Rainbow Falls is a 40-foot waterfall on the Black River in the Ottawa National Forest, Gogebic County, Michigan, about 12.3 miles north of Bessemer. It is the lowest of the named falls on the river, less than a mile above Black River Harbor on Lake Superior, and takes its name from the rainbows that form in its spray.
The falls
The Black River slides down a ramp of conglomerate rock and then plunges into a deep pool in a rocky gorge. Lidar data estimates the drop at about 40 feet; earlier surveys listed 45 feet, the figure Wikipedia uses, while another guide gives 20 feet. The falls, about 0.7 mile upstream of the mouth, stop fish moving up the river from Lake Superior.
Getting there
The falls are reached from County Road 513, the Black River Scenic Byway north of Bessemer. The paved trailhead is 13.5 miles north of US 2, at the last riverside parking area before the harbor. A half-mile trail leads to wooden stairs and an observation platform, about 1 mile round trip; roughly 200 steps lead down into the gorge.
In May 2026 the Ottawa National Forest began rebuilding stairs and viewing platforms at the Black River falls, work expected to last through fall 2027. Rainbow Falls was open when the work began, with partial trail closures planned later in the summer.
When to go
Rainbows appear in the mist when the sun strikes it at the right angle. Seasonal flow and winter access aren't documented.
On site
The platform near the crest looks down over the brink; crossing to the far bank by the suspension footbridge at Black River Harbor, where the North Country Trail crosses the river, puts the falls directly in front of you. Do not wade across above the falls: in July 2020 a 22-year-old hiker from Wisconsin lost her footing trying to cross there, was swept over the falls and drowned.
History and name
The name comes from the rainbows produced by mist and sunlight. County Road 513 was named a National Forest Scenic Byway in 1992.
Nearby
Upstream on the Black River, Sandstone Falls is about 0.6 mile away, Gorge Falls about 1.3 miles, Potawatomi Falls about 1.5 miles and Great Conglomerate Falls about 1.9 miles.
Distances are straight-line.