Upper Leatherby Falls

wide, bumpy slide into a deep pool near Mount Arvon

Just a few hundred yards upriver from Leatherby Falls is a wide, fanning slide that empties into a deep pool. The slide is formed from smoothed basalt (with a few dips and crags that cause the water to jump and foam up in places) that is taller than the downstream falls. Upper Leatherby Falls also marks the end of a long string of swamps near the base of Arvon and the beginning of West Branch Huron River’s exciting trip down to Lake Superior.

Directions

Turn right on Black Creek Road from Skanee Road and drive 5 miles to Leatherby Road, the first dirt road past Erick’s Falls. Turn right on Leatherby, a narrow and windy two track, for about 2.7 miles, trying to stick to the main road. A few forks and plenty of tracks lead away from Leatherby - bear right at the forks but don’t cross West Branch Huron River. At 2.7 miles follow the road sharply to the right, heading down the now-tall riverbank, for .5 miles to a small parking area.

A small network of paths leads down and around Leatherby Falls at the end of the dirt road, which gets very rutted and nasty beyond the parking area. Upper Leatherby Falls is a short walk upstream beyond here.

Photographs

Visits

Seen in April and June.

June 13, 2009
Following the river upstream was just as difficult as I had remembered, with low brush and scratchy pines reaching out to us along the riverbank. We finally reached the sliding drop, hung out at the deep pool below and commented at how awesome swimming in there would be if the black flies weren't so pervasive. I don't understand why there isn't a better trail between the two drops; they're so close together that it makes a lot more sense to drive to one and walk to the other along the river.
April 15, 2009
A few hundred yards and we could hear another roar, and then it showed up. A wide fanning drop into a deep pool lay ahead of us, at least ten feet in height. New drop found and mystery solved. The topo maps were wrong. There were no paths to be found, nothing connecting this drop with the nearby Leatherby Falls or to one of the nearby logging roads, and above it the river split into a swamp.