Discover the Beauty of Michigan's Upper Peninsula

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula boasts over 300 waterfalls, making it one of the best places for waterfall lovers like us! If you are visiting the western side of the UP or planning to go to the Porcupine Mountains, then you should not miss the six beautiful waterfalls along the Black River. Out of these, five are located on a short, five-mile stretch of road known as the National Black River Scenic Byway. To help you plan your trip, we have created a one-day itinerary that covers all six falls. Please feel free to reach out with any questions!

Entrance Fee:

A recreation passport is required.

Michigan residents: $13/year

A resident recreation pass can not be purchased online.

Non-resident: $39/year or $11/day

To purchase a non-resident recreation pass click here- Recreation Pass.

Lodging:

There are hotel options in Ironwood and Bessemer, Michigan, including the Black River Lodge, right on the National Black River Scenic Byway. There is one campground on the scenic byway but several others nearby. Reservations for the Black River Harbor Campground can be found here- Camping on the Scenic Byway.

We were hiking for a week in the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park while we explored this area. PMWST has one lodge and two campgrounds- Union Bay and Presque Isle. Presque Isle is closer to the scenic byway; however, they only have primitive camping. We stayed at the Union Bay campground, which has electric hookups and a front-row seat to the gorgeous Lake Superior. I would definitely recommend staying there😊 Reservations for either campground can be made here- Camping in the Porkies.

Porcupine Mountain Wilderness State Park also has backcountry camping sites as well. Reservations are recommended and can be made here- Porkies Backcountry Camping.

Dining:

There are dining options in both Ironwood and Bessemer. Recommendations: Uptown Café, Up-N-Smoke Southern BBQ (food truck)

Must Know Before You Go:

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula has so much wildlife, including bears, moose, and wolves. Please review bear safety here before heading out. Remember to travel in groups, make noise, and carry bear spray on all hikes.
All of the waterfalls in this itinerary are less than a mile from the parking lot; however, they all have MANY sets of stairs to reach the falls. The stairs are often wet and steep. Proper footwear is recommended.
Great Conglomerate Falls, Potawatomi Falls, Gorge Falls, Sandstone Falls, and Rainbow Falls can be done in any order. If you miss the turn-off for one, catch it on the way back! They are all very close😊

Cell Service:

There is no reliable cell service on the scenic byway.

1 Day Itinerary

Gabbro Falls-

Gabbro Falls, also known as Bakers Falls, is the first waterfall of the day. It is also the only one not directly off the scenic byway. Just like many of the best “Up North” waterfalls, it is minimally labeled and somewhat tricky to find. Gabbro Falls is one of our favorite waterfalls in the Upper Peninsula, so it is absolutely worth the extra time it takes to find it!

To make your way to the falls, do not follow directions directly to the waterfall via Google Maps. Instead, follow directions to Black River Basin at Snowriver Mountain Resort. Once you cross the wooden bridge, you will see the ski resort. Take a left and follow Blackjack Road up the hill for about half a mile- the ski resort should be on your right as you head up the hill. The short path to the falls will be on your left. There will be a small sign for the falls near the footpath.

The short trail will lead you to the top of the 40-foot falls. Use caution near the ledges, especially with the slick rock around the falls. If you want a better look at the bottom of the falls, head back to the wooden bridge and take the 0.5 mi. trail from there. It can get very muddy and overgrown. You will want proper footwear.

Great Conglomerate Falls-

The first official waterfall on the National Black River Scenic Byway is the 30 ft Great Conglomerate Falls, about 25 minutes from Gabbro Falls. There is a large chunk of conglomerate rock splitting the falls into two large sections, hence the name😊

This trail is the longest of all the Black River Falls. It is a wide, well-marked path that is 1.5 miles roundtrip, with 250 feet of elevation gain. It is all downhill to the fall’s observation deck. As with every trail on this itinerary, expect a more challenging walk back up to your car.

Potawatomi Falls and Gorge Falls-

The parking area for Potawatomi Falls and Gorge Falls is just 2 miles north on the Black River Scenic Byway. Once you turn off the main road, there are two separate parking areas for the two falls. Park in the lot for Potawatomi Falls.

At 30 feet tall and 130 feet wide, Potawatomi Falls is just a short, easy walk from the parking lot. The falls are very similar to Great Conglomerate Falls as a sizable piece of conglomerate rock splits the falls into two sections.

After looking at the impressive Potawatomi Falls, you can follow the short connector trail north to reach Gorge Falls. The connector trail is mostly flat, but just before reaching the falls, there are two large sets of stairs that you need to climb down to witness the beautiful 25-foot falls hidden in the gorge. Once you have explored Gorge Falls, you can return up the stairs and take the connector trail back to the Potawatomi Falls lot.

The entire trail to both waterfalls, starting from the Potawatomi Falls parking lot, is 0.6-miles roundtrip with only a 50-foot elevation gain.

Sandstone Falls-

The next waterfall on the Black River Scenic Byway is the 15-foot Sandstone Falls, just 1 mile north of the Potawatomi Falls lot. While it may be the smallest of the Black River waterfalls, it’s also one of the only waterfalls you can get close enough to feel the spray of the water on your face😊 The trail to the falls is only 0.5 miles roundtrip with a little over 100 ft of elevation gain; however, the path is entirely stairs (170+), so I would pace yourself on the return trip to the car.

Rainbow Falls-

The last waterfall of the day is the 30 ft Rainbow Falls. To reach Rainbow Falls, you must hike a 1-mile roundtrip trail with an elevation gain of just over 100 feet. After the short trail, prepare yourself to climb down a steep set of almost 200 stairs leading to the observation deck. Your reward for making it to the bottom- gorgeous views of both Rainbow Falls and the Black River!

While the observation deck offers a close-up view of the lovely falls, the views can be slightly obstructed. If you want a clearer view of the falls, or would just love to skip another set of stairs, park your vehicle near the suspension bridge at the very end of the scenic byway. Once parked, cross the suspension bridge and head back towards Rainbow Falls on the east side of the river. This route is approximately 1.5 miles roundtrip with an elevation gain of 100+ feet, but it will provide you with much better views of Rainbow Falls.