Buttermilk Falls

Polk County, Wisconsin

Your visit at a glance

Waterfall height: Not recorded
Location: Polk County, Wisconsin
Access status: Partial guide: short conservancy trail to an unsigned spur; views need a narrow rock fin or a steep slope
The walk: 0.4 mile on the Buffalo Skull Loop Trail to the unsigned spur junction (Hiking Project); the spur length is not stated
Ground & access: Gentle grassland and forest trail to the spur. At the falls, a narrow rock fin and a steep, rooty slope; both are dangerous when wet, snowy or icy.

Buttermilk Falls is a 40-foot cascade where a spring-fed stream tumbles over many small ledges on its way to the St. Croix River, south of Osceola. The approach is on the Buffalo Skull property of the Standing Cedars Community Land Conservancy, which is open to the public for hiking; the property borders National Park Service land of the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. From the kiosk on 55th Avenue, walk the Buffalo Skull Loop Trail through open grassland for 0.4 mile to an unsigned junction and take the spur trail to the falls. A view from above means walking out along a rock fin with one narrow spot; a view from below means descending a moderately steep slope beside the falls. Do not walk on the railroad tracks near the falls. Return the same way.

Plan your visit

Standing Cedars kiosk and parking lot on 55th Avenue (Draw Bridge Drive), the Buffalo Skull Loop Trail to an unsigned junction, then the spur trail to the falls

Hiking Project gives 0.4 mile from the kiosk on the Buffalo Skull Loop Trail to the unsigned junction with the spur to the falls. The length of the spur is not stated.

Gentle grassland and forest trail to the spur. At the falls, a narrow rock fin and a steep, rooty slope; both are dangerous when wet, snowy or icy.

Where to start

Parking lot with a signboard and property map at the Standing Cedars kiosk on 55th Avenue (Draw Bridge Drive). The dirt road in can be potholed and flooded.

Timing & water

The descent below the falls is easiest and safest in summer when dry. Standing Cedars advises against hiking during Wisconsin deer gun seasons and advises blaze orange in other hunting seasons. Dogs must be leashed April 15 to July 31.

Before you go

No fee is mentioned. Standing Cedars land is open sunrise to sunset.

Visitor information

Visit sources

More waterfalls nearby

Within 40 straight-line miles. Road and trail distances will differ.

Explore Wisconsin

Waterfall location

Polk County, Wisconsin.

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