I had a chance to visit the Pictured Rocks again this weekend, and the park never ceases to disappoint. I’m trying to think how many times I have visited, and it’s got to be around seven now. It must be at least two years since the last visit though. In the past few years, it became possible to drive through much more of the park, at least more easily now that H-58 is paved all the way from Munising to Grand Marais. I had read that a few people were disappointed that the road was no longer had that wilderness feeling. I, on the other hand, was finally excited to experience a few of the places that I had not visited because I really didn’t care for the previously long stretches of unpaved roads.
One place I was now able to visit much more easily was Hurricane River Falls. The parking area at the Hurricane River Campground not only leads to the falls, but very quickly to Lake Superior, and also is one place to start the hike to Au Sable Point Lighthouse. I haven’t yet visited the lighthouse, but I figure I need a reason to visit in the future (not that there aren’t hundreds of good reasons to visit the Pictured Rocks). The main focus was Hurricane River Falls, one of the few easy-to-visit waterfalls in the park that I had yet to visit. There are a few other far more hidden waterfalls I may never see without some assistance, but this is not one of them. It is only a few hundred feet or so from the parking area. Hurricane River Falls isn’t particularly tall, but it is an enjoyable waterfall. The largest drop appears to be found by taking a slight left from the parking area along the river. If you head down toward the beach, you can see what are more of rapids as they meet Lake Superior. I’m not sure that I would drive out of my way just for the falls, but there are many other reasons to visit the area.
Directions:
- From Grand Marais, head west on Alger County Road H-58.
- Keep going past the Log Slide Overlook (which is worth a stop).
- Drive a few more miles to the Lower Hurricane River Campground. If headed west, the turn will be on your right.
- Head a few hundred yards down the road to the dirt parking area.
- For the falls, just explore the river, both upstream and as it meets Lake Superior.
Accessibility: 9/10 (easy)
Height: 5′
Length of Hike: 0.1 miles round-trip
Hurricane River Falls in July 2013
Where in the World is Hurricane River Falls?
The Waterfall Record 
I used to visit this falls quite often with family in the summers. Not only is it a nice little falls with cool running water you can actually set in the pools and not get washed away. Also for fishermen, the mouth of the river is great for fishing for Menominee a long thin whitefish.
Also the coast line is excellent for star gazing and photo shoots of the sunsets on superior with lots of rocks and color in the waters.