MNA Memorial Falls

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MNA Memorial Falls on Dec 2, 2000

Saturday, December 2, 2000

MNA Memorial Falls are one of Munising's well-kept secrets. I've traveled to Munising off and on for 13 years since I first came through on a trip in 1987, and it was only this spring that a friend clued me into the fact that these falls even existed. What's more, they are closer to town, and more fun to visit, than the highly touted Munising Falls. I had been to these falls once before, in October, with my four-year old son. Today I went back with my camera to capture some photos for this web site.

Safety!

There are several safety issues that you should consider when visiting these falls. In spite of your proximity to town, you'll likely be out on the woods by yourself. These are not tourist falls. Canyon edges are unprotected—there are no railings to keep you from falling over, and there are no rangers to keep you from doing something stupid. Use caution, and think ahead about what can go wrong. Keep a tight rein on young children, and don't let them wander too close to the edge. Watch for falling rock, ice, and other debris. Parts of the trail are up against the canyon wall, and things do fall. If you walk under the falls in the winter, stay well back from the ice. Finally, the trails are sometimes ill-defined, and difficult to follow. You may get turned around, though it's unlikely you'll get seriously lost.

Getting There

My car parked on Nestor Street

I drove out of Munising on H-58 as if I was going to the hospital, or to the Munising Falls Visitor Center. Instead of turning on Washington Street, which takes you to Munising Falls, I drove on a few hundred feet until I came to Nestor Street on my right. Turning right on Nestor, I drove down the street until I came to a sign marking the trailhead for the MNA Memorial Falls Overlook Trail. I parked on the side of the street by the sign, collected my gear, and took off down the trail.

Careful Where You Park!

Park on Nestor street near the sign marking the overlook trail, and you'll be fine. Do not park on the dirt shoulder of H-58. There's an area on H-58 where it looks for all the world like a parking area. You'll even see wooden walkways taking you over the drainage ditch and onto the trail to the falls. However, that area is sort of a "parking trap", and the Munising Police will happily ticket you if you park there. The no-parking signs are strategically placed to make you think that you're ok, but you're not. They got me once; don't let them get you.

The Trail

The sign marking the trailhead

The trail was surprisingly well packed. We'd had over 20 inches of snow fall during Thanksgiving week. Some had melted off, but I wasn't sure what I was facing on this hike. Enough other people had been on this trail to pack it down, which also made it easy to follow. In fact, I had an easier time following the path today than on my visit earlier this fall. From this sign, the trail winds through the woods a bit, and takes you to the stream at the top of the falls. A low, wooden bridge gets you across the stream.

Be careful up here! The bridge takes you across the stream only feet from the falls. There are no railings, and it's a long way down. Be respectfull of the danger resulting from your proximity to the canyon's edge.

Just before the bridge, I came to a wide, sloping, snow-covered area from which I thought I could get a good photo of the falls from up top. This is a very dangerous area, because it slopes down to the canyon wall, and it's a 20-30 foot drop if you slip. And with snow on the ground, it was slippery. I couldn't resist the temptation. I sat down and slid myself on my butt (to maximize friction) downslope towards a rather substantial tree on the edge of the canyon. Turns out it wasn't worth the effort. Some brush obscured what would otherwise have been a great shot of the falls.

Me on the trail going don
Me on the trail to the falls

After you cross the stream, the trail follows upper edge of what I think is the south side of the canyon. Next time, I'll bring a compass to be sure. Eventually, the trail looped back and downwards towards the canyon floor. This iis where the hike get's interesting.

Down to the Bottom

When the trail goes down, it goes down steeply. Fortunately, there is a railing to grab hold of, and with the crusty, and somewhat slippery snow, I needed it. Only the initial part of the desecnt is steep. It does level out for awhile before you got to one last descent to the foot of the falls. This part of the trail reminds me of my old cave exploring days, because it takes you under an overhanging rock wall.

Underneath the falls

The overhang behind these falls is awesome, and you can walk all over underneath, in front of, and behind the falls. Your kids will love this. If you follow the trail around behind the falls, and then to the left, you'll eventually come to a small tunnel that goes through the rock to where you can see another, unnamed falls. During my visit, this other falls was more of a trickle than a falls.

To get out, I had to retrace my steps back behind the falls, and up the trail to the top of the canyon. From there, I followed a trail towards Lake Superior that eventually took me out to H-58 over one of those little, wooden bridges across from Washington Street. From here, I walked down the road to a set of wooden steps, and set off on another trail to visit Tannery Falls.

Ownership

MNA Memorial Falls is owned by the Michigan Nature Association (MNA):

Michigan Nature Association
Box 102
Avoca MI 48006
313.324.2626

The falls are open to the public.