Presque Isle River, Porcupine Mountains - Michigan's U.P.

photo by dturner

I love Michigan's Upper Peninsula - especially the Porcupine Mountains. One of my favorite things to do in the Porkies is hike along the Presque Isle River down to Lake Superior. There is a boardwalk on the west side of the river that makes the hike accessible to just about anyone...as long as you don't mind stairs. If you follow the boardwalk upstream, you will be able to see two different waterfalls. Manabezho Falls, pictured below, and Manido Falls.

photo by mrbturner

Once you have hiked to Manido Falls, you have come to the end of the boardwalk. This is a great place to take a break and catch your breath. If you hike back downstream toward Lake Superior, the many stairs will eventually lead you to a suspension bridge that spans the river. From the bridge, you can see an amazing unnamed falls. It is in this spot that you can see what is, in my opinion, the coolest thing about the Presque Isle River. The fast moving, spinning action of the water has carved the most unique whirlpool shapes into the stone of the river bank.

photo by mrbturner

photo by dturner

Once you cross over the suspension bridge, you can hike on the unpaved trail through the woods to Lake Superior. The beach is covered with rocks of all different colors. It's a great place to picnic and take in the beauty that is Lake Superior. Don't forget to look for agates while you're there too.

photo by dturner

I've been to the Presque Isle River several times, and every time I go I see something interesting that I hadn't noticed before. It's an amazing place to go to enjoy nature, hike to some really awesome waterfalls, and see Lake Superior.