Porch Notes
Munising, the Waterfall Capital
Outdoors
Some towns have a waterfall. Munising, on the south shore of Lake Superior, is practically built among them — Alger County claims around seventeen named falls, and Munising fairly calls itself the Waterfall Capital of Michigan.
The easy in-town samplers are the place to start. Munising Falls drops about fifty feet at the head of a shaded sandstone canyon, reached by a short paved walk right in town; in winter it freezes into a great column of ice, which is why Munising is also a famous ice-climbing destination. A few minutes south, Wagner Falls slips about twenty feet over mossy ledges at a quiet scenic site. Out toward the Pictured Rocks cliffs, Miners Falls thunders over a sandstone shelf at the end of a short forest trail.
And those are just the ones you can drive to. Several of the prettiest — Bridalveil, Spray, Chapel — spill straight toward Lake Superior and are best seen from the deck of a Pictured Rocks boat cruise.
Where to see it
Base yourself in Munising. Munising Falls (off H-58) and Wagner Falls (off M-94) are quick stops; Miners Falls is a short hike near Miners Castle; the shoreline falls are best by boat.