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Sable Falls: A Sublime Northern Michigan Woodland Waterfall
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Nestled into the easternmost edge of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in the Hiawatha National forest, a gorgeous waterfall bubbles and cascades over smoothed and water-carved limestone rocks. The Sable Falls are not far off the main road, but you’ll feel like you’ve entered another world as soon as you step onto the wooded trail.
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A magical space
Photographs fail to capture the real beauty of these falls, which tumble down 75 feet (almost 23 meters), ledge after ledge, small pool after small pool. A flat image just doesn’t convey the 3-dimensional scope of the dancing water, flowing from deep in the heart of the forest.
The secluded nature of Sable Falls lends it a mysterious feeling. The constant churn of the plunging water leaves the area smelling like a fresh rain. In the winter, Sable Falls can freeze into a glorious ice sculpture. There’s a fairy-tale quality here; it’s the kind of place where you’d expect to see a unicorn step out of the undergrowth to take a drink from the pooling water, or to watch fairies flit around the banks at dusk. Anything seems possible in this mix of water, woods, and stone.
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The park is just 1 mile (1.5 kilometers) west of Grand Marais on Alger County Road H-58. The park entrance and trailhead are clearly marked. A modern parking lot and restroom facility are welcome conveniences. A grassy area with picnic tables means you can picnic here. Dogs are allowed in the parking and picnic areas, but not on the trails. The park, as part of the greater Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, is open 24 hours, seven days a week, all year long.
A shady path to the falls
From the restrooms, a trailhead sign marks the way to Sable Falls. The path meanders through a shady forest before descending down to the creek’s