5+ Best Pictured Rocks waterfalls (easy + views + waterfall hikes!) 🌳 Upper Peninsula Michigan travel blog

Hi there!

So if you’re looking for waterfalls in Michigan, you can see a number of them right in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore!

Some can be quick visits, and some can turn into hikes that are 1-2 hours long.

There are also options to turn your waterfall visit into a longer day by doing a few more noteworthy things while you’re in the area.

There are also waterfalls to see directly on the lake shoreline! (That would be Lake Superior of the Great Lakes.)

I spent several days in Pictured Rocks which included seeing waterfalls, and here’s what you need to know!

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore basically has 2 sides. The Munising side and the Grand Marais side. Most of the waterfalls are on the Munising side. This list generally goes in order from Munising to Grand Marais, west to east.

1. Munising Falls

This can be a pretty quick visit. The trailhead is located right at the Munising Falls Visitor Center. 

There are 3 different viewpoints on the trail. It’s about a 5 minute walk to get to the straight on waterfall viewpoint. And then there are stairs that you can take to get to the 2 other viewpoints.

See more about Munising Falls.

2. Miners Falls

This is another shorter waterfall visit that’s listed as 1.2 miles round trip, with some stairs. The trail will take you to an overlook of the waterfalls.

See more about Miners Falls.

3. Elliot Falls

Go to Elliot Falls to see small waterfalls flowing into Lake Superior!

These waterfalls may also be called the Miners Beach Falls. You access these waterfalls from Miners Beach!

There’s a parking lot right near Miners Beach, and you can go to these waterfalls from there.

Then, to get to Elliot Falls, you can go down the stairs to the beach, and then make it a beach walk to the waterfalls! It will be off to the right as you are facing the lake.

Or, there is also a trail runs a bit higher up, and you can make it a hike from above with views of Lake Superior to get you to the waterfalls!

And if you are looking for a bit longer of a hike in Pictured Rocks, then you can even start the hike from a bit further away, from the Miners Castle overlook.

There is a trail that goes from Miners Castle to Miners Beach. Once you get to the far end of the beach near the waterfalls, there’s a trail that you can take down to the beach. This would be around a 3 mile hike round trip.

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4. Chapel Falls

This can be a hike loaded with tons of things to see if you go further than the waterfalls!

You can take the trail to see Chapel Falls, and then you can go further where you will see smaller waterfalls, along with another overlook of Chapel Falls.

See more about Chapel Falls.

Then, if you keep going past the overlook for Chapel Falls, that will take you to the Lake Superior shoreline, which includes a chance to see the famous Chapel Rock that has a tree growing on it. 

5. Chapel Beach Falls

Also if you go past further than Chapel Falls, and further past Chapel Rock, you will get to a sandy Lake Superior beach! 

And at this sandy beach is a chance to see some small waterfalls flowing onto the beach, and flowing into Lake Superior!

You can also hang out at Chapel Beach. People do go swimming in Lake Superior, although the water tends to be cold.

And if you keep walking further along, you can hike the Chapel Loop Trail, which is said to be the only hike that you can see the famous Pictured Rocks cliffs by foot.

6. Sable Falls

These waterfalls are closer to Grand Marais. 

This is another waterfall trail that will take you to the Lake Superior shoreline.

After you pass Sable Falls, which require a set of stairs to get to, you can keep walking to go to Lake Superior. At the lake, you’ll see a beach with tons of color rocks! aka good spot to search for agate stones, although you can only LOOK for stones here. As a national park (national lakeshore), the nature here is protected so you’re not supposed to take any rocks home with you.

From Sable Falls Trail, you can also access a spot to see some nice sand dunes!

See more about Sable Falls.

Cost to see waterfalls in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

According to the National Park Service:

To access Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, you must possess and display:

Pictured Rocks 7-Day or Annual Entrance Pass

OR

America the Beautiful Pass (Annual, Military, Fourth Grade, Senior, or Volunteer).

If you already have an America the Beautiful Pass, you do not need to buy a separate Pictured Rocks Entrance Pass!

The Pictured Rocks entry fee will cover all trails and waterfalls in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

The cost to visit Pictured Rocks in 2023 is $20 per car. This will get you a 7-day Pictured Rocks national park pass. (There is no one-day Pictured Rocks pass.)

Confirm current Pictured Rocks fees.

You can buy a Pictured Rocks national park pass at a Pictured Rocks visitor center when you arrive, or you can buy it online at recreation.gov before you go.

If you will also be visiting other national parks that have entry fees, then you may want to look into getting an annual national park pass aka the America the Beautiful pass!

This annual national park pass will also be accepted at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

Other popular national parks “near” Michigan include Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky and Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee and North Carolina, but these parks do not have a national park entry fee.

If you have several more weeks to spare in the summer or fall, you can make use of the America the Beautiful national park pass by driving out to Yellowstone National Park!

You can go to national parks in Wyoming and national parks in South Dakota, and you could even add on a national park in North Dakota and/or a national park site in Idaho! See how I did the drive from Chicago to Yellowstone.

If you are a senior, there is also an annual national park pass for seniors that will be worth it even if you only visit Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore! It’s $20! See current fees under America the Beautiful passes.

3+ Waterfalls near Munising (outside of Pictured Rocks)

Chasing waterfalls in the UP?!

Here are more waterfalls to look into that are somewhat near Pictured Rocks! Drive time listed is from the Pictured Rocks Visitor Center at Munising Falls.

1. Wagner Falls

Pictured Rocks to Wagner Falls is around a 10 minute drive. See more about Wagner Falls for waterfalls near Pictured Rocks.

2. Alger Falls

Pictured Rocks to Alger Falls is around a 10 minute drive. See more about Alger Falls for waterfalls near Pictured Rocks.

3. Scott Falls

Pictured Rocks to Scott Falls is around a 20 minute drive. See more about Scott Falls for waterfalls near Pictured Rocks.

4. Laughing Whitefish Falls

Pictured Rocks to Laughing Whitefish Falls is around a 40 minute drive. See more about Laughing Whitefish Falls for waterfalls near Pictured Rocks. You can visit here on your way to Marquette. See more things to do on the drive from Munising to Marquette.

See the Michigan waterfalls road trip route!

More for your drive:

• Driving from Grand Marais to Pictured Rocks
• Driving from Pictured Rocks to Marquette

Recap! Quick list: 5+ waterfalls you need to see in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

1. Munising Falls

The hike to Munising Falls is less than 0.5 mile round trip, with the option for side trails up the stairs.

2. Miners Falls

The hike to Miners Falls is around 1.2 miles round trip, with stairs.

3. Elliott Falls

Elliott Falls flows into Lake Superior! The hike to Elliott Falls is less than 1 mile round trip from Miners Beach parking lot. You can make it a longer day hike by starting from Miners Castle.

4. Chapel Falls

Chapel Falls Trail is a hiking trail with waterfalls and a sandy beach! The hike to Chapel Falls is around 3 miles round trip to waterfalls, longer if you hike to Lake Superior (and the beach), and even longer if you hike to see the famous Pictured Rocks cliffs!

5. Chapel Beach Falls

Chapel Beach Falls are waterfalls on the beach! The hike to Chapel Falls Beach is around 7 miles round trip. Getting here is a continuation of the hike to Chapel Falls.

6. Sable Falls

Sable Falls Trail is a hiking trail with waterfalls and a colorful beach to search for agate stones! The hike to Sable Falls is around 0.6 mile round trip with stairs to the waterfalls, longer if you hike to Lake Superior.

HAPPY HIKING TO WATERFALLS IN PICTURED ROCKS NATIONAL LAKESHORE!