Falls River Falls, L’Anse
Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is home to more than 200 waterfalls, and the Falls River Falls in L’Anse offers visitors a great chance to see multiple drops of varying sizes all within a short walk. Baraga County offers many stunning waterfalls worth checking out, but the falls on the Falls River stand out due to their proximity to US-41 and Baraga State Park as well as the ease of access and good signage. The walk to the falls begins near L’Anse Waterfront Park and it follows a path alongside the river next to the local electric company and across the river from the CertainTeed plant.
The Lower Falls is a collection of multiple drops of 2-5 feet spread out over a stretch of the river just upstream from an old bridge. The first drops, shown above, certainly aren’t anything spectacular. The next waterfall forces its way through the remains of an old concrete dam:
The third major drop in the lower section is taller and wider than those that precede it, and this area is a popular spot for local fishermen. The path on the riverbank continues to the Middle Falls, and there is a bench set up with an amazing view of the river. The Falls River makes multiple drops here as it gradually falls a total of 25 feet. This is what waterfalling is all about!
After Middle Falls the trail continues on to US-41. There is another accessible drop past the train bridge south of the highway but the trail conditions are a bit more challenging. The Unnamed Falls has a total drop of close to 10 feet, but like all other drops on this river it is spread out over a short distance.
There is also an Upper Falls on the Falls River, but access is not possible due to the private property that surrounds it. We featured Power House Falls and Power Dam Falls in an earlier post and would recommend visiting them as well if you’re in the area. Check out the photo gallery below for a few more pictures from this amazing stretch of river!
Directions: As US-41 heads downhill as it approaches L’Anse, stay to the right when the road forks and proceed on Broad St. under the large arched sign. Follow Broad St. into town until you reach Main St. (one block before the lake) Turn left on Main St. and look for a parking area on the right just before the river and the gate for CertainTeed. The path begins across the street from this parking area (shown below) and there will be blue signs like the one at the top of the post that mark the way.
