Little Sioux River Falls (2021 Partial Attempt)

Weather today started a little bit cranky but thankfully it stopped drizzling, winds calmed, and temperatures remained quite comfortable. I spent the better part of the morning in Washburn drinking coffee and waiting to make a decision on what to try next. The nearest location is known as Little Sioux River Falls but to my knowledge nobody has photos shared online and it is very difficult to reach. I started by exploring access from the north and I think it would be possible but seems like a longer route with equal difficulty. So, I drove all the way back around to the south side on Friendly Valley Road where the river crosses and started the journey.

Little Sioux River Falls attempt 2021 – Parking on Friedly Valley Rd by the DNR barrier

There are multiple ways to reach this destination, but it depends on conditions & comfort levels. One method would be wading upstream in the river for 3/4 of a mile. I briefly considered this, but after looking at the water’s depth and murkiness I decided otherwise. The other method is making a difficult hike and descent down into a ravine, and then wading in the river. I chose option #2 today for lack of any other choices. Started hiking at a DNR barricade for OHVs.

Little Sioux River Falls attempt 2021 – DNR barrier to motorized traffic

As you climb the first hill, the path isn’t so bad. It’s actually a worn-away old two track but you almost wouldn’t know as the vegetation has reclaimed most human signs.

Little Sioux River Falls attempt 2021 – Old two-track at start of the hike covered in vegetation

What lies beyond can vary greatly in short distances. Some areas like this have nothing impeding you and a nice clear path thanks to all the pine needles.

Little Sioux River Falls attempt 2021 – That old two-track disappears quickly

Other places you will find many dead-fallen trees and branches. These were my least favorite as it drastically slows your moving speed and increase risk of injury as you pick your way through.

Little Sioux River Falls attempt 2021 – Areas of deadfall make travel slow

And yet other places are lush rainforests of tightly-packed understory brush. Game trails are few and far between here making for lots of bushwhacking. At times it felt like walking through rows of those big spinning car wash brushes – thankfully, I found zero ticks attached at the end which was quite shocking.

Little Sioux River Falls attempt 2021 – Moderate density under brush makes finding trails a choose-your-own-adventure

I only found two signs of life up here and both were near the trailhead. One tiny pile of deer turds, and one camping chair flipped upside down. Otherwise I saw no other birds, squirrels, deer, or otherwise which felt odd.

Little Sioux River Falls attempt 2021 – Some animal signs but not much

Little Sioux River Falls attempt 2021 – Some human sign like this chair but not much

As the topography changed I was forced to cross a watery inlet that almost made a small creek. I’m not sure if this is always here or just a result of the heavy rains, but do be prepared to get your feet wet. I tried to slide along this draw up to the river but it wasn’t passable unless you want to swim. Instead, I went up on top of the next ridge.

Little Sioux River Falls attempt 2021 – Valleys between the hills are a bit soggy

One very important thing to note: If for some crazy reason you want to follow this route (which I’m not sure I reccommend), be sure to have your GPS ready and respect the private land boundaries. I was checking this carefully as I approached the transitions. Thankfully, the private land owner has them marked very well with pink flagging tape.

Little Sioux River Falls attempt 2021 – Private boundary marked with flagging tape

It was at this boundary line where I started to hear moving water. Heading north to the cliff’s edge, I found a route where I could get part of the way down to the bottom. Even reaching this point was what I would call “dangerous” and “stupid,” i.e. pretty typical for some places I have gone. No cell signal, nobody knew I was here. Don’t be stupid like me, folks. It was still quite a long way to the bottom and even if I had climbing rope I’m not sure it would be a reasonable idea to try it. That being said, maybe on a day with less rain the night before and finding a better access route down the hill I could see it being do-able (or possibly the only way).

Little Sioux River Falls attempt 2021 – Descending the cliffside carefully…

Once I could hike no more without risk of taking a tumble, I finally glimpsed the first feature I had seen – a line of boulders crossing the river completely and resulting in a small rapids or falls.

Little Sioux River Falls attempt 2021 – View down the steep cliff towards a falls/rapids

Here’s another look with as much zoom as my camera lens had to offer. Notice the drop isn’t all that significant, but the rocks are pretty big. My elevation also makes this deceivingly small and I’d wager up close it’s bigger than even I could estimate (though not more than a couple feet).

Little Sioux River Falls attempt 2021 – Section of large boulders across the river forming a falls/rapids

All of my other views were occluded by the forest, however I could see one shelf-type formation above the line of boulders. There is a noticeable drop in overall elevation of the river which you can see with the naked eye.

Little Sioux River Falls attempt 2021 – Faint view of a rocky shelf in the river

And looking as far upstream as I could see from here was what appears to be a rather large ledge or even a channel carved down into the base rock (can’t tell for sure, too many trees). That’s all I could reach today, and even if I had gone further it was at this point my camera lens completely fogged up due to the high humidity levels and became useless. My camera phone was no match for that type of distance and I couldn’t get any further down the hill. So for today I headed home, somewhat relieved I had made it this far, and now even more determined to get back and try some other tricks to see what is really down in that canyon.

Little Sioux River Falls attempt 2021 – Faint view of a large shelf/groove in the river

By the time I was finished my boots and pants were soaking wet, my camera needed to dry out, and I ran out of drinking water just as I returned to the truck. Still, I felt a sense of rejuvenation and accomplishment as I had actually reached something out there in the wild unknown. And to top it off, the Packers late afternoon game was just starting. I was able to listen to most of the first half driving to the day’s final stop and that alone was a major W. Onward!

Video

Here’s a video of my journey today. I wish I had more to share but until I find an optimal route this remains largely a mystery.

Hiking Data

Here’s the route for today’s hike. You can see where the private land boundary causes some constraints in which route you can take right as it nears the falls. Everything in the brown shaded area is part of the DNRs’ South Shore Lake Superior Fish and Wildlife Area which is open to the public. On my return trip, you can see where I ventured as far as I could to the northeast but it dead ends as that ridge/finger drops sharply to the river. Wading up river 3/4 of a mile is starting to seem more reasonable. One other thing to point out: notice how my track seems to cross onto private land? This shows the relative inaccuracy of GPS as the difference is only a matter of about 15-20 feet. Don’t get me wrong GPS is great but it can give false data at times.

GaiaGPS hiking data @ Little Sioux River Falls (2021 attempt)

Total distance today was nearly 3.5 miles with 200 feet of elevation change. Doesn’t sound like a lot, but keep in mind there is no formal trail here. Be prepared, this ain’t no Sunday picnic.

GaiaGPS hiking data @ Little Sioux River Falls (2021 attempt)

GaiaGPS hiking data @ Little Sioux River Falls (2021 attempt)