Top Ten Best Waterfalls in Munising

The picturesque town of Munising, in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, is home to a number of lovely waterfalls. Some of the falls are a short walk from the parking lot, while others are deep in the forest and require a hike to get there. A couple are best viewed by boat. The falls are stunning in every season of the year: surging from snow melt in the spring, cascading after a summer rain or frozen in winter into a towering column of ice. Read on to discover the top ten best waterfalls in Munising!

Be sure to stop by the Munising Visitor Center on M-28 on your way into town in order to pick up a Waterfall and Lighthouse map. Note: The Munising Falls Visitor Center is closed during the winter.

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Top ten waterfalls in Munising, Michigan

Munising Falls

A logical first stop on your waterfall tour? Munising Falls. It’s located right within the city limits of Munising. Find the trailhead at the Munising Falls Visitor Center Sand Point Road. You’ll pull into a large parking lot where you can use the public restrooms before your hike. There are displays about the natural and cultural history of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, and a small bookstore.

The base of Munising Falls is easily accessed by a quarter mile, well-maintained path. The path runs alongside Munising Creek. Over thousands of years, this creek has slowly eroded away the underlying sandstone, carving out a beautiful, shaded valley.

The trail leads to a lovely, delicate falls framed by foliage and a gorgeous sandstone cliff. There is a viewing platform at the base, and two sets of stairs lead up to additional viewing platforms for more views of the cascading 50-foot waterfall.  There have been rockfalls in the area in recent years, so hiking along the trail behind Munising Falls is prohibited.

Traveling with kids in grades kindergarten through sixth? They can ask a park ranger at the visitor center for a free Junior Ranger activity book. Inside are games and activities to do around the Munising area. Kids take their completed booklet back to the visitor center to earn a Junior Ranger Badge.

Miners Falls

A second waterfall that is both easily accessible and spectacular is Miners Falls. A scenic trail just over a half mile meanders through a beautiful mix of beech, birch, maple and pine trees. There are plenty of shaded benches along the way offering the opportunity to sit back and reflect.

The hike itself is an easy one along a wide gravel surface. It’s the steep steps that it takes to reach the lower viewing platform that causes this trail to have a rating of medium difficulty.

The fast-flowing Miners River drops 50 feet over a sandstone cliff, creating one of the most powerful waterfalls in the area. There is a viewing platform at the top of the falls, but you get a better view by climbing down the stairs to the viewing platform at the bottom of the falls. This unobstructed view is definitely worth the climb back up!

The parking lot for this hike located four miles north of H-58 off Miners Castle Road.

Wagner Falls

Wagner Falls is definitely a do-not-miss stop. It’s one of the more impressive falls in the Munising area, and it’s one of the easiest to get to . A small parking lot for Wagner Falls is located just outside of the Munising city limits, at the junction of M-28 and M-94.

The half mile, well-maintained path winds through a pine and hemlock forest and ends at a boardwalk viewing platform. A large amount of water cascades 20 feet over rocky ledges, creating a lovely, tranquil sound. Wagner Falls is a popular spot for hikers, photographers, and dog walkers.

Alger Falls

Picturesque Alger Falls is just around the corner from Wagner Falls on M-28. This one can be viewed from your car: no hiking required! Alger Falls is a smaller roadside falls that can be easily missed because it’s slightly hidden among the trees. It’s worth pulling the car over to view the water cascading over many small ledges before reaching the bottom. Take care in pulling your car off of the road if you decide to take photos.

Memorial Falls

Please note: Memorial Falls and Tannery Falls are closed to the public for 2021 season, so that erosion issues can be addressed and the walking trail rerouted. The trail is expected to reamain closed in 2022. Check the Michigan Nature Association website for updates on when the trail to the twin falls will reopen.

Memorial Falls, along with Tannery Falls, are known as the twin falls and are viewed by hiking along the same path. They are located within the Twin Waterfalls Plant Preserve, which is owned and overseen by the Michigan Nature Association. This trail is somewhat steep in places. Keep an eye out for tree roots!

The trailhead is located in a residential neighborhood. Follow the signs and park on Cleveland Street, then walk a block or so to Nestor Street. Circle around the guardrail to a small opening in the trees. You’ll see a sign for the falls and a wooden boardwalk.

The trail makes its way through a lovely, lush forest, eventually leading to a small wooden bridge that crosses Tannery Creek at the top of the Memorial Falls. The upper level of sandstone here is very hard, creating a ledge for the creek to tumble over.

The trail continues downstream to the bottom of a beautiful gorge and the base of the falls. The water has eroded this softer, rose-colored sandstone, carving out a small cave tucked behind the falls.

Memorial Falls is most spectacular after the spring snow melt or after a recent rainfall. (this is true for many of the waterfalls in the Munising area). You’ll need to walk behind Memorial Falls and continue along the trail to reach Tannery Falls.

Tannery Falls

Tannery Falls is also known as Olson Falls, in honor of member Rudy Olson. Rudy Olson was an avid bird watcher and long-term member of the Michigan Nature Association that owns and oversees the Twin Waterfalls Plant Preserve.

To get to Tannery Falls, you’ll have to walk behind Memorial Falls and continue past a towering sandstone cliff. An interesting feature along the way is an opening in the sandstone wall between the two falls. You can look through and see the path as it curves on along the cliff wall.

A true hidden gem, Tannery Falls drops 40 feet. As with Memorial Falls, you can walk into a small cave behind the falling water.

During the winter, both Memorial and Tannery Falls are into beautiful, frozen columns of ice.

Horseshoe Falls

Horseshoe Falls are the only privately owned falls in the National Lakeshore. There is an $8 entrance fee to walk through a botanical garden and view the falls. David and I entered the gift shop before realizing there was a fee, and we subsequently headed off in search of the area’s natural beauty which can be enjoyed free of charge.

The photos we saw of the 30 foot waterfall looked beautiful and may easily be worth your time if you don’t mind spending the money. The admission fee includes feeding rainbow trout in the fish pond and searching for gnome sculptures along the path. This looks like a really great waterfall to visit if yo have kids in tow.

Scott Falls

Head west out of town toward Marquette and you’ll pass by delicate Scott Falls. This roadside falls cascades over a sandstone ledge and drops ten feet into a pool below. In times of the year when the water level isn’t too high, it’s possible to hop over the creek into the hollowed out cavern behind the falls. It’s a great way to cool off on a hot day!

Scott Falls is easy to miss, as it’s slightly hidden from view and there is no clear spot to pull off of the highway. In fact, we did miss the small green sign on our way out of town and caught the falls on our return trip. Watch for signs for the H.J. Rathfoot State Roadside Park. Pull into the State Park to park your car, and then take care crossing the road to view the falls.

Bridalveil Falls

Bridalveil Falls is a lovely waterfall located along Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. While it’s possible to see Bridalveil Falls on land from a distance, this delicate fall is best viewed from the water. This is the tallest waterfall in the state of Michigan. The water slides 140 feet down a colorful cliff directly into Lake Superior.

Bridalveil is a seasonal waterfall, which had slowed to a trickle by the time we saw it in September. Some years, it dries up completely by the end of the summer. The most popular way to see this falls is to book a boat tour or kayak.

Spray Falls

Our waterfall tour culminated with the most breathtaking falls of all, Spray Falls. Also located along the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore’s shoreline, Spray Falls shoots out over a high cliff and thunders into Lake Superior 70 feet below.

It is possible to hike to Spray Falls from the Beaver Basin Wilderness Trail of the along the North country Scenic Trail. Either option is a lengthy hike that allows you to see a side view of the falls from a distance. As with Bridalveil Falls, by far the best view is from the water. Like many of the falls around Munising, Spray Falls freezes into a curtain of ice during the winter months. It is a popular attraction for ice climbers.

Best Way To See Spray Falls: Pictured Rocks Cruises

Picture Rocks cruises offers a classic cruise which travels a 32 mile round trip tour but does not go all of the way to Spray Falls. For an extra $8.00 , you can board the cruise line’s high speed catamaran for the tour extension that does include Spray Falls. We absolutely felt the extra cost was worth the view of the falls, especially since taking the high speed boat doesn’t extend the actual amount of time spent on the tour.

The boat launch for Pictured Rock Cruises is located at the Munising City dock, right in the heart of downtown. We made the mistake of showing up about an hour early. Seeing that there were few people in line, we walked inside the nearby Visitor Center to look around. It is possible to buy tickets in there the day of the tour, but we observed several people trying to do so and all of the tours were booked for the day. We were thankful that we had purchased a ticket online ahead of time.

When we returned outside to the dock, the line was quite long and as a result, we missed the chance to grab one of the prized seats on the open, upper deck. So yes: get in line early! It can get quite breezy on the upper deck, so dress accordingly. Check the Pictured Rocks Cruises website for current schedule and fares.

Best Places To Eat In Munising

Muldoon’s Pasties And Gifts

If you have made the commitment to drive across Michigan’s U.P., you pretty much owe it to yourself to indulge in the local signature dish: the pasty.

Basically, a pasty is a hand-held pie, filled with meat and vegetables, and wrapped up in a flaky, lard-based crust. Traditional pasties contain rutabaga or parsnips, along with diced beef or chicken, potatoes, onions, peas and carrots.

It is thought that pasties originated in the mining communities around Cornwall, England. For thousands of years, miners there were sent underground to toil in tin mines, carrying a pasty to serve as their meal for the day.

Some of these hearty souls found their way to northern Michigan in order to work in copper mines, and they brought their pasties with them. You’ll find specialty pasty shops in towns all across the U.P.. Some of the best pasties in the land can be found at Muldoon’s Pasties and Gifts right in Munising. Look for the yellow house located at 1246 M-28 West. (You’ll be passing right by on your way to Scott Falls)

Eh! Burger

Another great option for an on -the -go meal is a stop at Eh! Burger. Located at 101 East Munising Avenue, Eh! burger serves up a variety of burgers and fish sandwiches.

Best Place To Stay In Munising

Munising Holiday Inn Express

Even though we decided to head to Munising at the last minute, we were able to get a room at the Holiday Inn Express. Our room was very clean and we had a great view of Munising Bay. A hotel stay comes with a free breakfast, and we were impressed with the quality of the hot food bar.

Best of all was the view we enjoyed while sitting out on the back patio. We felt our stay at the Holiday Inn Express was very affordable and centrally located, making it easy to get around to all of the things we wanted to see and do. Make your reservation at the Munising Holiday Inn Express website.

Best Dog-Friendly Accommodations: Alger Falls Motel

While we were out hiking, we ran into another couple who had two dogs with them. They were staying in a cottage at the Alger Falls Motel because of their dog-friendly policy. Traveling with your four-legged friends? Check out the Alger Falls Motel website.

Many of the waterfalls in the Munising area are accessible year-round. It’s a great summer destination, although some of the waterfall trails will be somewhat crowded with people. We chose to visit right after Labor Day, when the area is not quite as busy. Tourist traffic picks up again a few weeks later, during the peak fall color season. I’ve been told the waterfalls are especially beautiful during the winter months. We can’t wait to make a return trip to see the falls encased in ice!

If you head anywhere the U.P., remember you will be traveling through some remote areas. There will be areas where there is limited cell service. Make sure you’ve checked out your itinerary prior to your trip, and consider downloading offline Google Maps. Have a plan for meeting up with family member if you get separated while hiking.

Looking other great ideas on what to do on your Upper Peninsula vacation? Check out our blog post on Seven Scenic Sights in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula!

Are you planning to visit more National Parks or National Lakeshores with your kids? Check out the Junior Ranger Activity Book by National Geographic.

Mosquitoes and flies can be a problem on hot summer days, especially from May through August. Be sure to carry bug spray with you. REPEL Plant-Based Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent is DEET-Free and it actually works!

Another great option is mosquito repellent sticker patches. You can just stick the patches to your clothing, hat or bag. The stickers provide protection for up to 24 hours without having to coat yourself with spray.

You’ll also want a pair of good walking sandals with a decent grip. These Megnya sandals are great both for long-distance walking and stylish enough to wear to a restaurant in the evening. There are 25 different colors of Megnya Sandals to choose from. They are the perfect casual sandals no matter whether you are going on vacation or hanging out at home!

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