Laughing Whitefish Falls is an 85-foot sliding cascade on the Laughing Whitefish River in Alger County, Michigan, the centerpiece of a small state park in the Upper Peninsula.
The falls
The river makes a short plunge of about 15 feet over a cliff, then spreads out and slides down hundreds of small stairstep ledges. The limestone escarpment draws the water into a broad, fan-shaped wall. Total drop reaches 85 feet, while earlier surveys recorded 100 feet. Below the falls the river continues north toward Lake Superior.
Getting there
The park is managed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. From M-94, drive north on Sundell Road for 2 miles, continue 0.25 mile on an unpaved road, then turn onto Laughing Whitefish Falls Road for 0.4 mile to the parking area. A natural-surface trail through beech-maple forest reaches the falls in 0.5 mile, totaling 1 mile round trip. The North Country Trail crosses the north end of the park, and a 1.9-mile spur links it to the falls trail.
Vehicles need a Michigan Recreation Passport: $15 a year for Michigan-registered vehicles when bought with the plate renewal, or $12 a day and $42 a year for nonresident vehicles.
When to go
Spring is the prime season for flow, when snowmelt swells the river. In winter the access road is not plowed and has no turnaround, so visitors come in on snowshoes or skis over an ungroomed route.
On site
Three observation platforms view the falls from different levels. The upper platform needs no stairs; a wooden staircase leads down 20 steps to the middle platform and 137 steps to the lower one. The park has a vault toilet, picnic facilities, a charcoal grill and a hand pump, but no trash cans, so carry out everything brought in. Dogs are welcome on a leash no longer than 6 feet. Old-growth trees stand along the trail.
History and name
Laughing Whitefish Falls State Park was established in 1946. It covers 960 acres about 8 miles south of Lake Superior and 3 miles north of M-94.
Nearby
Silver Creek Falls is about 1.6 miles away, Rock River Falls about 4.8 miles and Silver Bell Falls about 6.6 miles. Au Train Falls, about 10.8 miles away, makes a longer combination.
Distances are straight-line.