Houghton-Douglass Falls: See What’s New at Michigan’s Tallest Waterfall

For many years, Michigan’s tallest waterfall was one of the more difficult ones to reach. Access from the top was limited and dangerous, while access from below required a lengthy hike. The project to turn this waterfall into a state scenic site has gone on for many years, but this summer saw it open to the public after Phase I of the construction at Houghton-Douglass Falls was completed. We’d only ever seen this stunning waterfall from below, so when we learned the trail was opening to the public and we’d finally be able to see it from the top we quickly added it to a June trip to the Keweenaw Peninsula. The Phase I improvements look fantastic and we can’t wait to see what this park looks like when the rest of the work is finished (scheduled for 2027).

A few of the improvements could be seen right away – brown road signs now point the way to the parking lot as you travel on M-26, a new paved parking lot offers quite a bit of room for vehicles, and a new vault toilet has been added. The accessible trail is wide and flat with a crushed stone surface, and a new bridge carries the trail over Hammell Creek.

It is after the creek crossing where things get more challenging. The best way to describe the trail from this point on is “proceed at your own risk,” and there are many signs warning of the danger presented by the cliff edge. There aren’t viewing platforms or fences here (yet) so you’ll want to have sturdy footwear and be mindful of your footing as you get a great view from the side of this 110 foot tall waterfall.

Future plans for here include a path to the falls, viewing platforms, safety improvements, and a veterans memorial. I’d also imagine we will see some interpretive signs about the area’s unique rock formations and the two men the waterfall is named after.

The waterfall draws its name from Michigan’s first state geologist Douglass Houghton and his cousin Columbus C. Douglass. Houghton lived a short but memorable life and his legacy is honored in several places on the Keweenaw Peninsula. Douglass worked alongside his cousin on his trips through the Copper Country and later served in the Michigan legislature.

If you’re headed to the Keweenaw this summer or fall, be sure to check this spectacular waterfall out. Now that spring snow melt is behind us, the best time to view this waterfall is after recent rain.