Powerhouse Falls – Baraga County
Baraga County in the Upper Peninsula is home to a handful of spectacular waterfalls, and few are as easy to visit as Powerhouse Falls. This 15-foot drop on the Falls River is just south of L’Anse and very easy to reach, yet seems to have remained off the radar for the most part – we’ve been the only ones there each of the four times we have visited. We included this waterfall on our list of 10 Upper Peninsula Waterfalls That Can Be Viewed From Your Car.
The falls sit next to an abandoned powerhouse that is for the most part still intact. There are several other drops on the river upstream, and those are pretty easy to reach as well. Walk up the hill and around the back of the powerhouse to view “Power Dam Falls,” a small set of rapids near the remains of an old dam that was likely used in conjunction with the powerhouse.
On the trip back towards town, there will be a clearing to the right off of Power Dam Rd. A little bushwhacking may be required, but there is another set of falls here that spills over some rock ledges after a portion of the river splits off. Depending on water levels, there are also some rapids downstream from the picnic area below Powerhouse Falls.
Directions: From US-41 south of L’Anse, turn west onto Power Dam Rd. and follow it for a little over a mile as it curves and crosses a set of train tracks. The second dirt road on the left will have a sign pointing towards the falls, follow this down the hill to its end and park there, you will see the falls from your car.
