Porch Notes
Bond Falls
Outdoors
If you ask Upper Peninsula folks to name the most beautiful waterfall in Michigan after Tahquamenon, a great many will say Bond Falls — and then insist it might be prettier.
Tucked into the woods of southern Ontonagon County near Paulding, in the western UP, Bond Falls is where the Middle Branch of the Ontonagon River spreads about a hundred feet wide and tumbles roughly fifty feet down a staircase of dark, fractured rock, breaking into dozens of white cascades. It is one of the most photographed spots in the whole peninsula, and one of the easiest to enjoy: a boardwalk with several viewing spots runs right across the river at the base, so you can stand in the middle of the falls without getting your boots wet.
One honest footnote: Bond is a natural waterfall, but a hydroelectric dam just upstream keeps its flow steady. Above the dam sits the Bond Falls Flowage — “flowage” being the local word for a reservoir — a favorite for trout fishing and camping. In winter the whole thing freezes into a wall of ice.
Where to see it
Bond Falls Scenic Site is a few miles east of Paulding off US-45. The accessible boardwalk is open for vehicle access roughly mid-May to mid-October; the trail is open year-round.