The state park was created in 1929 and amenities were developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration.

[2] Copper Falls Park lies near the west end of the Penokee-Gogebic Mineral Range, a ridge of rock formations that stretches from Ashland County 80 miles to Lake Gogebic in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

The county improved the road to the park, and in 1922 WWI vets Nick Stilin and Henry Kritz built three swinging footbridges for viewing the falls.

They cleared park trails and roads (removing many stumps in the process), built log footbridges, and lots of guardrail.

[5] After the CCC left, work continued under the WPA - another New Deal program which employed unemployed local men on public projects.

WPA reports show that they worked on improving the trails, a bathing pond, the custodian's house, a playground, park lights, and tree thinning, and completed the contact station, among other things.

Another flood June 24, 1946 destroyed the swimming pond and bathhouse, and wrecked the flight of wooden steps across from the combination building.