Waterfall Wednesday: Happy Birthday Neil Weaver edition

Posted on by farlane

Morning Sunlight by Neil Weaver Photography

I learned that yesterday was longtime Michpics friend Neil Weaver’s birthday, so happy birthday Neil! While most of the waterfalls featured in Waterfall Wednesdays are named & on maps, some – like this one – are not.

About this photo, he writes: Morning sunlight enters the forest in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. This particular morning was a memorable one. After hiking/bushwacking to this spot with my friend Nicholas Albert Photography I realized that I had forgotten my tripod back in my vehicle. Frustrated with myself I hiked back out to retrieve it and when I returned the sun was coming up over the hill, it was gorgeous! We shot here for awhile and then headed downriver to the next waterfall, where I slipped and fell pretty hard on the rocks (no serious injuries, fortunately). It was a challenging morning but to me getting this image and those memories made up for it.

Follow Neil Weaver Photography on Facebook and for sure view & purchase his work at neilweaverphotography.com.

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Sun kissed Tahquamenon Falls

Posted on by farlane
Sun kissed Tahquamenon Falls by Etzel Noble

Sun kissed Tahquamenon Falls by Etzel Noble

“Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons.” ― Jim Bishop

Etzel shared this back in fall of 2019. See more in his Fall/Autumn gallery on Flickr.

Lots more Tahquamenon Falls & lots more Michigan fall photos on Michigan in Pictures.

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Waterfall Wednesday: Gabbro Falls & Friends edition

Posted on by farlane
Gabbro Falls from Above

Gabbro Falls by Eric Hackney Photography

I shared this photo way back in 2015 with the comment that in addition to stalking the Petit Portal, it appeared I was stalking Eric Hackney as well. It’s been a minute since I have featured one of his photos, so I thought I would dust this post off & add some of my favorites from Eric that I’ve shared over the years along with still timely information about Gabbro Falls from GoWaterfalling:

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 tips on visiting and pages about nearby waterfalls on the Black River.

See more from the western edge of the Upper Peninsula in Eric’s 6-27-15: Gogebic County Adventures I album that includes Gabbro Falls, Rainbow Falls, Potawatomi Falls, and Gorge Falls. Definitely follow Eric at Eric on Facebook and view & purchase photos on his website. Click for posts about Upper Hungarian Falls & Slate River Falls by featuring Eric’s pics!

Upper Hungarian Falls by Eric Hackney
Slate River Falls Splendor by Eric Hackney
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Waterfall Wednesday: Big Falls

Posted on by farlane
Big Falls near Skanee by Michigan Nut Photography

Big Falls near Skanee by Michigan Nut Photography

With 225 Michigan waterfall posts – well, 226 now – it’s not often that I come across a waterfall that I’ve never shared on Michigan in Pictures. Our friends at Go Waterfalling share that Big Falls:

…is a remote waterfall located between Skanee and Big Bay. The falls are in Baraga County. There are no paved roads penetrating this area, and reaching this falls requires you to ford a river. Big Falls is not very high, but it is large and impressive.

The falls is located off of a rough dirt road that heads east from Black Creek Road. The “road” (it seems to be primarily used as an ATV trail) is about 1.9 miles south of Skanee Road. This road fords both forks of the Huron River. The “road” that leads to Big Falls is roughly half way in between the two forks, and is the best defined of the “roads” that heads south. There is no way a car is going to make it to this falls. I used a bike.

The trail passes high above the falls. The falls is visible from the trail, but the view is blocked by trees. Reaching the base of the falls requires a steep climb down into the gorge.

John shared this way back in 2017, and it sounds like he concurs with the degree of difficulty getting there. He wrote “It was quite an adventure getting to this waterfall in Baraga County, MI.. Two attempts and a river fording.. We thought we had seen most of the Upper Michigan waterfalls over the years but boy were we wrong.”

Follow Michigan Nut Photography on Facebook for his latest and for sure check out more great shots in the Waterfalls Gallery on his website!

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Waterfall Wednesday: Alder Falls in Marquette County

Posted on by farlane
Alder Falls, Marquette County, Michigan by Tom Clark

Alder Falls, Marquette County, Michigan by Tom Clark

Over thirty years of Michigan in Pictures, I’ve shared hundreds of Michigan waterfalls. One person that has been very helpful is Bay City-based photographer Tom Clark who shared these photos of Alder Falls in Marquette County las fall, writing:

Set deep in a narrow gorge and draining a small swamp, Alder Falls twists and winds its way around massive Huron Mountain outcroppings to form several waterfalls. The largest drop is around ten feet high, fanning down black volcanic rock in a spreading cascade.

Read more & get directions to Alder Falls from GoWaterfalling.

Follow Tom on Flick or Facebook, and for sure head over to Tom Clark Photography to view & purchase his work. His Waterfalls & Rivers gallery is excellent!

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Waterfall Wednesday: Return to Root Beer Falls

Posted on by farlane
Root Beer Falls by David Hedquist

Root Beer Falls by David Hedquist

The Waterfall Record shares that Root Beer Falls:

…is not tall, only about 6′ tall. But it’s really cool and also easy to get to. The name of the falls comes from the color of the creek water. In the Upper Peninsula, many waterfalls like Tahquamenon Falls take on this color and it’s because of tannins, the chemical compounds that are also found in wine (especially red wine), tea, and coffee. Tannins give those and other things a bitter/astringent flavor or mouth-feel and different colors. (I’m a chemist, and I just think tannins are cool, so I felt like including it here!) The tannins here give the water a “root beer” color, hence the name.

The author adds that the directions to this waterfall off US-2 near Wakefield can be tricky so click through for more. Like many Michiganders, I grew up thinking that Tahquamenon Falls was “Rootbeer Falls”, so it was definitely a surprise to learn of the existence of an actual Root Beer Falls ten years ago this morning when searching for waterfall photos the Absolute Michigan group on Flickr.

David is the author of Waterfalling in Wisconsin. For sure follow his Facebook page and see more photos & a couple videos in his Root Beer Falls gallery on Flickr.

Let’s close with a gorgeous 4k video of Root Beer Falls by Douglas Felton. He has over 200 waterfall videos on his YouTube channel, so we will certainly check back in with him!

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Michigan Ice Fest is taming frozen falls in the Upper Peninsula

Posted on by farlane
Ice Climber by James Marvin Phelps

Ice Climber by James Marvin Phelps

Frozen Flow by James Marvin Phelps

Frozen Flow by James Marvin Phelps

Michigan Ice Fest is an annual ice climbing event that kicks off today and runs February 11-15, 2026 in Munising in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. The event is an annual celebration of the sport of ice climbing with competitions, clinics, and plenty of social fun! National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation has an interview with Michigan Ice Fest organizer Bill Thompson below that you should check out.

James took these photos last January in the Pictured Rocks. See more in his Michigan Waterfalls gallery and visit James Marvin Phelps Art to view & purchase his work!

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Mark your Waterfall Wednesdays on a Craig Sterken calendar!

Posted on by farlane
Manabezho Falls on the Presque Isle River by Craig Sterken

Manabezho Falls on the Presque Isle River by Craig Sterken

I feature a lot of waterfalls on Michigan in Pictures. Because I’m a sucker for alliteration, many of them are shared on “Waterfall Wednesdays”. This tasty shot of Manabezho Falls in Porcupine Mountains State Park is one of three waterfalls in the 2026 Michigan Four Seasons Wall Calendar from Michpics regular Craig Sterken.

Follow Craig Sterken Photography on Facebook for his latest and view & purchase his work on his website!

Check out more Michigan photo calendars on Michigan in Pictures.

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Waterfall Wednesday: The trips you don’t take…

Posted on by farlane
Canyon Falls by Karl Wertanen

Canyon Falls – October 24 by Karl Wertanen

Karl shared this photo the other day saying “I always ask myself… Which trip is going to cost more..? The one I take or the one I don’t take. Then I know for sure.”

Pure Michigan says that Canyon Falls aka the “Grand Canyon of the UP” is an easy to visit falls with a gorge that is quite impressive, at least by Michigan standards. A scenic trail along the Sturgeon River leads to a series of rapids and small waterfalls before you reach Canyon Falls where the river slides nearly 30′ over a large chute of smooth black rock into a box canyon.

In addition to wisdom, Karl also shares a lot of awesome photos. See lots more at Michigan Film Photographer Karl Wertanen on Facebook!

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Waterfall Wednesday: Return to Manganese Falls

Posted on by farlane
manganese-falls

Manganese Falls by John Gagnon

I shared this photo from John nine years ago but came back for a second look! Trip Advisor shares that Manganese Falls are fed by Lake Manganese, a pristine little lake worth visiting too:

The falls are at the mercy of the seasons. The falls run rampant in spring with all the snowmelt (270″ average) and rainfall. Then as the season progresses, they become much less intense ending in fall as not much more than a trickle. The box canyon that surrounds the falls is a beautiful and dramatic 100 foot drop. It is lined with mosses, ferns and other boreal fringe flora, making it worth the stop even in the fall. There is a scenic trail that leads down and over a bridge to the lower end of the falls. It is definitely worth taking if you have the time.

The awesome GoWaterfalling’s page for Manganese Falls has directions & more info!

See more in John’s Rivers/streams gallery on Flickr.

Lots more Michigan waterfalls on Michigan in Pictures!

Manganese Falls by John Gagnon

Manganese Falls by John Gagnon

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