Grand Marais

Kadunce River Falls, Minnesota

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I recently mentioned a waterfall that I couldn’t remember. In the case of Kadunce River Falls, I do remember the waterfall, but what I don’t remember is why I didn’t continue further along the trail. I know I visited the first significant drop along the river, but there are at least three other drops along the river, including one which the authors of the book I used dubbed Heart of the Earth Falls.

It could be that the authors of “Waterfalls of Minnesota’s North Shore”, the Wallingas, mentioned there were steep canyon walls? (It’s a question.) I don’t really remember, but I’m not a fan of big drops, so I might have turned around. I’ve done that before, though usually the drops are much larger in magnitude. Instead, it could be that I was just really tired by that point. I did take this photo later in the day, and had visited MANY waterfalls previous to this one. It may have also been that I had wandered further but hadn’t found what I expected to find. I’m guessing it was some combination of all three, though most likely the tired factor.

Just getting to the base of this waterfall required a lot of effort. I remember being worn out and sweaty after this one waterfall. It’s maybe 70′ to the base, and it’s rather steep, though more manageable than one might expect. There’s a cool and creepy cave right next to the falls. It was a lot of work to see a ~10′ waterfall, but I was determined to have a photo of something. This also gives me a reason to go back and check out more waterfalls along the North Shore. (I really want to go in the fall when the leaves are changing!)

Directions:

  1. From Grand Marais, continue just over 9 miles northeast along MN-61 to the Kadunce River State Wayside.
  2. If headed northeast, the wayside will be on your right. You will then need to cross MN-61 to reach the trail.
  3. The total trail length is about 1 mile one-way to see all of the falls, if I understand correctly. This first waterfall might be about 0.3 miles in…

Accessibility: 2/10 (to get to base, it’s very slippery, though possible…Be careful!)
Height: 10′
Length of Hike: 0.6 miles round-trip

Kadunce River Falls in May 2010

Where in the World is Kadunce River Falls?

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Split Rock Falls #7, Minnesota

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The Split Rock River is a beautiful hike near Minnesota’s North Shore. At the time, it wasn’t a favorite, and I do still believe there are other more interesting waterfalls in the area. But after a period of time, I do believe the photographs of the falls along the river are more beautiful than I remember. The red rock in the area really stands out with this set of falls.

I think I might have been tired at the time. Some of the more interesting falls along this river are also the more difficult to view and photograph because of trees along with the natural curve of the river. I wouldn’t necessarily trust the numbering, but I think this was the 7th waterfall I was able to visit along the path. It is also the last that I viewed before turning around. The trail along the river continues on for a considerable distance. This falls actually seems to be two separate rivers/creeks that meet. It is interesting, but I wasn’t very close the falls.

Directions:

  1. Heading north on MN-61 along the Lake Superior shoreline, you’ll enter Split Rock State Park. The Split Rock River is very close to the southern boundary, and so you’ll see the parking area.
  2. A sign indicating the Split Rock River is your best bet at identifying the parking lot for the falls. It is a smaller parking lot used frequently by fisherman. At the start of the trail head, you’ll see a sign indicating the trail.
  3. After about 0.5 miles, you’ll come to a fork in the trail. Head along the right fork, where you’ll soon come to West Split Rock River Falls. Keep heading along that trail, which goes on for a considerable distance. I only traveled about 2 miles along the trail (one-way).

Accessibility: 6/10 (moderate)
Height: 30′
Distance of hike: 0.5 to 2.0 miles one-way, depending on how far you’d like to go…and it keeps going.

Split Rock River Falls #7 in May 2010

Where in the World is Split Rock Falls #7?

Fall River Falls, Minnesota

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Fall River Falls in mid-May 2010

Fall River Falls is a very photogenic waterfall that is also easily accessible. It’s not very widely advertised, though, likely due to the fact that it’s not very tall or wide.

And yet, I think it is one of the more impressive waterfalls along MN-61 on the North Shore of Minnesota. The iron-red colors on the rock accentuate the gently-flowing waterfall. There are very colorful shots to be had here. It’s almost the opposite of the waterfalls in Oregon, where the rocks are all green. Here the rocks are red without much hint of green life on the rocks. Stop and take a look at this smaller waterfall. It’s likely you’ll be the only person there, and yet it’s so easy to get to.

Directions:

  1. Heading southwest from Grand Marais, drive for 2 miles on MN-61. You’re looking for mile-marker 107.
  2. Around mile marker 107, you will likely see a gravel pit, and just south of that is the Fall River. You can park at the gravel pit or you can park just north of the river on the east side of the ride.
  3. From there, look for the Fall River, and right near the river, you should see a trail heading toward Lake Superior. Follow this trail for a short distance, and you should find the falls.

Accessibility: 9/10 (easy)
Height: 30′
Length of Hike: 0.2 miles round-trip

Where in the World is Fall River Falls?

The Cascades, Minnesota

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The Cascades in May 2010

The North Shore of Minnesota has a nice variety of waterfall settings. Some of these waterfalls require longer hikes, whereas others are very accessible. Obviously, those that are more accessible are the most frequently visited. Gooseberry Falls, a very nice set of falls, is probably one of the most popular. The falls on the Split Rock River are probably the least traversed. The falls on the Cascade River fit somewhere in the middle.

The Cascades refers to a group of falls that can be viewed from a specific vantage point along the Cascade River. These falls are upstream from Cascade Falls. At least three falls can be seen from the bridge over the river. The first falls is just thirty or forty feet from the bridge, and is very pretty. The second and third falls are pretty evenly spaced, and are a few hundred feet upstream. It may be rather difficult to get a great view of the second and third falls up close, but I really didn’t explore that very much. I wanted to see The Cascades, but didn’t plan on spending a considerable amount of time there. There were other falls I planned on visiting. There are other falls beginning a mile or so upstream, at least that is what is shown on the map.

Directions:

  1. The parking area for The Cascades and Cascade River State Park are found off of MN-61 a few miles south of Grand Marais. The parking area is on the left side of the road if you are driving north.
  2. After finding the parking area for the falls, you can head upstream on either side of the river, but I started on the south side. That seems to provide better views of the falls.

Accessibility: 8/10 (easy/moderate)
Height: 15′
Length of Hike: 0.4 miles round-trip

Where in the World is The Cascades?

Sable Falls, Michigan

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I’ve visited Sable Falls three times in the past five years, and it always seems to surprise me. The pictures of Sable Falls can never do it justice. I think it might have to do with the fact that it has multiple drops that lead to a sort of optical illusion.  Each drop is rather large but it definitely doesn’t look like that!

The very short hike to the waterfall seems to have changed since my first visit in 2005, though maybe I just don’t remember it that well. During my first visit, I seem to remember that you could walk up very close to the falls without any difficulty. In 2008, many stairs had been built and viewpoints had been installed. At the end of the viewpoint at the base, it now is “blocked” off from leaving the approved trail, though I can tell that people still do find a way.

While there are many waterfalls in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Sable Falls is essentially off by its lonely self. On the western side of the park (near Munising), there are a multitude of falls within a 10 or 15 mile radius. Sable Falls is really the only major fall in its general vicinity. If you’re in the area, check out Grand Marais and the Grand Sable Dunes, as you won’t find many other waterfalls in the area.

Directions:

  1. From M-28, head north on M-77 until you enter the village of Grand Marais.
  2. At the intersection of M-77 and County Road H-58, turn left and head west on H-58.
  3. After just 2 miles or so, you’ll come to the parking area for Sable Falls, which is clearly marked. If you drive a short distance further, you’ll come to the East Visitor’s Center.
  4. At the Sable Falls parking area, follow the signs to the falls.

Accessibility: 9/10 (easy, there are stairs)
Height: 25′
Length of Hike: 0.5 miles round-trip

Sable Falls in May 2008

Where in the World is Sable Falls?

Split Rock Falls #6, Minnesota

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Split Rock State Park is most widely known for the amazing Split Rock Lighthouse. Inside the park, though, is the Split Rock River. Along the river, there are a number of drops. As a whole, the set of waterfalls are not extremely exciting. The hike is very beautiful, but some of the drops are blocked by trees, while others are smaller. The red rock along the river is the one thing that makes the waterfalls more memorable.

The hike to the later falls, the 6th or 7th major one shown below, is a longer hike. It is not a terrible hike, though there are a lot of short ups and downs. It probably would have been more enjoyable if I hadn’t put on a new pair of shoes just that day…Now that I think about it, much more enjoyable. Check out the falls if you’re in the area, but there are still other falls that are more interesting.

Directions:

  1. Heading north on MN-61 along the Lake Superior shoreline, you’ll enter Split Rock State Park. The Split Rock River is very close to the southern boundary, and so you’ll see the parking area.
  2. A sign indicating the Split Rock River is your best bet at identifying the parking lot for the falls. It is a smaller parking lot used frequently by fisherman. At the start of the trail head, you’ll see a sign indicating the trail.
  3. After about 0.5 miles, you’ll come to a fork in the trail. Head along the right fork, where you’ll soon come to West Split Rock River Falls. Keep heading along that trail, which goes on for a considerable distance. I only traveled about 2 miles along the trail (one-way).

Accessibility: 6/10 (moderate)
Height: 20′
Distance of hike: 0.5 to 2.0 miles one-way, depending on how far you’d like to go…and it keeps going

One of the upper drops on the Split Rock River (May 2010)

Where in the World is Split Rock Falls #6?