Michigan is famous for its beautiful waterfalls tucked away in the depths of rich forests. Each one has its own unique charm and character. Munising Falls is no exception. The waterfall is comprised of a 50-foot column of falling water, framed by curved sandstone cliffs that fold the creek into a private basin. The effect is sublime and otherworldly.
Convenient setting and set-up
If you’re going to be in Upper Michigan, you’re very likely to be driving through Munising. The town is situated on one of only two main highways that traverse the Upper Peninsula (Hwy 41 runs through Munising while Hwy 2 runs through Manistique further south). There are many wonderful things to do in Munising because it’s central to a large section of Hiawatha National Forest and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, not to mention many beautiful waterfalls, hiking trails, and places of historical significance. As long as you’re going to be here, anyway, there’s one waterfall that’s too lovely, too close by, and too convenient to pass up.
Munising Falls lies just inside Munising city limits at the northeast corner of town. Follow Washington Street north along the shore until it becomes Sand Point Road. Here, turn south into the park. The entrance is directly across the street from the hospital. The falls are open year-round, all day long, and there is no entry or parking fee.
Adjacent to the parking lot are modern restroom facilities and the Munising Falls Interpretive Center. This visitor station is a convenient place to get information on Munising Falls and other great attractions in the area. From here, a paved pathway leads into the forest. Leashed dogs are welcome on the trail. The path takes visitors 800 feet (0.24 Kilometers) along Munising Creek up to the central viewing deck for the falls. Every part of the park is fully accessible up to and including this point. For those who are comfortable with stairs, there are two paths that continue up to higher viewing decks on either side of the falling water.
Step into another world
From the moment you start along the pathway, the noises of the outside world muffle, and quickly fade away completely. Munising Falls lies at the end of a small gorge that has been carved away over millennia to encase the falls and creek. Dense trees and undergrowth further serve to absorb sound.
Walls of stone and moss
As you get further into the hollow, you become more aware of the sandstone cliffs on either side. They’re weathered and worn into smooth shapes, split here and there by centuries of freezing and thawing, and generations of tree roots struggling to latch hold. There’s an edenic feel, as though you’re stepping back in time through some ancient forest. It’s not unlike walking into a large cave, if caves could be roofless. The stone walls effectively form a natural, open-air temple. Visitors instinctively lower their voices. There’s a palpable feeling of reverence, of stepping onto sacred earth.
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A gorgeous waterfall
You smell the water overspray before you see the falling water. The sparkling column is framed by both a bow in the mossy layers of stone and by thick greenery. In winter, this waterfall can freeze into a solid, icy exaggeration of itself. Between the rush of downward momentum and the feng shui of the sandstone rock face, there’s a strangely intense sense of focus, perhaps a mild vortex of natural energies. In other words, the entire composition is gorgeous and inspiring; be ready for your muses to work overtime.
A better vantage
If you’re like most people, you’ll probably want to get as close as you can to the waterfall. Fortunately, viewing platforms are placed close to either side of the falls. In decades gone by, the trail led up and around behind the waterfall, allowing visitors to step “inside” the falls, and then make a loop of the trail and come back down the other side. Sadly, due to erosion and the threat of falling rocks, people are no longer permitted past the viewing platforms.
A tiny cave
Along the pathway up to the viewing platform on the south side, you’ll find a tiny, shallow cave. It’s not tall enough for a grown adult to stand up in, but there’s a natural bench inside, and one or two people can comfortably sit within the shade of the stone. This is a great place to take photos. For the author, this was my absolute first experience with a cave when I was about two years old. It seemed much larger at the time!
Munising Falls Trail as a whole experience
It’s easy to focus on the waterfall itself as the sole purpose of trekking into the forest gorge to see it. Yet Munising Falls should really be considered an immersion experience. The rock cliffs define the space in a way that affects the very air, keeping it cool, moist, and protected from outside sounds and breezes. Move slowly; breathe the air; sense the weight of the rocks and the tranquility of the forest. Perhaps even meditate. The mystery of a place such as this will linger in your bones.
Come step away
If you enjoy waterfalls, rock formations, strolls in the deep forest, or even just want to get away for an hour or two, Munising Falls has everything you could want.
History
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