15 Upper Peninsula Waterfalls to Visit
Here are 15 Upper Peninsula waterfalls to visit during your time exploring this part of Michigan. There is so much to see in the U.P. and adding these beautiful waterfalls to your itinerary will most definitely enhance your experience.
You may not expect all of these beautiful waterfalls to be in Michigan but this list of 15 Upper Peninsula waterfalls to visit, actually only covers a small portion of all of the waterfalls this state has to offer. There are over 300 waterfalls in the U.P! Crazy right?
These waterfalls are scattered all across the Upper Peninsula. They range in size from under 5 feet to over 100 feet tall!
Most of them do require hiking to get too, some of those are easy walks on paved paths while others are more challenging. Majority of the waterfalls are free to visit but some do require a fee.
After reading this, you will have all the info you need about these 15 waterfalls so you know what to expect
when you get there!
This post is all about the Upper Peninsula waterfalls to visit during your time here.
1. Agate Falls
Agate Falls is located off of M-28 in the Ottawa National Forest in the Upper Peninsula as part of Ontonagon River. It is part of a roadside park. No fee is required and it is easily accessible! Because of the easy access and being one of the more picturesque waterfall, this is a very popular spot.
This waterfall is nearly 40 feet tall. The paved walkway leads to a platform that overlooks the cascading falls. If you’d like to get closer to the falls you can climb down to the bottom but there is not an easy path down, so you will have to be careful!
2. Alger Falls
Alger Falls is located in Munising. This is a roadside waterfall so no fee is required and you don’t even have to get out of your car to view it. It is alongside M-28, just across from the M-94 junction. It’s important to note that the falls is at the base of a hill and around a curve so there are lots of cars and trucks and they are going fast and the line of sight is limited. The location also makes it easy to miss so keep an eye out!
You can climb up to get a closer view if you’d like, it is not a paved path but it’s a very short distance from the road. It is 15 feet high so the climb to the stop is rather steep but definitely do-able for most!
3. Bond Falls
Bond Falls is considered to be one of the most scenic waterfalls in the Upper Peninsula. This waterfall is part of the Ontonagon River and is 100 feet wide with a total drop of about 50 feet, it’s beautiful during any season. No fee is required and it is easily accessible!
The base of the falls is a short walk from the parking lot. A paved trail will take you to the boardwalk that allows easy access to one of the six viewing locations. To get even closer to the falls, you can hike the trail up the side and climb to the top to see a series of small cascades that lead into the main falls.
4. Canyon Falls
The Canyon Falls gorge is quite impressive by Michigan standards and is actually considered the "Grand Canyon of Michigan". It is located along US-41 which is one of the main routes through the U.P. which means there is a good chance it will be an easy stop to make along your way.
An easy scenic trail takes you along the Sturgeon River with rapids and small waterfalls that lead you to the main waterfall at the end, which is only about a mile from the trailhead. The trailhead is located at a roadside park and no fee is required. Aside from the beautiful waterfall, the rock formations that surround it are so interesting and make the scenery even more breathtaking! This stop is more than worth it!
5. Dead River Falls
The Dead River Falls, located in Marquette, is a series of falls that span across a half a mile as part of the Dead River. The river falls almost 100 feet over the half mile stretch. There are 3 major drops that are over 15 feet high and in between those there are multiple smaller falls.
There is no fee to experience these falls but they are not as easily accessible as some of the others. In order to see all of the falls you have to be up for a hike. Right away there is a steep incline and while the path is well traveled, it still can be rough terrain throughout. Make sure to wear good shoes and clothes you can get wet if you choose to climb down to get a closer look or even go swimming.
Once you get to the third and final major fall, that will be your turning around point. But there's no need to rush back, while the total hike is only a half a mile long, there are many spots along the route to stop and stay in the silence, enjoying the beautiful nature around you. Maybe even pack a lunch in your bag for a nice picnic!
6. Douglass Houghton Falls
Douglass Houghton Falls is the tallest waterfall in Michigan, dropping 110 feet! It is located off of Highway M-26 in between the villages of Laurium and Lake Linden.
Disclaimer: This waterfall is unsafe to visit at this time but I decided to keep it on the list because you will be able to visit it in the future and it should definitely be on your list for when you can!
Unfortunately, this waterfall may have to stay on your list of "must-sees" for a while. I did not know this when I visited, but this waterfall is no longer open to the public. Originally this was located on private property and the owner allowed visitors but due to the crumbling cliff walls there have been numerous accidents, many of them fatal. Because of this, the owner cut off access to the public.
Good news is that in 2018 Michigan's DNR purchased the land and are said to have plans to turn it into a state park. In order to make it safe for the public they do have a lot of work to do so there is no set date for the park to be open. I will be sure to update this post once it is!
7. Eagle River Falls
Eagle River Falls is in the Keewenaw Peninsula, on Eagle River off of MI-26. This is a roadside waterfall so no fees and it's as easily accessible as you can get! You'll pass this going to or from Copper Harbor (which I highly suggest doing). The falls are about 40 feet high but can flow over 60 feet after a heavy rainfall.
There is a small space for parking and a pedestrian bridge that allows you this wonderful view of the waterfall. The pedestrian bridge used to be the main bridge before they built the new one which is what you will drive over. The new bridge is actually beautifully built and is almost more interesting than the historic steel bridge that you will walk on.
8. Horseshoe Falls
The Horseshoe Falls, located in Munising, is a whole experience. Aside from the waterfall, there is a gift shop and garden that you can walk through that has fun things like hiking trails, spots for a picnic, numerous gnomes, and small informational panels to learn about the nature surrounding you. There is even a pond where you can feed the rainbow trout and ducks (25 cents for the feeder).
This location does require a fee to access; it is $10 per adult, seniors and military members/veterans are $8. Kids ages 3-12 are $7, and children 0-2 are free. Kids will also receive a free gnome hat and they have a fun gnome scavenger hunt where the kids can win free prizes!
This whole area, including the waterfall, is very accessible. No hikes are required to view the waterfall! The waterfall is about 30 feet high and are fed by underground springs so it may be still be flowing while the other waterfalls in the area are not.
9. Laughing Whitefish Falls
Laughing Whitefish Falls, is located near Chatham, Michigan. It is about 30 miles from Munising or Marquette so it is a bit "out of the way" but if you time it right, the short drive would be worth it! It is part of Laughing Whitefish Falls State Park so if you don't already have a recreational pass, you will be charged a fee to enter the park.
It is considered a 'slide' waterfall that drops over 100 feet, being one of the highest falls in Michigan! Once you are parked you will take an absolutely beautiful trail to the falls. The trail is a rather easy and an accessible walk for most. Once you get to the falls, there will be the main platform that will overlook the falls. If you are able to, there are many stairs that will take you down to the bottom of the falls with a few different viewing platforms along the way.
10. Presque Isle River Falls
The Presque Isle River Falls is located in the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park so it will require a fee if you do not already have a recreational pass. The Presque Isle River makes multiple drops before flowing into Lake Superior, which is what creates these beautiful falls. If you choose to, you can hike along the river to see all of the falls. This includes the most notable, Manabezho Falls as well as, the Manido Falls and Nawadaha Falls, among other smaller falls that are unnamed.
I highly suggest taking the time to view all of the different falls, if you are able to. On one side of the river there are multiple entrance points that will take you to platforms that they have built to view the waterfalls from above. This side will be more accessible than the other but still requires you to go up and down many stairs so will not be accessible to all. The side without the view points gives you a more up-close experience. If you're up for it, you can do one big loop to see the river and falls from both sides to get all the different view points.
This is still one of my favorite hikes because of the multiple waterfalls, of course, but also the general beauty around you and peaceful nature all makes for an amazing day. Make sure to grab a map when you enter the park so you can see where you can cross the river and know where the view points are!
11. Miners Falls
Miners Falls is part of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Munising. No fee is required and this is the most accessible waterfall of the Pictured Rocks. On your way to Miners Castle you will turn right onto a dirt road (there will be a sign so you know where to turn) and take that for about half a mile to a parking area. Once parked you will have to walk for less than a mile on a beautiful, well traveled, path through the woods to get to the falls. This path will take you straight to the viewing platform.
This waterfall is about 50 feet high and is the park's most powerful. People have been able to climb down to get to the base of the waterfall but this was not possible while I was there so I cannot promise you will be able to either. If you do choose to climb down, make sure it is safe to do so, and be careful!
It is important to note the parking lot is small and not much room to turn around so vehicles longer than 32 feet should not try to access this parking lot.
12. Munising Falls
Munising Falls is located in Munising where Washington Street turns into Sand Point Road. The parking lot is located right across the street from Munising Memorial Hospital. There is a visitors center where you can get a ton of good info about this waterfall, as well as, all of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. There is even a small book store at the visitors center but that is only open from June-Labor Day.
This is a 50ft high waterfall that is surrounded by interesting rock formations, beautiful wildflowers, colorful trees, and even cool ice formations (depending on what time of year you go). No fee is required and the main viewing point is easily accessible for everyone, by a short paved path. For those that are able, there are two very tall staircases that will take you up to view the falls from a higher vantage point on both sides.
13. Sable Falls
Sable Falls is located in Grand Marais, in the easternmost portion of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. It spans over 75 feet of sandstone formations on its way out to Lake Superior.
This waterfall does not require a fee but is not as easily accessible because of all of the stairs you have to go down to get to the main viewpoint. While it is a very short distance from where you park, you have to climb down and then back up 168 stairs to get the best view of it.
After taking some time to enjoy this waterfall, I suggest continuing down the path which will eventually lead you out to the beach. You will be shocked when the dense woods open up to this beautiful and colorful portion of the Lake Superior shore. I had spent a lot more time here than originally anticipated because of this wonderful surprise so make sure to give yourself ample time to explore this whole area!
14. Tahquamenon Falls
Tahquamenon Falls State Park is located in Paradise, Michigan. This is definitely the most popular of the waterfalls in Michigan. There are two separate parts of this waterfall, the Upper and Lower Tahquamenon Falls. The Upper Falls is one of the largest waterfalls east of the Mississippi. It has a nearly 50ft drop and is more than 200 feet across. The highest recorded flow over this waterfall is 50,000 gallons of water per second!
The entire state park stretches over 13 miles and covers almost 50,000 acres. If you do not have a recreational pass, you will be required to pay a fee to enter. You will do quite a bit of walking to get close to both of the falls but most of it is on easy, paved pathways. They even have track chairs that are available, at no cost (as a first come first serve basis), which allow access to parts that are not as easily accessible in a normal wheelchair.
The Upper and Lower Falls are about 4 miles apart so you are able to drive and park at both areas before walking to the falls. The lower falls are not as awe-inspiring as the upper falls but still very beautiful and worth seeing both. Both areas have gift shops, the Upper Falls has a much bigger gift shop as well as multiple food options. Also at the Upper Falls, there are multiple trails that break off from the main area which allow you to explore more of the area. You could easily spend a whole day here, or even multiple as they do have paid camping options.
I promise, you won't want to miss this amazing waterfall!
15. Wagner Falls
Wagner Falls is located just south of Munising, near Alger Falls. It is easily accessible and no fee is required. You will park just off of M-94 and on the east side of the road, you will take a short walk back to the waterfall. The walk from your car to the waterfall really only takes about 5 minutes and it is along a paved pathway that leads to a short boardwalk which then leads to the viewing platform.
Even though it is such a short walk, you could spend a lot of time here, especially if there are not a ton of people there. The 20 feet high waterfall is absolutely beautiful and it is surrounded by, what some might consider, a fairytale forest. If you have it to yourself, you'll probably want to hangout for a while to soak in this peaceful setting.
It is important to note that any of these waterfall flows and surrounding scenery can vary greatly depending on the time of year you are visiting so be sure to take that into consideration before driving to these spots. All of these photos were taking in 2021, from mid September through the beginning of October.
These are only a small portion of all of the waterfalls that the Upper Peninsula has to offer, but these are definitley some you won't want to miss!
