Hi there!

 

The hike to Laughing Whitefish Falls is around a 1 mile long round trip.

And, it’s through a forest so it’s like a nice relatively short nature walk to get to see waterfalls!

There are stairs for one of the Laughing Whitefish Falls overlooks, though!

 

Laughing whitefish falls scenic site. Michigan State Park. Best waterfalls in UP upper peninsula Michigan. Michigan travel blog

 

If you’re chasing waterfalls in the UP, the Laughing Whitefish Falls might be worth putting on your Michigan waterfalls list!

 

Laughing whitefish falls scenic site. Michigan State Park. Best waterfalls in UP upper peninsula Michigan. Michigan travel blog

Laughing whitefish falls. Best waterfalls in UP upper peninsula Michigan. Michigan travel blog

Laughing whitefish falls. Best waterfalls in UP upper peninsula Michigan. Michigan travel blog

Laughing whitefish falls. Best waterfalls in UP upper peninsula Michigan. Michigan travel blog

Laughing whitefish falls scenic site. Michigan State Park. Best waterfalls in UP upper peninsula Michigan. Michigan travel blog

Laughing whitefish falls scenic site. Michigan State Park. Best waterfalls in UP upper peninsula Michigan. Michigan travel blog

Laughing whitefish falls scenic site. Michigan State Park. Best waterfalls in UP upper peninsula Michigan. Michigan travel blog

Laughing whitefish falls scenic site. Michigan state park. Best waterfalls in UP upper peninsula Michigan. Michigan travel blog

 

It requires a pretty short hike through a forest to get to the first waterfalls overlook.

 

Laughing whitefish falls hiking trail. Best waterfall hikes in UP upper peninsula Michigan. Michigan travel blog

 

And then there’s a set of stairs you can take to get a lower view of the waterfalls.

 

Laughing whitefish falls hiking trail. Best waterfall hikes in UP upper peninsula Michigan. Michigan travel blog

Laughing whitefish falls hiking trail. Best waterfall hikes in UP upper peninsula Michigan. Michigan travel blog

 

Compared to some other popular waterfalls that are in the Upper Peninsula, Laughing Whitefish Falls seems to get far fewer visitors.

If your Lake Superior tour takes you around Marquette and Pictured Rocks, a visit to Laughing Whitefish Falls isn’t that far out of the way. (More on this below.)

 

 

Why is it called the Laughing Whitefish Falls?

According to Michigan State Parks:

The Laughing Whitefish River flows into Lake Superior at Laughing Whitefish Point.

The point is so named because the rocks at the tip of the point resemble a laughing fish when viewed from the water.

 

Facts and information about Laughing White Fish Falls scenic site, Michigan State Parks. Michigan travel blog

Facts and information about Laughing White Fish Falls scenic site, Michigan State Parks. Michigan travel blog

Facts and information about Laughing White Fish Falls scenic site, Michigan State Parks. Michigan travel blog

 

 

When to go to Laughing Whitefish Falls during your U.P. road trip

I was doing a sort of “circle the UP” type of road trip. I went to Laughing Whitefish Falls on the drive from Pictured Rocks to Marquette.

So if you’re driving west (in the direction of Wisconsin), you can add this waterfall stop to your drive on the day you are driving to Marquette.

You might be coming from places like Tahquamenon Falls, Grand Marais, Pictured Rocks, Munising, or Au Train. (That is listed in order from east to west.)

Likewise, if you’re driving east (the direction you’d drive to head towards lower Michigan), you can add this waterfall stop to your drive on the day you leave Marquette when you’re heading east.

Your next destination after Marquette might be places like Au Train, Munising, Pictured Rocks, Grand Marais, or Tahquamenon Falls. (That is listed in order from west to east.)

If you’re doing a day trip from Marquette to Kitch-iti-kipi (1.5 hour drive one way), it’s reasonable add a stop at Laughing Whitefish Falls too.

Making the waterfall stop will add about 30 minutes of drive time, compared to just driving straight to Kitch-iti-kipi.

 

 

Backpacking the North Country Trail

Laughing White Fish Falls, backpacking the North Country Trail. Michigan travel blog

 

The North Country Trail is a national scenic trail that extends for 4,600 miles across many states from the midwest to the east coast.

It also goes near the Laughing Whitefish Falls, so you can see the waterfalls with a detour off the North Country Trail.

 

 

Now…

More PHOTOS of Laughing Whitefish Falls

…and the road to getting there

 

The spot is officially called the Laughing Whitefish Falls Scenic Site, and it’s a part of Michigan State Parks. Once you get near, you’ll see a sign.

 

Getting to Laughing White Fish Falls scenic site drive directions, a Michigan State Park. road to drive there. Michigan travel blog

Getting to Laughing White Fish Falls scenic site, a Michigan State Park. road to drive there. Michigan travel blog

Getting to Laughing White Fish Falls scenic site, a Michigan State Park. Michigan travel blog

 

Once turning off the main road, it was a couple of minutes on a paved road, which then turned into a couple of minutes on a dirt road, and then you’re at the Laughing Whitefish Falls parking lot!

There is a bathroom at the trailhead.

 

Getting to Laughing White Fish Falls scenic site, a Michigan State Park. road to drive there. Michigan travel blog

Getting to Laughing White Fish Falls scenic site, a Michigan State Park. road to drive there. Michigan travel blog

Getting to Laughing White Fish Falls scenic site, a Michigan State Park. road to drive there. Michigan travel blog

Getting to Laughing White Fish Falls scenic site, a Michigan State Park. road to drive there. Michigan travel blog

Getting to Laughing White Fish Falls scenic site, a Michigan State Park. road to drive there. Michigan travel blog

Getting to Laughing White Fish Falls scenic site, a Michigan State Park. Michigan travel blog

Getting to Laughing White Fish Falls scenic site, a Michigan State Park. road to drive there. Michigan travel blog

Laughing White Fish Falls parking lot trailhead start location. Michigan travel blog

Laughing White Fish Falls bathroom toilet at parking lot trailhead start location. Michigan travel blog

 

 

Cost of visiting Laughing Whitefish Falls

Cost of Laughing White Fish Falls, Michigan State Parks entry recreation passport. Michigan travel blog

 

This is a scenic site that’s a part of Michigan State Parks that requires the Michigan recreation passport. 

If you’re a Michigan resident, hopefully you already have the annual recreation passport, in which case it basically makes this a FREE waterfall spot!

If you don’t have the recreation passport, or you’re from out of state, there’s an honor system going on to pay the park fee.

In 2020, for Michigan residents the annual pass is around $17 when purchased at a state park. For out-of-state residents, the annual pass is around $34 while the daily pass is around $9. See current fees here.

 

Cost of Laughing White Fish Falls, Michigan State Parks entry recreation passport. Michigan travel blog

Cost of Laughing White Fish Falls, Michigan State Parks entry recreation passport. Michigan travel blog

 

There wasn’t anyone monitoring this site when I was there in July 2020.

 

 

The trail to the waterfalls

Anytime you see one of these shoe brush things at the start of a trail, use it! Because well, why not!

 

Laughing whitefish falls hiking shoes. what to wear. Michigan travel blog

Laughing whitefish falls hiking shoes. what to wear. Michigan travel blog

Laughing whitefish falls hiking shoes. what to wear. Michigan travel blog

Laughing whitefish falls hiking shoes. what to wear. Michigan travel blog

 

So then you’ll start the trail, and it’ll be about a 10 minute walk until you see the first overlook for the waterfalls.

It’s a hike through the forest!

 

Laughing whitefish falls hiking trail. waterfall hike in UP. Michigan travel blog

Laughing whitefish falls hiking trail. waterfall hike in UP. Michigan travel blog

Laughing whitefish falls hiking trail. waterfall hike in UP. Michigan travel blog

Laughing whitefish falls hiking trail. waterfall hike in UP. Michigan travel blog

Laughing whitefish falls hiking trail. waterfall hike in UP. Michigan travel blog

Laughing whitefish falls hiking trail. waterfall hike in UP. Michigan travel blog

Laughing whitefish falls hiking trail. waterfall hike in UP. Michigan travel blog

 

Your first glimpse of the waterfalls!

 

Laughing whitefish falls. Best waterfalls in UP upper peninsula Michigan. Michigan travel blog

Laughing whitefish falls. Best waterfalls in UP upper peninsula Michigan. Michigan travel blog

Laughing whitefish falls. Best waterfalls in UP upper peninsula Michigan. Michigan travel blog

Laughing whitefish falls. Best waterfalls in UP upper peninsula Michigan. Michigan travel blog

Laughing whitefish falls. Best waterfalls in UP upper peninsula Michigan. Michigan travel blog

Laughing whitefish falls. Best waterfalls in UP upper peninsula Michigan. Michigan travel blog

 

Then, after you’ve taken in the waterfall views from this first overlook, you can take the stairs down for a different view of the waterfalls.

 

Laughing whitefish falls hiking trail. stairs on waterfall hike in UP. Michigan travel blog

Laughing whitefish falls hiking trail. stairs on waterfall hike in UP. Michigan travel blog

Laughing whitefish falls hiking trail. stairs on waterfall hike in UP. Michigan travel blog

Laughing whitefish falls hiking trail. stairs on waterfall hike in UP. Michigan travel blog

Laughing whitefish falls. Best waterfalls in UP upper peninsula Michigan. Michigan travel blog

Laughing whitefish falls. Best waterfalls in UP upper peninsula Michigan. Michigan travel blog

Laughing whitefish falls. Best waterfalls in UP upper peninsula Michigan. Michigan travel blog

 

And then you can continue to take the stairs down for one more official waterfall viewing spot.

 

Laughing whitefish falls hiking trail. stairs on waterfall hike in UP. Michigan travel blog

Laughing whitefish falls hiking trail. stairs on waterfall hike in UP. Michigan travel blog

Laughing whitefish falls hiking trail. stairs on waterfall hike in UP. Michigan travel blog

Laughing whitefish falls hiking trail. stairs on waterfall hike in UP. Michigan travel blog

Laughing whitefish falls. Best waterfalls in UP upper peninsula Michigan. Michigan travel blog

Laughing whitefish falls. Best waterfalls in UP upper peninsula Michigan. Michigan travel blog

 

And that’s a bit of what you’ll see with a visit to the Laughing Whitefish Falls!

 

See the Michigan waterfalls road trip route!

 

More of the U.P.

 

HAPPY HIKING TO THE LAUGHING WHITEFISH WATERFALLS!

 

Laughing whitefish falls scenic site. Michigan state park. Best waterfalls in UP upper peninsula Michigan. Michigan travel blog

 

 

 

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