Lower Gratiot Falls is a 40-foot waterfall on Gratiot River in Keweenaw County, Michigan, in the Northern Lakes and Forests region. It lies about 6.4 miles north of Laurium 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 cascade, descending over a series of rock steps rather than in a single drop.
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. Gratiot River carries 2 recorded waterfalls, and Lower Gratiot Falls is the tallest of them.
Keweenaw County holds 19 recorded waterfalls, and several are close by. Upper Gratiot Falls, a 15-foot slide waterfall, is under a mile away. Lower Falls, is under a mile away. Queen Anne Falls, a tiered waterfall, is about 4.4 miles away.
Lower Gratiot Falls is located at 47.3305° N, 88.4346° 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.