Lower Hungarian Falls is a 75-foot waterfall on Dover Creek near Hubbell in Houghton County, Michigan, the last and tallest of the three falls that make up Hungarian Falls. The creek drops through a wooded gorge above Tamarack City on its way to Torch Lake.
The falls
The water rolls down a steep cascade and then veils over a nearly sheer cliff into a ravine. The World Waterfall Database's lidar survey, updated in 2024, gives the height as about 75 feet. Older surveys, and Michigan's tourism site, give 50 feet for this final drop. The base of the falls is Jacobsville Sandstone, a rock common in the area.
Getting there
The gorge can be reached from Tamarack City or from Golf Course Road above it. There is ample parking along Golf Course Road in the warmer months; the old access drive from the road is too rough for vehicles. Golf Course Road is a seasonal dirt road and is not plowed in winter. Most of the land the trails cross belongs to the State of Michigan. Marked trails run on both sides of the creek, from easier walks to moderate and advanced routes. Trail distances to the lower falls aren't published.
When to go
The area is open all year. The falls are at their best in spring or after heavy rain.
On site
The land trust warns that the gorge has many cliffs and few barriers, and asks visitors to keep children and dogs close. Entering the water and climbing the rocks are at your own risk. Camping and fires are prohibited, and hikers are asked to stay on the main trails rather than side paths.
History and name
The federal name "Hungarian Falls" officially belongs to this lowest fall, while the upper and middle falls carry their own names. The Keweenaw Land Trust bought the 10 acres around the upper falls, dam and pond in 2013, after a 60-day fundraising campaign raised more than $50,000 when that land came up for sale in late 2012.
Nearby
Middle Hungarian Falls is about 0.1 mile upstream and Upper Hungarian Falls about 0.3 mile, both on Dover Creek. Quincy Falls is about 1.7 miles away and Douglass-Houghton Falls about 2.6 miles. The town of Laurium is about 4.5 miles away.
Distances are straight-line.