Ocqueoc Falls is a 6-foot tiered cascade on the Ocqueoc River in Presque Isle County, Michigan, in the state forest west of Rogers City. The river slides over low limestone ledges beside a day-use area where a paved path runs from the parking lot to the water, and the falls are often billed as the only waterfall in Michigan's Lower Peninsula.
The falls
Lidar surveys measure about 6 feet of total drop split between two steps roughly 100 feet apart, the larger about 3 to 4 feet high. A further tumble of a foot or two several hundred feet downstream is not counted in the total. Earlier surveys recorded 10 feet in three drops or ledges. The river has cut its channel through the limestone bedrock underlying the region. Below the falls the river enters a small rocky gorge and flows north, reaching Lake Huron at Hammond Bay.
Getting there
From Rogers City, the route travels 11.5 miles west on M-68, then straight onto Ocqueoc Falls Road where the highway bends south. The parking area sits about 100 yards east of the falls. A Michigan Recreation Passport is required on vehicles: $15 a year for Michigan residents, and $12 a day or $42 a year for nonresidents.
When to go
The falls and the Ocqueoc Falls Bicentennial Pathway are open year-round, with skiing and snowshoeing in winter, while the day-use area is busiest in summer and fall. Visitors also come for salmon viewing during the spawning season.
On site
A paved path leads to the falls with accessible benches and two accessible picnic areas; the township calls it the only universally accessible falls system in the United States. The shallow ledges draw waders in summer, and swimming is permitted at the falls. Remnants of an old mill sit above the drop. The pathway network includes loops of 2.8, 3.5, 4.9 and 6.3 miles alongside a 0.4-mile accessible loop rated moderate and dog-friendly. The adjacent state forest campground has 15 rustic sites with hand pumps and vault toilets.
History and name
The name represents a French adaptation of an Ojibwe term for "crooked waters," while another local account renders it Waw-waugh-waugh-que-noc, "sacred waters." It is pronounced AH-key-ock. The accessible overlook was developed as a project funded by the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund.
Nearby
No other waterfalls are recorded in Presque Isle County. Rogers City lies about 11.7 miles to the east, and the river meets Lake Huron at Hammond Bay to the north.
Distances are straight-line.