How to Get a Pattison Backpack Permit

Three sites 1.6 miles in, below the highest waterfall in Wisconsin.

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1 night

Duration

1.6 miles

Distance

About Pattison Backpack

Three backpack sites in the park backcountry above the Black River.

Big Manitou Falls is 165 feet — DNR calls it the fourth highest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains — and the Black River drops another 31 feet over Little Manitou Falls upstream. Three backpack sites is the entire backcountry inventory of the park that holds both.

The Experience

The river has been at this a while: it starts at Black Lake on the Wisconsin–Minnesota border, runs 22 miles, and then falls off the Douglas Fault. From the sites you are past the day-use crowds at the overlooks, with vault toilets, a table and a fire ring, and whatever water you carried.

What to Expect

DNR: "Pattison State Park has one campground with 59 family campsites and also offers three backpack campsites."

"The backpack sites are about 1.6 miles from the parking area."

"They have vault toilets, tables and fire rings. Water must be carried in; garbage must be carried out."

The park is 1,400 acres on the Black River, twenty minutes south of Superior and the Lake Superior shore.

Showers and flush toilets in the main campground run in summer only.

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Permit Requirements

Reservations run up to 11 months ahead; backpack sites may be booked for a single night.

Check-in is 3 p.m., checkout is 1 p.m.

No more than 14 days of camping in any 21 days.

A family site takes a parent or parents with dependent children plus up to two guests, or a group of no more than six people of any age.

The park is closed to non-campers between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Firewood must be certified or come from within 10 miles; the park office sells it.

Fires in fire rings and grills only; carry out all rubbish.

Pets on a physical leash no longer than 8 feet.

A vehicle admission sticker is required.

Gear & Preparation

Required Gear

•All water for the stay — DNR states it must be carried in
•A pack for a 1.6-mile walk-in
•Rubbish bags

Recommended Gear

•A head torch for the falls overlooks after dark
•Grippy footwear for the steep trail down to the Black River

Hazards & Safety

Cliffs on the Black River. DNR describes the river trail as "moderately steep" for half a mile downhill, where "the adjacent cliffs give a pronounced view of the Douglas Fault."

No water at the sites, on a 1.6-mile carry.

Wisconsin state park water systems are weather-dependent and may be off from roughly Oct. 1 through May 15.

Best Time to Visit

Open year-round, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Showers and flush toilets in the main campground are summer-only, and state park water systems are weather-dependent from roughly Oct. 1 through May 15 — the backpack sites have no water in any season, so that only changes where you fill up.

Written by

PermitSnag Team

100+ wilderness permits, extensive backcountry experience

This guide is based on personal experience obtaining wilderness permits and is regularly updated to reflect current policies and strategies.

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