West Branch Falls

wild cascade over solid rock in a deep gorge

West Branch Falls on the Huron River is an impressive chain of individual drops along the river within a deep, rugged slate gorge. The main waterfall is a direct cascade that crashing upon a central outcropping, splashing to either side and creating a fine mist during heavy flow. The lower drops are mostly narrow chutes, water hemmed in by sloped rock and pouring down in a powerful stream into deep pools or over hard rocks.

Directions

Take Skanee Road about 18.5 miles out of L’Anse to Black Creek Road. Turn right and drive 1.7 miles and turn left onto the two-track here, parking before crossing the shallow river ford.

On foot, head a short distance upstream along the right side of the river. Ford the river after you pass the tall, sandy cliff to the left. Continue on the left side along the small footpath, staying close to the river, fording again if necessary to get around the rocky cliff near the lower falls. Avoid the right side of the river until you reach the lower falls as there is a private camp along the river.

After you climb over the rocks at the lower falls continue upstream. Two more significant drops come before the main waterfall. Even more small drops are upstream but are difficult to get to, as the main waterfall stretches across the entire gorge.

Photographs

Visits

Seen in April, June and August.

June 13, 2009 normal summer flow, dropping and splitting over layered rock
When we finally rounded the bend we were all surprised. The main waterfall was there, as tall and impressive as I had hoped it would be, though it looked completely different without the spring melt flooding over it. Today the river dropped and split over dark, layered rock, creating a more complex scene then the rush of white I had seen a few months ago. Getting close to the drop proved to be more difficult than I hoped; snow and ice had helped me edge past some sections that slick rock and moss now blocked from me.
April 15, 2009 full and gushing, misty
We cut down the mossy and wet rocks to get a closer look at the domes when I saw the source of the roar. West Branch Falls, the real waterfall, sat ahead in misty and half-shaded glory. Now that was a drop. Waterfalls over ten feet tall are not very common in the Upper Peninsula, and to find a drop that height that is practically unknown seemed impossible. I had found no pictures of this waterfall online, just cursory mentions and images of the downstream chute. Yet here it was, sheltered in a rocky gorge, roaring out at me.
August 10, 2008
I wasn't sure what to expect of this waterfall, having seen no images of it beforehand, when a tall, narrow chute appeared from behind a bend. The rock created a V that was clogged by a few large boulders and logs, with the water flowing out in a steady flow with a decent amount of spray near the bottom. Satisfied I turned around, unaware that there are many more drops to West Branch Falls upstream of this chute.