Miners Falls is a pretty cascade near Munising in Michigan's Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, and it's relatively easy to access via a 1.2-mile round trip hike through the woods.
We decided to pack in our camera tripods to the waterfalls so we could experiment a bit with different shutter speeds as we did with Wagner Falls during this same trip. The trail is fairly level most of the way, but there is a final 77-step flight of stairs leading to the lower of the two viewing platforms at the end of the trail.
Still, this is among one of the most accessible falls in the National Lakeshore. The pretty walk along a graveled path through the woods offers several views of Miners Basin and, at the right time of year, you'll see lots of wildflowers.
We were a bit late for the peak of the spring wildflower season, but there were still plenty of little blue flowers that added a bit of accent color to the greens and browns of the forest in early June.
We could hear the roar of the waterfall for quite a ways along the trail before we finally spotted the 40-foot-tall falls dropping over a sandstone outcrop from Miners River.
There is a small parking area at the trailhead, although photographers report that getting back to even the lot in the winter can prove difficult over the unplowed roads, but you can always try snowmobiling out to the falls.
Check out a couple of great winter shots of Miners Falls that I found online from photographers Aaron Peterson and John McCormick.
To learn more about the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, check out my story Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore boat cruise excites the imagination in northern Michigan.
Michigan's Upper Peninsula has nearly 200 waterfalls. Check them out with A Guide to 199 Michigan Waterfalls by Laurie Penrose.
You can also check out these reads for more information about the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore: Pictured Rocks: From Land and Sea by Craig Blacklock, Geology and Landscape of Michigan's Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and Vicinity by William L. Blewett or Hunt's Map Guide to Michigan's Upper Peninsula by Mary and Don Hunt.
© Dominique King 2013 All rights reserved
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