Forty Foot Falls (Cliff Falls) is a 40-foot waterfall on Cliff River in Marquette County, Michigan, in the Northern Lakes and Forests region. It lies about 23 miles east of L’Anse as the crow flies.
At 40 feet it stands in the tallest quarter of Michigan’s 116 waterfalls with a recorded height, ranking 23rd; the typical Michigan waterfall is about 20 feet. By form it is a tiered waterfall, falling in several distinct steps one after another.
The Northern Lakes and Forests are a glaciated landscape of pine, spruce, aspen and northern hardwoods dotted with thousands of lakes and wetlands. Rivers step down over ancient bedrock ledges, with dark, tannin-stained water pouring over rock. Cliff River carries 2 recorded waterfalls, and Forty Foot Falls (Cliff Falls) is the tallest of them.
Marquette County holds 77 recorded waterfalls, and several are close by. Lower Cliff Falls, a cascade waterfall, is under a mile away. Turkey Neck Falls, is about 1.6 miles away. Turkey Neck Falls, a tiered waterfall, is about 1.6 miles away.
Forty Foot Falls (Cliff Falls) is located at 46.8329° N, 87.9793° W. The listing is based on the World Waterfall Database, one of the sources compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey in its inventory of waterfalls and rapids of the conterminous United States. The creek name is confirmed against the federal Geographic Names Information System. The exact position has not yet been verified on aerial imagery, so treat the map pin as approximate. Details on trails, parking and access have not been documented for this waterfall yet.