Copper Falls features northern dry and dry-mesic forest along the shores of the meandering Bad River, which runs through the site. On the low terraces of the river are two oxbows, which support dry-mesic forest dominated by large white pine, sugar maple, red maple, and white ash. Other trees include hemlock, white cedar, paper birch, red oak, balsam fir, and white spruce. The understory is quite diverse due to the variation in topography. Characteristic groundlayer species are beaked hazelnut, American fly honeysuckle, wintergreen, partridgeberry, velvet-leaf blueberry, and many species of ferns. The steep slope along the west side of the river supports a sugar maple-hemlock forest, which has not been disturbed since at least 1916. Birds include blackburnian, black and white, Nashville, northern parula, and Canada warblers, ovenbird, American redstart, blue-headed vireo, hermit thrush, and common raven. Copper Falls is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 2003.