Wagner Falls is a 25-foot tiered cascade on Wagner Creek in Alger County, Michigan, the centerpiece of the Wagner Falls Scenic Site just south of Munising. A short gravel path and boardwalk lead from a small lot to an observation platform in front of the falls.
The falls
Wagner Creek slides down a ledge of erosion-resistant dolomite in two or three steps, then runs into the shallow gorge of the Anna River, which carries it north to Lake Superior. The World Waterfall Database, working from lidar, estimates the height at about 25 feet in two drops; older measurements gave 20 feet, the figure Wikipedia still gives.
Getting there
The scenic site covers 23 acres near the junction of M-28 and M-94, about 2 miles south of Munising, and is run by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources as a state park. The DNR describes a 0.1-mile approach on packed gravel and boardwalk with a few steps up to the platform. Parking holds 8 to 10 cars, and there are no restrooms or drinking water.
A Michigan Recreation Passport is required. For Michigan-registered vehicles it costs $15 a year when added at plate renewal; nonresident vehicles pay $12 a day or $42 a year.
When to go
The Upper Peninsula's tourism association lists Wagner Falls among its winter waterfalls and notes that it freezes in the cold months.
On site
The falls are seen from the observation platform at the end of the boardwalk. The Upper Peninsula tourism association describes the trail as pet-friendly and the walk as mild. Swimming rules and access to the base aren't documented.
Nearby
Upper Wagner Falls 1 and Upper Wagner Falls 2 are each about 0.1 mile away. Alger Falls, a roadside cascade at the M-28/M-94 junction, is about 0.4 mile away, and Horseshoe Falls about 1.1 miles. Munising is 1.6 miles to the north.
Distances are straight-line.