally reach where Buckley Creek drains into the St Croix River. Not far upstream on Buckley Creek I was able to locate some small rapids/falls but it was quite hard to see most of them again due to deadfall. None of the drops I found were more than a foot. If you do hike back here, just follow your ears and move upstream on the creek to see everything.
Here’s another drop upstream from the last photo. Again, quite small, only a foot or so drop. Water levels seem pretty normal right now due to all the rain so I’m not sure you’d see much more except in spring but that might also be flooded and impassable in that season. Unless I totally missed the destination I think this is what I was searching for. My friend Bob at waterfallswisconsin.com did share an old photo with me of how these used to look – it’s possible all the years of overgrowth has changed the area radically where these don’t exist like they used to be.
One last look up the creek. There is visible drop in the elevation level but no other drops that I could see. At some point the terrain turned a bit swampy and that was as far as I could go. If anyone knows about more falls here leave a comment below or message me on socials, I’d definitely be curious to know for sure as I don’t think many others have been this way.
Video
Here’s a short video of the falls and my trek to get there.
Hiking Data
I forgot to record the hiking path on my app, but it really isn’t anything special – just park at the end of Buckley Island Road and follow the short trail to the creek as shown here (screenshot from Gaia GPS base map). Then from there head upstream along Buckley Creek. Overall distance with me fumbling around in the woods is maybe 0.5 miles if I had to guess. Fall is probably a good time to visit – no leaves obscuring the trees and view of the path like in summer, and not muddy like I’d assume it to be in spring.
Easy to get off trail in the summer and lost with all the overgrowth, especially from the north end at Buckley Island Rd. It is a pretty short hike from the south end on St Croix Dr to get to the creek, and much easier to navigate. Do you know how long ago Douglas County abandoned trail upkeep? Or when it was originally built? Thx! I was very surprised to find your post about this very obscure trail
Definitely agree very easy to get off trail, at the time of my visit it’s more or less just a game trail now. In summertime with full leaf cover I’m not sure I could find it on the north route from Buckley Island Rd. I attempted to find it more than once from the south on St Croix Dr and couldn’t pick out a trail but that could have been in summertime, not sure I recall exact dates. Unfortunately I don’t know when the upkeep ended or when the trail was built, sorry. Nice area in general but this “trail” and “falls” isn’t worth as much effort as it takes.