Waterfalls in Michigan to Visit with Kids

Michigan has plenty of great hiking trails for kids, and some of the most special ones have waterfalls. Waterfalls are extremely beautiful and memorable experiences for your children, plus they’re extremely photo friendly!  

Sound like fun for your family? Pack up the kids and head to one of these waterfalls in Michigan. 

Bond Falls

• Location: Haight Township, Michigan 
• Drive time: 8.5 hours from Detroit
• Height: 50 feet

This beautiful and expansive waterfall has space for kids to wander on the lower area, as well as stairs leading to the upper area. A $12 recreation passport is required to visit. Optional picnic areas, camping, and a gift shop available, too.

Hungarian Falls Nature Area

• Location: Calumet, Michigan
• Drive time: 9 hours from Detroit
• Height: 90 feet

With access to a pond with fish and other wildlife, kids will get to see the full extent of nature. They’ll also witness a part of history as Keweenaw Fault is visible from the top of the waterfall.

Miners Falls

• Location: Munising Township, Michigan
• Drive time: 6 hours from Detroit
• Height: 40 feet

This 1.2-mile trip there and back is a quick hike with breathtaking results. The lower viewing portion has a trail with flowers that bloom in the spring.

Munising Falls

• Location: Munising, Michigan
• Drive time: 6 hours from Detroit
• Height: 50 feet

This pet-friendly trail calls for a short hike up a shaded canyon. This makes it easier for kids to endure the walk while getting to take in a stunning waterfall from multiple viewpoints. 

Ocqueoc Falls

• Location: Ocqueoc Township, MI
• Drive time: 5 hours from Detroit
• Height: 5 feet, but don’t be fooled — it’s the largest waterfall in the Lower Peninsula

This is the largest waterfall in the Lower Peninsula. Spot salmon swimming through the limestone bedrock of the channel cut by the waterfall in the spring, or cool off by taking a swim in the falls in the summer. 

Sable Falls

• Location: Burt Township, Michigan
• Drive time: 6 hours from Detroit
• Height: 75 feet

While the best view is at the bottom of a long staircase, kids and pets will find enjoyment in the trails and beach that accompany this magnificently tall waterfall.  

Tahquamenon Falls

• Location: Paradise, Michigan 
• Drive time: 5 hours, 22 minutes from Detroit 
• Height: 48 feet

With a lot of area to explore as well as rowboat rentals, your family has the opportunity to see the falls up-close. There is an upper and lower area, but the upper area is accessible via 94 steps, which might a little more challenging for kids to tackle. A $12 state recreation passport is required to enter the park.

Wagner Falls

• Location: Munising Township
• Drive time: 6 hours from Detroit
• Height: 20 feet

Not a hiking family? Don’y sweat it! Wagner Falls is easily accessible by highway. Located near the junction of M-94 and M-28, this scenic site is a popular destination for families to pull over and enjoy natural beauty without having to spend the entire day hiking. If you have time, stop by the nearby Alger Falls.

Looking for more outdoor adventures to have with the kids? Check out our list of caves in the Midwest and some weird roadside attractions, too. 

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