Tioga Falls
Tioga River runs through some particularly thick swamplands north of Nestoria before pouring down into the Sturgeon River over a set of large, blocky rapids. A camp sits on the south side of the falls, complicating access.
Directions
A well marked gate with private property signs complicates the easier south route. Starting at Tioga Park (which is about 11 miles west of Michigamme) head east on US-41 for .3 miles before turning left on a small two-track/driveway. Keep on this for 2 miles. The rest of the way to the falls is gated, but they are only a few hundred yards away.
The easiest way may be to continue on the road, past the gate, and try to cut west to Tioga River below the private property. Crossing the river down here will avoid trespassing by the cabin. The gate is rather close to the river so you could attempt an upstream crossing, although the water is much deeper here.
For a much more roundabout way you could attempt coming in from the north, parking on the Herman Nestoria Road near Kortio Lake and crossing Sturgeon River. This would be a very difficult route.
Photographs
Visits
Seen in July.
A long tangle of rapids along the otherwise swampy creek, Tioga Falls was much larger than the waterfalls at the park, though hardly worth the long walk. I tried the tough way first, crossing US-41 and heading north along the river, where the undergrowth was impossibly thick; after twenty minutes of wandering I gave up and headed east, along the powerlines, to a two-track that runs north.
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