45 Upper Peninsula Waterfalls and Jaw-Dropping Scenic Spots (Plus a Map) Your Family Will Love This Summer

45 Upper Peninsula Waterfalls and Jaw-Dropping Scenic Spots (Plus a Map) Your Family Will Love This Summer | By Sherry Trautman | Traveling Michigan

I just had a BLAST researching and planning this epic Upper Peninsula Michigan Road Trip!  It's packed with Michigan waterfalls, exciting glass bottom ship wreck tours, hiking trails, restaurants and things to see in the Munising and Pictured Rocks area. 

We hope you find the interactive map helpful as you plan your trip.  For us, it's invaluable to see locations on a map to better organize our routes to save time, frustration and gas.  

*Be sure to bookmark this page so you can find it as you travel between waterfalls and fun stops!

Interactive Upper Peninsula Waterfalls Map

Be sure to click this Upper Peninsula Waterfalls link so you can be connected live with Google Maps.   

Helpful Map Tips:

• Click on the plus and minus in the left corner to zoom in or out of the map.
• Click on the icons for more info, addresses and photos of the stops.
• Click on the map to drag and move it to view surrounding areas.
• In the Header, click on the rectangle in the upper left of the map to see a menu of all of our stops. Click on anything that looks interesting to see where it is on the map. To hide the menu, click the rectangle in the header. 
• In the Header, click on the "square" icon in the upper right side to expand the map for better viewing. 

Notes to Optimize Your Map:

• All of the Michigan waterfalls are listed at the top alphabetically and tell you how far the waterfall is from the trail head.  Some are roadside, others are a short walk while some require 2-3 mile round trip hikes.  The best part is, you can tell at a glance how much effort each waterfall will take. 
• RT stands for round trip-there and back.
• Click on the icons above for more info.
• I have also included trail head parking spots for some waterfalls so look out for that. 
• A grocery store and a couple restaurants are also listed. More will be added as we explore. 
• Lots of other attractions are listed like a zoo, glass bottom shipwreck tours, Grand Island boat tours and much more.

Distances for Time Management Planning

Mackinaw City to Naubinway (restaurants/rest stop is there) - 1 hr (48.8 miles)

Naubinway to Seney National Wildlife Refuge -  38 minutes (37 miles)

Seney National Wildlife Refuge to Munising - 43 min (41.6 miles)

GRAND TOTAL: Mackinaw City to Munising - 2 hrs 21 minutes (125 miles)

Begin the Upper Peninsula Waterfalls Road Trip at Mackinaw City!

We will begin this trip at Mackinaw City and continue north over the Bridge and west on U.S. Route 2.  Be sure to tour Mackinaw City as there is so much to and see!

Grab our guide, hints and tips when visiting Mackinac Island!!

Stop for Lunch at Moofinfries Along the Way!

We enjoyed our stop at Moofinfries for lunch, a little hidden gem along U.S. Route 2 in Naubinway.  The owner of this family owned restaurant came out and talked to everyone and thanked us for coming in. It made the stop feel more special as we love supporting local businesses.

Moofinfries has burgers, fish and fries, hence their witty name!  Oh, and ice cream!  Chris really loved the fries!

Seney National Wildlife Preserve is Spectacular!

Seney National Wildlife Preserve is now one of our favorite places to stop in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.  The Marshland Wildlife Drive is a peaceful 7 mile drive that takes about an hour if you stop several times to take pictures and enjoy the scenery.  You will drive past marshes with spectacular views and cross two bridges.  This drive is open May 15-October 29.  

There is a visitor's center with restrooms and also a park with picnic tables and a porta john. The road is gravel, not paved.  Horseflies can be present so you may need to keep your windows up.  

Visit our dedicated Seney National Wildlife Preserve page for more photos, maps, videos and information.

Wagner Falls is a WOW Factor in My Book

Wagner Falls in the UP is a short flat walk along a lovely curving boardwalk and through the beautiful woods. The parking area is gravel and dirt which can be VERY muddy if it just rained.   Read More about Wagner Falls!

Alger Falls Has Understated Beauty

Alger Falls is a very pretty roadside waterfall.  You can see it from your car!  Located at the M-28 and M-94 intersection east of Munising, this Upper Peninsula waterfall is best viewed in the later afternoon for the best light.

Tannery and Memorial Falls (The Twin Falls) Are Amazing!

We had so much fun and took so many pictures that we dedicated a page just to Tannery and Memorial Falls!  

Munising Falls

Munsing Falls is a very short, paved trail that is 800 feet one way. It is shaded most of the way with lots of trees and the sandstone canyon along Munising Creek.  The main paved trail leads to the viewing platform to view the breathtaking 50-foot waterfall. 

Park at the Munising Falls Visitor's Center. Restrooms with flush toilets, drinking fountains and running water are available.  Great map of the area is also there. 

We love heading up the stairs to the higher viewing platforms to see a different perspective of Munising Falls.  It's one heck of a view!!  Pets allowed on trail and stairs. I hear it's fantastic in the winter!

Sand Point Marsh Trail

THIS is one heck of a stop along your Upper Peninsula Waterfalls adventure.  The .8 mile boardwalk is definitely worth your time!

See more photos and videos on our Pictured Rocks page!

Scott Falls

These pretty little falls are located across the street from the Roadside Park Drive on 28, west of Munising (which is where you will park).  The photo is deceiving as Scott Falls is taller than it looks.  You can easily walk under the falls, as it is 10 feet tall. 

You can also climb to the top of these Upper Peninsula waterfalls from the left side to see the pretty river that feeds the waterfall. 

Miner's Falls

Beautiful 1.2 mile round trip walk to the falls.  Great views on the platform that is level with the top of the falls. If you are agile and wearing decent shoes, it's fun to climb down to the lower level. It's lots of boulders and using your hands, feet and full body to climb down.  

Elliot Falls and Miner's Beach

Plan to spend about an hour here as the beach and rock formations are just spectacular!  We absolutely love sitting on the beach watching kayakers and the Pictured Rocks Cruises pass by.  It's a perfect beach for stand up paddle boarding and swimming!

Elliot Falls is a small waterfall it is just gorgeous due to the orange rock formations all around it. 

Take time to sit on the beach, go swimming or just enjoy walking along the beach.  There is no fee to park or go to this beach. 

Check Out Ocqueoc Falls in Michigan's Lower Peninsula!

If you are like us, you never even knew the Ocqueoc Falls even existed! But they do and they are exquisite! Check it out!

We will post the remainder of these falls soon!! In the mean time, there is lots of info about the rest of the falls in the map at the top of this page, such as parking and distances to the falls.

I hope this page helped you plan and enjoy the sights of Michigan's Upper Peninsula Waterfalls!

Pin This Upper Peninsula Waterfalls Road Trip Page!

Keep Reading!

• Fun Guide to Tahquamenon Falls State Park
• See the Breathtaking Cut River Bridge Roadside Park in Michigan's Upper Peninsula
• Have You Visited Manistique? 
• See the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum and Edmond Fitzgerald Bell at Whitefish Point!

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Have you seen Minor’s Falls in Munising, Mi? These waterfalls are incredibly impressive and a joy to see! It’s good for your soul!! peaceful! . . . #munising #munisingmichigan #minorsfalls #waterfalls #waterfallsofinstagram #waterfallphotography #michigan #puremichigan #getoutside #summermichigan #lovemichigan #picturedrocks #picturedrocksnationallakeshore #travelingmichigan

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