Two Munising Waterfalls Will Be Closed For The 2021 Season

The Munising area (and all of Alger County) is well known for its plentiful and easily accessible waterfalls, but if you’re planning a trip to the area this summer you’ll want to note that two Munising waterfalls will be closed while trail repairs take place. At the end of April, The Michigan Nature Association announced it was closing the Twin Waterfalls Memorial Plant Preserve beginning May 5th. Tannery Falls and Memorial Falls are both found in this preserve, which has access points off of Nestor St. and H-58. While it is a bummer that we won’t be able to visit these two waterfalls during a second summer of people looking for ways to socially distance outdoors (and with Tannery Falls getting some love on TikTok), we understand the need for improvements to the trail here and can’t wait to see what it looks like once it re-opens!

Tannery Falls has a drop of about 40 feet as Tannery Creek cascades over a ledge. Memorial Falls also has a drop of about 40 feet in a very similar setting (there’s a reason they call this the Twin Waterfalls Preserve). Both waterfalls are best seen after spring snow melt or after recent rainfall, as they look much more spectacular with a decent amount of water.

The Michigan Nature Association press release stated that they will be making the following improvements: “reroute the walking trail system, address erosion sites, install new trailhead infrastructure and alter access sites, and upgrade trail and signage.” For many years, these two waterfalls have remained hidden gems compared to their neighbors in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Both share similar characteristics to Munising Falls, with the water falling over a sandstone cliff in a “horseshoe bowl” setting. The added perks of these two waterfalls was that you could walk right behind them, and that depending on the day you might have the place all to yourself. As we have seen across the state in the last 14 months, people are looking for new places to explore outside and with increased traffic comes the need for upgrades to prevent damage to the environment and keep these sites beautiful for many years to come.

If you’re looking for other waterfalls in the Munising area, be sure to check out Munising Falls and Miners Falls in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Alger Falls and Wagner Falls are both located near the junction of M-28 and M-94. Scott Falls is a roadside waterfall west of Munising that you can still walk under (flow varies seasonally), and Au Train Falls is just a short drive away.