Waterfall Hikes in Michigan

Waterfall Hikes in Michigan at a Glance

This page lists 12 waterfall hikes in Michigan from the Summit Seeker trail database. Summit elevations run from 640 ft (Manabezho Falls) to 1,440 ft (Bond Falls).

12 of the 12 routes have a distance we can quote from a published source. The shortest is Sable Falls at 0.4 mi; the longest is Shining Cloud Falls at 17 mi. Together the quoted routes add up to 39.6 miles of hiking.

10 of the 12 guides name a specific trailhead or parking area; the others give the summit location and route line only.

Figures are as recorded in each trail's own data and are planning estimates (≈ marks a figure estimated from the mapped track); confirm conditions and route length with the land manager before you go.

Every waterfall hike in Michigan, with route facts

Trail	Summit	Route	Distance	Gain	Time	Difficulty	Trailhead
Bond Falls	1,440 ft	Bond Falls Loop	1 mi loop	—	—	—	Bond Falls main parking lot (Scenic Overlook Drive)
Trap Falls	1,350 ft	Government Peak Trail	4 mi round trip	—	—	—	Government Peak Trail trailhead on M-107
Laughing Whitefish Falls	1,010 ft	—	1 mi round trip	—	—	—	Laughing Whitefish Falls parking area (Laughing Whitefish Falls Road)
O Kun de Kun Falls	960 ft	North Country Trail	2.8 mi round trip	—	—	—	O Kun de Kun Falls parking area on US 45
Piers Gorge (Misicot Falls)	910 ft	Piers Gorge Trail	3 mi round trip	—	—	—	Piers Gorge Unit parking area (Menominee River State Recreation Area)
Shining Cloud Falls	820 ft	Big Carp River Trail	17 mi round trip	—	—	—	—
Miners Falls	780 ft	—	1.2 mi round trip	—	—	—	Miners Falls parking area (Miners Castle Road)
Mosquito Falls	780 ft	—	2 mi round trip	—	—	—	Chapel parking lot (end of Chapel Road)
Chapel Falls	740 ft	—	2.5 mi round trip	—	—	—	Chapel parking lot (end of Chapel Road)
Sable Falls	690 ft	—	0.4 mi round trip	—	—	—	Sable Falls parking area
Rainbow Falls	650 ft	North Country Trail	2 mi round trip	—	—	—	Black River Harbor parking lot
Manabezho Falls	640 ft	Presque Isle River Waterfall Loop	2.7 mi loop	—	—	—	—

Route notes

Bond Falls — a 1-mile loop via the Bond Falls Loop from Bond Falls main parking lot (Scenic Overlook Drive). Parking: Bond Falls requires a Michigan Recreation Passport..
Trap Falls — 4 mi round trip via the Government Peak Trail from Government Peak Trail trailhead on M-107.
Laughing Whitefish Falls — 1 mi round trip from Laughing Whitefish Falls parking area (Laughing Whitefish Falls Road).
O Kun de Kun Falls — 2.8 mi round trip via the North Country Trail from O Kun de Kun Falls parking area on US 45. Parking: No fees are required for this site..
Piers Gorge (Misicot Falls) — 3 mi round trip via the Piers Gorge Trail from Piers Gorge Unit parking area (Menominee River State Recreation Area).
Shining Cloud Falls — 17 mi round trip via the Big Carp River Trail.
Miners Falls — 1.2 mi round trip from Miners Falls parking area (Miners Castle Road).
Mosquito Falls — 2 mi round trip from Chapel parking lot (end of Chapel Road).
Chapel Falls — 2.5 mi round trip from Chapel parking lot (end of Chapel Road).
Sable Falls — 0.4 mi round trip from Sable Falls parking area.
Rainbow Falls — 2 mi round trip via the North Country Trail from Black River Harbor parking lot.
Manabezho Falls — a 2.7-mile loop via the Presque Isle River Waterfall Loop.

1,440 ft