Black River Falls
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Black River Falls

Black River Falls

Small Wisconsin city on Interstate 94, gateway to Black River State Forest trails and wetlands.

Black River Falls is a small city in Jackson County, west-central Wisconsin, sitting on Interstate 94 between Minneapolis and Madison. It's the county seat and the main gateway to the Black River State Forest, a 68,000-acre expanse of mixed forest and wetlands that's the primary reason most visitors stop here.

The outdoor draw is real: the state forest has an extensive network of ATV and snowmobile trails, the Black River offers paddling and fishing, and Wazee Lake — a former iron mine pit that filled with groundwater to remarkable depths — is one of the Midwest's best inland scuba diving sites. The water clarity in Wazee is extraordinary, with visibility extending down to submerged mine structures 30 metres below.

Downtown is modest but genuine: a Main Street of older storefronts housing a couple of antique shops and local businesses, the Carnegie Library building housing the Jackson County Historical Society Museum, and the quiet, unhurried atmosphere of a small Wisconsin city going about its business. The Ho-Chunk Nation has a significant presence in Jackson County and operates a casino resort outside town that brings in visitors from the surrounding region.

Guide

Getting There

Black River Falls sits on Interstate 94 in west-central Wisconsin, about 120 miles east of Minneapolis and 100 miles northwest of Madison. It's a natural stopping point on the I-94 corridor. The drive from Minneapolis takes about 2 hours; from Madison, about 1.5 hours.

There is no commercial airline service — the nearest airports are La Crosse Regional (LCR), about 50 miles southwest, and Minneapolis-Saint Paul (MSP), about 2 hours west. Greyhound and other intercity bus services stop in Black River Falls as part of the Twin Cities–Chicago corridor, making it accessible without a car for those willing to plan carefully.

The town has a reliable car rental option if you're arriving by bus: a car is highly recommended for exploring the surrounding forest and lake areas.

Guide

Shopping

Black River Falls has developed a small reputation for antique shopping. Most of what's worth browsing is on Main Street, where a couple of shops have set up in older storefronts.

Guide

Things to Do

The outdoors is the main draw around Black River Falls. Black River State Forest offers ATV and snowmobile trails in season, and Wazee Lake — one of the deepest inland lakes in Wisconsin at over 350 feet — is good for swimming and scuba diving. If you prefer something more manicured, Skyline Golf Course sits conveniently on the edge of town.