Daves Falls

Worth the drive

Is it plungeworthy?

30feet tall

A slide on Pike River.

Scale36/60

Documentation20/20

Character14/20

The details

Type: Slide
Watercourse: Pike River
Coordinates: 45.49616, -87.98835

Get directions →

About Daves Falls

Daves Falls is a 30-foot slide in Wisconsin, on Pike River.

It's fullest after rain, and flow can drop off during dry spells — plan around recent weather.

Plungeworthy rates Daves Falls 7/10 — worth the drive. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.

What you'll find

The Pike River splitting over granite in the self-declared Waterfalls Capital of Wisconsin — Marinette County's flagship falls, named for a log-drive foreman the river took in the 1880s. Wooden stairs and a footbridge serve the postcard side; the raw north bluffs serve the adventurous.

Getting there

Trailhead: Daves Falls County Park, US-141 south of Amberg
Parking: Paved lot (gated in winter — walk in from the road)
Road: Paved highway
Hike: 0.4 mi round trip, 50 ft of climb (easy on the maintained south side)
Heads up: One of ~15 named falls in Marinette County — the annual pass turns this into a waterfall safari.

When to go

Late March through June for high water; fall colors the granite.

Rules & fees

Fee / pass: $5/vehicle day or $25 annual — covers every Marinette County waterfall park
Dogs: Leashed
Camping: County campgrounds nearby
Warnings: The currents here killed the falls' namesake — deceptively strong, no swimming. Unrailed bluffs and an active rail bridge on the north side.

Researched from Marinette County — waterfalls · Wikipedia — Dave's Falls. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Daves Falls recently? Post a conditions report below.

Where it is

Before you go

The pin marks the feature, not a trailhead or a legal route in. Some sit on private land or need a real hike, and conditions change with season and rain. Check local access, don't trespass, and never enter water — hot or cold — where it isn't safe.