Grandfather Falls

Grandfather Falls is a waterfall system on the Wisconsin River in Lincoln County where the water descends through a series of distinct drops. The entire cascade spreads across approximately one mile of rocky ground with varying heights and flows.

The site became important during the fur trade era when Native Americans and French traders established portage routes to move around the falls. A hydroelectric facility was later built to capture the power of the water for generating electricity.

The Ojibwe people called this location Konajewun, meaning long falls, and French traders later linked the name to the sound of running herds. Visitors walking along the rocky banks can still sense how this powerful water shaped the movement of people through the region.

You can visit the area throughout the year, but water flow changes significantly with the seasons and scheduled releases. The rocky ground can be slippery, so wear appropriate footwear and move carefully along the terrain.

The power plant channels water through redwood plank penstocks reinforced with steel bands to generate electricity. This construction method is unusual and shows how engineers direct the water's force across the landscape to create energy.