“Bond Falls In Spring, photo by siskokid
More about Bond Falls on the Ontonagon River from Michigan in Pictures!
Check this out bigger and in Jim’s waterfall slideshow!
Gabbro Falls
Gabbro Falls, photo by siskokid.
The Go Waterfalling page on Gabbro Falls (located in the western UP near Blackjack Mountain) begins:
Gabbro Falls is on the Black River and is as impressive, if not more impressive, than its more celebrated neighbors downstream along the Black River Scenic Byway. This is a largely wild waterfall with no fences or barriers of any kind. It consists of three separate drops. When the water is high there is a fourth drop that is the height of the other three combined. The main drop falls into a narrow crevice between two large rock formations.
Gabbro Falls is relatively easy to find but there is some confusing information out there. The waterfall is also known as Baker’s Falls, and it is often mistakenly called Garbo Falls (gabbro is a type of rock). There is also a Neepikon Falls upstream, but it is just an unremarkable rapid. (read on for detailed directions)
Jim says that he grew up in this area, but only found out this waterfall existed last week! Check it out background big and in his Da UP slideshow.
Many more Michigan waterfalls on Michigan in Pictures!
Waterlife … and Miners Beach Falls
Miners Beach Falls , Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigans upper peninsula (explore # 61 Oct 14, 2010), photo by Michigan Nut.
Yesterday I had to take a little detour from the Pictured Rocks theme to acknowledge the Chevy Volt. An article in this morning’s Detroit News on my 2nd favorite film ever* about the Great Lakes had me tempted to take another detour, but since Kevin McMahon’s beautiful film Waterlife makes its way through all the Great Lakes, this gorgeous shot from Miner’s Beach in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore works perfectly. Kevin says:
“What I tell audiences who live among the Great Lakes is: This is literally your autobiography. Your drinking water all comes from the Great Lakes, and when you see the journey of your water, starting from that pristine environment up by Lake Superior and deteriorating continually until it gets to Toronto, well that’s our life story. Whatever goes into that water not only goes into us, but actually becomes a part of us.
One thing that I love about Kevin’s film that is missing from too many environmental films is that through stunning high-definition videography, he has captured the soul of the Lakes, those qualities that so many of us treasure. Waterlife group on Facebook and definitely try and see Waterlife if you can!!
John says that this little waterfall is hidden on the far east end of Miners Beach. See it background bigtacular and in his Michigan Waterfalls slideshow.
See over 800 more Pictured Rocks photos in the Absolute Michigan pool on Flickr and a whole lot more Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on Michigan in Pictures!
*My favorite is of course Paddle to the Sea.
Sable Falls in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
sable falls #2, photo by ats8110.
If you follow this blog, you know that one of my favorite places in Michigan is the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. I am pretty excited to be heading up there this weekend and am therefore declaring the rest of this week “Pictured Rocks Week” on Michigan in Pictures. ;)
The waterfall page from the Lakeshore says that Sable Falls is located about one mile west of Grand Marais on Alger County Road H-58 and that the fall…
…tumbles 75 feet over several cliffs of Munising and Jacobsville sandstone formations on its way to Lake Superior. The first viewing platform is down a staircase with 169 steps. The hike from the parking area to this staircase steps is short.
The trail continues past the falls and down the canyon. It is about a half-mile to the beach as Sable Creek as it winds its way to Lake Superior.
It’s just one of many waterfalls in the Lakeshore (map of Alger County waterfalls). Why so many?
Most of the waterfalls in this area are the result of water running over a shelf or cliffs of limey sandstone called the Munising Formation. This formation of rock extends from Tahquamenon Falls, some 75 east of the Lakeshore, to Laughing Whitefish Falls, about 30 miles west of the Lakeshore. The Munising formation is also called the Northern Michigan cuesta or escarpment.
Check out Aaron’s other Sable Falls shots and see it bigger in his Michigan Waterfalls slideshow (view the set).
Lots more Pictured Rocks on Michigan in Pictures!
Rock River Falls in the Rock River Canyon Wilderness Area
Rock River Falls, photo by gkretovic.
Regular readers of Michigan in Pictures know that Go Waterfalling is the source for Michigan waterfall information. Their Rock River Falls entry says:
This wild waterfall is hidden in the Rock River Wilderness Area north of Chatham. Reaching it will require you to drive down some old logging roads and hike a mile or two along some ill defined trails, but if you are looking for a good waterfall adventure it is worth it.
Rock River Falls is in the Rock River Wilderness Area in the Hiawatha National Forest, which is just north of Chatham. This area is not well marked, but finding the falls is not too hard.
There’s detailed directions at the link above there and Greg also has this photo on his map. See it bigger along with a few other views in his slideshow
Many more Michigan waterfalls on Michigan in Pictures!
Full Color in the Keweenaw and at Haven Falls
Haven Falls, photo by dcclark.
This morning the folks at Pasty.com emailed me to say that the Keweenaw doesn’t get much more colorful than this and that they’re:
…hearing that it’s peak or just past-peak with the changing leaves UP North here, but whatever you call it, our surroundings look like someone took out a paintbrush and went to work coloring the Copper Country. If you haven’t already had a chance to go for a color tour, you’d better hurry, because the show won’t last forever.
Click over to Pasty.com to see some photos from Joe Kirkish and check it out every day for great shots from the Pasty Cam!
GoWaterfalling.com says that Haven Falls is
…a very scenic falls located in a small county park near the shores of Lac La Belle. This waterfall is very symetrical. Haven Falls is very similar looking to Jacob’s Falls, but Haven Falls is considerably steeper. It is possible that there are more drops above Haven Falls just as the are additional drops above Jacob’s Falls, but I did not explore.
Visiting this waterfall is very easy. It is visible from the road and the falls is only a few hundred feet from the parking area…
Haven Falls is a bit out of the way. But then again, the entire Keewenaw peninsula is a bit out of the way. The park is on the north side of Lac la Belle Road on the north west shore of Lac la Belle.
David has thoughtfully posted this photo background boomtacular. Check out more photos from David in his Fall slideshow and on his photo-a-day blog, Cliffs and Ruins.
Michigan in Pictures has lots more Fall wallpaper and a sweet fall color tour of the The Keweenaw Peninsula (Houghton, Eagle River, Copper Harbor).
Black River Falls – Ishpeming, MI
Black River Falls – Ishpeming, MI, photo by Odalaigh.
The awesomely awesome GoWaterfalling.com has this to say about Black River Falls which are located 8 miles south west of Ishpeming off of Country Road 581 in the Escanaba River State Forest:
The Black River surges through a narrow channel here. When viewed from the front, the falls looks like a plunge, but it actually slides down the rock at a relatively gentle angle. That is fairly typical of the type of waterfalls you find in this rocky country.
…The Black River flows into the Escanaba River, which flows into Lake Michigan, making this waterfall part of Lake Michigan’s watershed. However it is probably much easier to visit while circling Lake Superior than Lake Michigan. It is only about 10 miles off of the Lake Superior Circle Tour. It is over 60 miles off the Lake Michigan Circle Tour.
Check this out background bigalicious and in Charles’ slideshow.
Many more Michigan waterfalls on Michigan in Pictures.
Tahquamenon Falls
Tahquamenon Falls, photo by Odalaigh.
Lay aside your cloak, O Birch-tree!
Lay aside your white-skin wrapper,
For the Summer-time is coming,
And the sun is warm in heaven,
And you need no white-skin wrapper!
Thus aloud cried Hiawatha
In the solitary forest,
By the rushing Taquamenaw
The Song of Hiawatha
I don’t think I’ve see a photo that better captures the majestic sweep of the Tahquamenon Falls in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. I guess that justifies returning to the subject of Michigan waterfalls so soon!
Go Waterfalling says this about Tahquamenon Falls:
This is the largest waterfall in Michigan, and in terms of volume it is in the top five for waterfalls east of the Mississipi. It is a bit out of the way. There are no other significant falls within a two hour drive, but the park offers lots of hiking and camping activities. If you happen to be circling Lake Superior visiting waterfalls , make sure to visit this one.
Tahquamenon Falls State Park park is on MI-123. It is on the map and is easy to find, but it is a bit out of the way. There are three sections to the park: the upper falls, the lower falls, and the rivermouth campsite…
Naturally occurring tannic acids in the water give the falls their brownish tea color.
You can read and see more of Michigan’s biggest waterfall under Tahquamenon Falls on Michigan in Pictures.
Charles says this is a 30 sec long exposure panorama. See it bigger in his slideshow and also check out the Tahquamenon Falls slideshow from the Absolute Michigan pool!
Canyon Falls: The Grand Canyon of Michigan
Canyon Falls, photo by gkretovic.
I saw a cool picture of Canyon Falls the other day that prompted me to look this up!
Go Waterfalling is simply the best site for waterfall info in Michigan, and their page on Canyon Falls says:
This is an impressive and easy to visit falls, and the gorge is quite impressive by Michigan standards. It is located along US-41 which is one of the main routes through the U.P. so there is a good chance it is on your way if you are travelling through the area.
Canyon Falls is along US-41 near Alberta, about 15 miles south of L’Anse. The trailhead is located in a recently renovated roadside park. The trail to the falls is about 1 mile over level terrain. (see it on their map)
Beyond the falls the river has cut a gorge into the rocks, and an unmaintained trail continues along the rim of the gorge. The gorge is quite interesting, especially by Michigan standards. The rock has broken along straight line faults, resulting in a very boxy canyon. Numerous rapids and some smaller drops can be found downstream. Much farther downstream, where Sturgeon Falls is located, the gorge widens and deepens, becoming a mile wide and 300 deep. This is the “grand canyon of Michigan”.
Check this out bigger in Greg’s slideshow and see a slideshow of photos of Canyon Falls and the canyon itself from the Absolute Michigan pool on Flickr!
More Michigan waterfalls on Michigan in Pictures.
Michigan June Events!
June, photo by creed_400
“There are moments, above all on June evenings, when the lakes that hold our moons are sucked into the earth, and nothing is left but wine and the touch of a hand.” ~ Charles Morgan
Absolute Michigan’s June Michigan Event Calendar says that June’s birthstone is the pear and flower is the rose or the honeysuckle. The month is named after Juno (Hera), who was the goddess of marriage and the married couple’s household, and it’s considered good luck to be married June.
The month kicks off with this weekend’s Kalamazoo’s Greek Festival & KIA Annual Art Fair & Beer Garden. There’s also the Festival of the Arts in Grand Rapids, one of the longest-running festivals in the state and the largest all-volunteer arts event in the nation!
Next weekend launches the Mackinac Island Lilac Festival (Jun 11-20) as well as the Water Front Film Festival in Saugatuck (Jun 10-13) the
Nor-East’r Music & Art Festival (Jun 11-13) in Mio and the Ella Sharp Wine and Art Festival in Jackson (Jun 12). If you’re in Leelanau County on June 12th, you van check out the M-22 Challenge in the Sleeping Bear Dunes and the Leland Wine & Food Festival.
June rolls on with the Ann Arbor Summer Festival (Jun 18 – Jul 11), the Hot Blues and BBQ / Detroit Blues Challenge Kickoff 2008 (Jun 17-19), Kalamazoo’s Island Festival celebration of reggae music (Jun 17-19), Lansing’s Lansing Juneteenth Celebration (Jun 18-19), the Belleville National Strawberry Festival (Jun 18-20), the Dearborn Arab International Festival (Jun 18-20) and the International Freedom Festival in Detroit (Jun 18-20).
We’re just halfway through the month and have’t touched on the Ann Arbor Summer Festival (Jun 18 – Jul 11), the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Festival in Bridgman on June 19th, Muskegon’s Summer Celebration (Jun 23 – Jul 4) and the Detroit Windsor International Film Festival (Jun 24-27) – head over to the Absolute Michigan June Event Calendar for details on all these events and more!
Be sure to check this out bigger and in his June 2009 set (slideshow).
Hey – it’s summertime – check our Michigan Summer Wallpaper Archive for photos to get your desktop in sync with the season!
Michigan in Pictures 