Pattison Park Beach Reopens as Flood Recovery Continues

Beach had been closed for more than a year after a flood devastated the state park last June

SUPERIOR, Wis. – A hot day at Pattison State Park just isn’t the same if you can’t get in the water.

Now, after more than a year of being closed, the beach at Interfalls Lake is back open.

“We went and walked down, looked at the waterfalls, the whole time ‘Dad, when can we get to the beach? When can we get to the beach? When can we get to the beach?’ So, finally brought him over here and he’s been having fun,” said Thomas Bush, who was visiting the park with his son, Josiah.

From last June until a few weeks ago, the dam at Pattison Park was wide open, meaning no water backed up in Interfalls Lake.

“We were having people that were initially reserving campsites for three or four nights that would leave one or two days early because there was nothing to do. They came here expecting to go swimming, and the kids didn’t have swimming, so they’d leave,” said Kevin Feind, the Natural Resources Property Manager.

After a study revealed the dam was safe from flood damage, park staff refilled the lake on July 2nd.

“We’re commonly seeing 150 to 200 people a day here using the beach and hillside. Before raising the dam there was nobody here,” said Feind.

Families are again taking advantage of one of the park’s biggest attractions.

“It’s just fun to hang out and make sand castles and walk in the beach and skip rocks,” said Josiah Bush.

For now, a contractor continues to study the dam with a final report expected this fall.

“Now there’s still more studies to be done whether it needs more of a permanent fix or not and that remains to be seen,” said Feind.

Meanwhile, East and West Beaver Trail and Little Manitou Trail are still closed after they were wiped out by flooding.

The park is planning a more than $1 million revamp to the trail system.

“One location on Little Manitou Trail, we’re actually moving the trail uphill significantly to give an opportunity for a very nice overlook of the river below,” said Feind.

Park staff tell us work on the new trail system is expected to begin next spring. They’re hoping to have those new trails open by sometime next summer as the park celebrates their 100th anniversary.