"Waterfall Lovers... These 18 Miles Are For You!"

Southern terminus: Ashland County, at Highway 13 in Mellen

Northern terminus: Iron County, at U.S. Highway 2 three miles north of Gurney

Mileage: about 18 miles

Counties along the way: Ashland, Iron

Sample towns along the way: Mellen, Gurney

Bypass alternates at: none

Quickie Summary: State “Trunk” Highway 169 connects U.S. 2 and Highway 13, two key routes in the North Woods, and provides access to the splendor of Copper Falls State Park and, further up, Potato Falls.

The Drive (South to North): Highway 169 starts at Highway 13 on the north side of Mellen (pop. 935), with good access to Highway 77 as well. Mellen itself sports a charming city hall building, constructed the same year the largest tannery in North America opened here (1896). It would be seven more years before the telephone would come to town. Mellen peaked in population around 1920 when it had almost 2,000 people, but in 1922 the tannery closed and since then it's been a small, pleasant burg that considers itself the Gateway to Copper Falls. Ernest Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man was filmed here in 1962, when the town welcomed the likes of Paul Newman and Jessica Tandy. Today, it welcomes recreational seekers of all kinds... but you can also catch a movie here if you want.

Less than 2 miles into Highway 169's start from Highway 13 is 169's key raison d'etre, the entrance to Copper Falls State Park. Considered one of the most scenic of all Wisconsin's state parks - a tall order, indeed - Copper Falls features ancient lava flows, deep gorges, and some serious waterfalls. Brownstone Falls is one of the best in the state, as its the park's namesake, Copper Falls. Campers have their choice of 54 sites, with additional group camping and backpack campsites. You're in the midst of "snow country" here, with over 100 inches annually being the norm, so it's generally safe in the winter months to assume the 8 miles of cross-country ski trails are maintained and ready.

Beyond Copper Falls State Park, you head into Iron County and approach another great waterfall in the form of Potato Falls. Located on the Potato River, Potato Falls features two 20-foot drops in the Upper Falls, with a series of boulders for dramatic effect in between. A few hundred feet down is the Lower Falls, a 30-foot drop. Definitely a must-see for waterfall lovers!

Just beyond Potato Falls is the tiny settlement of Gurney (pop. 158) and then a junction with U.S. Highway 2, where Ashland awaits to the west and Hurley lurks to the east.

CONNECTIONS:
North Terminus:
Can connect immediately to: U.S. Highway 2
Can connect nearby to: Highway 122, about 5 miles east

South Terminus:
Can connect immediately to: Highway 13
Can connect nearby to: Highway 77, less than one mile south

<< Back to main page