Big Manitou Falls
Encyclopedia
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
situated on the Black River, a tributary of the Nemadji River
Nemadji River
The Nemadji River is a river rising in Pine County, Minnesota, United States, which flows through Carlton County, Minnesota and Douglas County, Wisconsin to Lake Superior...
. The falls are located within Pattison State Park
Pattison State Park
Pattison State Park is a Wisconsin state park south of the city of Superior, Wisconsin. Pattison State Park is located on the Black River and contains Big Manitou Falls, the highest waterfall in Wisconsin at...
in Douglas County, Wisconsin, approximately 13 miles south of Superior
Superior, Wisconsin
Superior is a city in and the county seat of Douglas County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 26,960 at the 2010 census. Located at the junction of U.S. Highways 2 and 53, it is north of and adjacent to both the Village of Superior and the Town of Superior.Superior is at the western...
. At 165 feet, Big Manitou falls is the highest waterfall in Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. The Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, who originally settled in the area around the falls, believed they heard the voice of the Great Spirit
Great Spirit
The Great Spirit, also called Wakan Tanka among the Sioux, the Creator or the Great Maker in English, and Gitchi Manitou in Algonquian, is a conception of a supreme being prevalent among some Native American and First Nations cultures...
within the roaring of the falls and gave it the name "Gitchee Manitou". In 1920 a state park was created around the falls, and it received a further level of protection in 2003 upon being named a unit of the Wisconsin State Natural Areas Program
Wisconsin State Natural Areas Program
The Wisconsin State Natural Areas Program is a conservation program created to highlight and protect areas with outstanding natural or archaeological resources in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. There are currently 609 State Natural Areas encompassing a total of more than...
.