Ready to plan your next adventure in da Yoop?! Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is home to some of the best waterfalls in the US! Read on for the ultimate waterfall road trip:

Why this blog? Hi there! My name is Maddy and I’m stoked to show you around! I’ve been living on Lake Superior since 2020, and it’s my favorite place in the world! I live just a hop, skip and a jump away from the Upper Peninsula, and spent a lot of my summers exploring the UP. I’ve been working as an outdoor guide and writer since 2018, and my favorite thing is helping people find the right epic adventure for them, both here online and in person as a sea kayaking guide 🙂

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Upper Peninsula Waterfall Road Trip

Visit some of the best waterfalls in the Upper Peninsula on this waterfall road trip!

1) Tahquamenon Falls

Check out the tallest waterfall in Michigan and one of the prettiest state parks in the area at Tahquamenon Falls State Park. While the Upper Falls makes for one of Michigan’s most iconic viewpoints, don’t overlook the lovely lower falls (pictured below!).

Tahquamenon is one of the best all-season destinations with winter car camping available at the campground and plenty of snowshoe-ready trails. In the summer, beat the crowds by visiting the falls early in the morning or later in the afternoon. While in the area, be sure to head up to Whitefish Point and check out the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.

2) Spray Falls, Munising Falls & Miner’s Falls (Pictured Rocks National Lakeshroe)

If you’re looking for the best bang for your buck for waterfalls in the Upper Peninsula, check out the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Here, you can find nearly a dozen stunning waterfalls. The popular nearly 11-mile Chapel Basin Loop includes stunning lake views as well as three different waterfalls (including a sweet little slide number into Lake Superior). Alternately, check out Munising Falls for an ADA-accessible option, or Miner’s Falls for a short hike to a large waterfall.

Personally, the hike to Spray Falls is my favorite. Spray Falls is one of the few waterfalls that cascades directly into Lake Superior, and the hike out has several wonderful swimming holes as well as viewpoints. I recommend a late afternoon-evening hike and packing a headlamp so you can enjoy the sunset on the lake and hike back (carefully and responsibly!) at dusk.

Also check out Scott Falls, Wagner Falls and Sable Falls.

READ: Ultimate Guide to the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

3) Canyon Falls Roadside Park

One of Michigan’s best hidden gem waterfalls is Canyon Falls Roadside Park. This gorgeous stop is just a one-mile round trip hike to the waterfall, sometimes called the “Grand Canyon of Michigan”. The falls and the canyon are gorgeous in all seasons.

As you head out this way, swing by the waterfalls of Marquette, Michigan including…

• Yellow Dog Falls
• Alder Falls
• Pinnacle Falls
• Dead River Falls
• Little Garlic Falls

4) Waterfalls of the Keweenaw Peninsula

If you’re looking for one of the best places to see waterfalls by epic hike, roadside stop, or even by kayak, you’ll want to head up to the Keweenaw Peninsula. The waterfalls of the Keweenaw make for the perfect adventure trip, with a variety of hike-in falls and roadside stops.

Personally, my favorite two waterfalls of Keweenaw Peninsula are O-Kun-Dee-Kun Falls and Montreal Falls. O-Kun-Dee-Kun Falls is a hike-in adventure to a waterfall you can get up close and personal with, while Montreal Falls cascades directly into Lake Superior and makes for an epic adventure paddle. Beyond this, check out the best Keweenaw Peninsula waterfalls here:

• O-Kun-Dee-Kun Falls
• Kayak to Montreal Falls (You need to be in good shape to kayak for 8 hours and you WILL want a guided tour)
• Houghton-Douglass Falls
• Hungarian Falls
• Haven Falls Park (my favorite picnic spot ever)
• Eagle River Falls
• Jacob’s Falls

READ: Best Things to do in the Keweenaw Peninsula

5) Bond Falls

Michigan’s Bond Falls is one of the most scenic waterfalls in the state in my opinion, with a series of really lovely cascades and a waterfall that fans out really beautifully as it cascades down.

Bond Falls is a quick detour from the main road and a quick walk to a number of viewing platforms. Bond Falls is easily one of the prettiest waterfalls in the Upper Peninsula and well worth a stop on your road trip.

6) Waterfalls of the Porcupine Mountains

I may be biased because the Porkies are in my backyard (side yard? side yard I suppose) but Michigan’s Porcupine Mountains is one of the best destinations in the Midwest for backpacking, views, and of course waterfalls! Personally I believe the best way to visit the Porcupine Mountains is to do a day hike at the Presque Isle Waterfalls, then do a one-night backpacking trip in the Lake of the Clouds Area — the campsites along the ridges, on Lake Superior and on Mirror Lake are to die for.

Beyond the main drag, there are other great waterfalls in the Porcupine Mountains as well! Check out…

• Greenstone Falls – this hike is absolutely magical even without the waterfalls. Just great vibes.
• Manabezho Falls
• Manido Falls
• Trap Falls

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7) Black River Scenic Byway

The Black River Scenic Byway is an absolute must-stop and in my opinion, this area of the Western Upper Peninsula contains the best waterfalls in Michigan. These falls are INCREDIBLE, every single one of them, and if you can I would carve out a day or two just to focus on this area, because nothing really compares.

While visiting the Black River Scenic Byway and Ironwood, Michigan, check out the following waterfalls:

• Rainbow Falls (worth walking to the far side of the waterfall for a better view)
• Sandstone Falls (this is actually one of my favorites because it’s such a good rapids adjacent picnic spot)
• Potawatami and Gorge Falls (great spot, Gorge Falls boardwalk is closed which is a shame because it’s the most stunning of the waterfalls here)
• Great Conglomerate Falls
• Gabbro Falls (near Wakefield)
• Superior Falls (on the Wisconsin Border)

READ: Ultimate Guide to the Porcupine Mountains

Planning an adventure near Lake Superior? Check out these other Great Lakes Destinations:

• Visit Wisconsin’s Apostle Islands Sea Caves
• Head over to the beautiful Sleeping Bear Dunes
• Plan a trip to Minnesota’s North Shore

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