Are you planning a trip to the Upper Peninsula but don’t know where to start when it comes to waterfalls? The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is a wild and wonderful escape, but if I’m being totally honest, I didn’t know what to expect. I wasn’t anticipating anything extraordinary, but the UP absolutely blew me away. There are more than 300 waterfalls scattered across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and it is home to all of the waterfalls in the Great Lakes State except for one. If you want to make a day of waterfall chasing while in the Upper Peninsula it’s incredibly easy and all of the waterfalls are beautiful! So which waterfalls should you see on your one day of chasing in the Upper Peninsula?
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The Basics: Upper Peninsula Of Michigan
Where Is The Upper Peninsula Of Michigan?
Exactly where it sounds like – The Upper Peninsula is the northernmost portion of Michigan. It is a forested region bordered by 3 of the Great Lakes (peninsula) and it extends outward from Wisconsin.
How Do I Get To The Upper Peninsula?
Your best bet for the Upper Peninsula is driving because you will need a car once you are there. Everything is incredibly spread out.
Driving:
The UP is connected to Michigan’s Lower Peninsula by the nearly 5 mile long Mackinac Bridge, which spans the Straits of Mackinac.
- Cost: $4 toll per car
Air:
There are several airport options but all will be costly and most are small. On the UP, you can fly into Marquette Airport (MQT), which is roughly 50.5 miles away from the Mackinac Bridge.
Other nearby options include Escanaba (ESC), 50.8 miles, Sault Ste Marie (YAM), 90.4 miles, and Traverse City (TVC) at 110.2 miles.
Yes, you will need a rental car in the UP.
Why Are There So Many Waterfalls On The Upper Peninsula?
Many of the waterfalls in the UP are found in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. And for good reasons, they are the result of water running over a shelf or cliff of sandstone (called the Au Train Formation). This particular geologic formation resists erosion better than the softer sandstone layers that are just below it.
How Do I Get To The Waterfalls?
Most of the waterfalls can be explored on foot (and all of the waterfalls on this list can be), and honestly the trails are easy and short for the payoff of these amazing waterfalls.
Here are a few tips:
- Wear Waterproof Hiking Boots – like these or these
- Dress In Layers – My favorites: Sweatshirt/Fleece, Rain Jacket, Beanie, Hiking Socks
All of the following waterfalls can be found along route H-58…
Keep In Mind: I stayed in Newberry and the starting point may be different depending on where you stay. My route was from Newberry to Marquette.
Also, if you have your pups with you, this list will work for you! I didn’t have Loki and Freya with me but all of these trails are dog friendly!
One Day Of Chasing Waterfalls In The Upper Peninsula Of Michigan
Sable Falls – Grand Marais
Sable Falls Trail
- Distance: .6 Miles
- Rating: Easy
- Elevation Gain: 101 Ft
- Dog Friendly
This trail is good for all skill levels and the payoff for this short hike was one of my favorite waterfalls of the day! Sable Falls tumbles over 75 feet on a cascading slope of sandstone formations on its way to Lake Superior. The trail features roughly 168 stairs (as many of the trails on today’s list do) but they aren’t difficult to navigate.
Well Worn Shoes Rating: 5 Out Of 5
Other Things To Do At Sable Falls:
The Sable Falls trail continues past the falls for a short walk to a rock beach where Sable Creek flows into Lake Superior. This lakeshore of Superior is gorgeous and you can spend hours looking at the smooth stones that tumble up with the tide.
Miners Falls – Munising
Miners Falls Trail
- Distance: 1.2 Miles
- Rating: Easy
- Elevation Gain: 154 Ft
- Dog Friendly
This easy trail features a gently rolling gravel and dirt path through the northwoods that leads to two waterfall overlooks. I hiked this in the rain and had no issues with the trail becoming slippery. You can enjoy the views of Miners Basin along the trail. The rapidly flowing Miners River drops about 50 feet over a sandstone outcrop, creating one of the Painted Rocks National Lakeshore’s most powerful waterfalls. There are about 64 steps to the lower viewing platform and it’s an easy climb down.
Well Worn Shoes Rating: 4 Out Of 5
Other Things To Do At Miners Falls:
Miners Castle – Drive Time: 4 Minutes
Just 4 minutes down the road from Miners Falls you will find Miners Castle. This is one of the most famous landmarks along the Pictured Rocks shoreline, and it is the only cliff area in the park accessible by vehicle. Most of the Pictured Rocks need to be viewed by boat. This is another dog friendly option.
Interestingly, this area and the Pictured Rocks cliffs hold a spiritual significance to the indigenous people who once called this place home, the Ojibwa (or Chippewa). Does anyone else ever imagine canoeing or exploring and finding these beautiful places? Or what they must have thought seeing those cliffs in their birch bark canoes? It’s not wonder this gorgeous place held spiritual significance.
Munising Falls – Munising
Munising Falls Trail
- Distance: .4 Miles
- Rating: Easy
- Elevation Gain: 39 Ft
- Dog Friendly
On this easy trail you stroll about 800-feet up a cool shaded canyon path along Munising Creek to the base of the falls. There are two sets of stairs leading to viewing platforms on each side of this 50-foot waterfall as it drops over a sandstone cliff. I chose the viewing platform to the right and I was so glad that I did!
As I was leaving Munising Falls a ranger told me about another waterfall on my way to Marquette where I was planning to grab dinner. Laughing Whitefish Falls, and while it wasn’t originally on my list, it ended up being one of my favorites of the entire day.
Well Worn Shoes Rating: 4 Out Of 5
Laughing Whitefish Falls – Laughing Whitefish Falls State Park
Laughing Whitefish Falls Trail
- Distance: 1 Mile
- Rating: Easy
- Elevation Gain: 121 Ft
This easy hike through a picturesque gorge with old-growth white pine and hemlock trees towering above takes you to a beautiful cascading waterfall. There are three observation platforms to view the falls from different levels and these do have stairs. The upper platform only has about 20 stairs, while the lower has about 137. Don’t let that stop you because the views from the bottom are worth a few stairs!
Well Worn Shoes Rating: 5 Out Of 5
These 4 waterfalls along with other stops along the way, I highly recommend: Grand Sable Dunes and Log Slide Overlook, will take up your entire day of chasing waterfalls! Honestly, it’s a leisurely day worth of easy waterfalls that is perfect!
But if you are speedy and get through them quicker then I did here are a few more options:
By Foot:
- Tahquamenon Falls
- Wagner Falls
- Mosquito Falls
- Chapel Falls
By Boat:
- Bridalveil Falls
- Spray Falls
No matter what waterfalls you get to see on your trip to the Upper Peninsula, you are sure to be impressed by these gorgeous cascading features. Whatever you do, don’t skip a day of chasing waterfalls on your next trip to the Upper Peninsula! Have you been to the UP? What was your favorite waterfall?
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Love chasing waterfalls? Check Out: 11 Can’t Miss Waterfalls In The Smokies
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