Interstate Falls hike set for Thursday

KIMBALL, Wis. - The Northwoods Land Trust and Iron County Outdoor Recreation Enthusiasts will host a free snowshoe hike to Interstate Falls in Kimball Thursday.

The hike will begin in the Interstate Falls parking lot off U.S. 2 at 1 p.m. Signs for the falls are visible from U.S. 2, just west of the U.S. 51 interchange. The parking lot is 500 feet down W. Center Road.

Thursday's hike will be led by local naturalist John Bates and features the natural history of the area around the falls and how it came to be public property.

"(The tour will feature) a brief overview of the 38.7-acre property, which includes nearly 1/4-mile of Cominski Creek corridor in addition to 2,500 feet of natural shoreline on the Montreal River," said Sandy Lotto, the trust's outreach coordinator. "During the short hike to the falls we'll point out the variety of trees and note any signs of wildlife. Canada yew can be seen along the trail, which is uncommon in many places since deer love to eat it."

Participants should dress for the weather and provide their own snowshoes.

Interstate Falls was the first outright land purchase for the Eagle River-based land trust, which then gifted the property to the town of Kimball.

"It took eight years of fundraising, a lot of financial support from individual donors, family foundation and a Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund Grant to make the purchase possible. We don't typically buy land to protect it, but this is a very unique site with a much-loved waterfall on the Montreal River," land trust executive director Bryan Pierce said. "For 58 years, the previous owners allowed people to talk on their land to see the waterfall. When it came time for them to sell, they wanted to find a buyer who would continue to allow public access and keep the property in its natural state. Thankfully, they were able to patiently wait until we could come up with the funding."

-Richard Jenkins