Upper Jacob's Falls
A surprisingly tall and steep chute of water cascading down a jagged face of rock, Upper Jacob’s Falls is tough to hike to and even harder to get a good view of. Below the drop the creek is calm but deep within a rocky gorge, difficult to follow up or climb down to. Smaller drops sit above the main chute but these are almost impossible to reach, nestled tightly within the narrow canyon walls. This waterfall is well off the beaten path and not welcoming, though the size of the drop is incredible.
Directions
The easiest approach is probably heading upstream along Jacob’s Creek from the lower falls. From Eagle River take M-26 about 3 miles to the Jampot, parking on the shoulder or at the parking lot. Follow the footpath or creek up past Jacob’s Falls. Once the creek starts to get plugged up with logs and vegetation head up to the banks and stick to the footpath. After about a half mile the falls will be audible and/or visible within the gorge. Backtrack to a safe area and head down the steep bank, then approach the falls. The walls near the waterfall are extremely steep and not worth attempting.
Photographs
Visits
Seen in April.
Once I got above a bend I finally caught view of the upper drop, an impressive cascade at least thirty feet in height. This, this was a good find, much taller than any of the other drops I had seen along Jacob's Creek. Getting close to these falls was not an option; the water was deep and underwater rocks jagged, the gorge was too narrow to have banks to walk upon, and a thick layer of slushy snow hid any sort of help I could have needed. A better view of this waterfall would have to wait for warmer months.
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