If you love waterfalls and want to see the tallest waterfall in Michigan, Houghton Douglass Falls needs to be on your Upper Peninsula bucket list. Located in the Keweenaw Peninsula near Lake Linden, Houghton Douglass Falls drops about 110 feet into a deep wooded gorge, making it the tallest waterfall in Michigan.
One of the things I like about Houghton Douglass Falls is that you do not have to drive miles down some rough dirt road just to find it. The waterfall is located just off the highway, and the parking area puts you surprisingly close to the falls. There is now a trail leading from the parking area to a pedestrian bridge over Hammell Creek. Once you get past the bridge, though, things change quickly. The trail becomes much more rugged as you get closer to the waterfall.
And this is one waterfall where I have a pretty serious warning. The views are incredible. The waterfall is incredible. But until more safety improvements are finished, I would be extremely careful about bringing young children anywhere near the gorge. I would not even bring my 11 year old son to some of the current viewing areas. After one particular adventure here with my daughter, I also learned a very important lesson. Stay on the trail.
Where Is Houghton Douglass Falls in Michigan?
Houghton Douglass Falls is located in Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula, about 1.5 miles north of Lake Linden. The waterfall sits on Hammell Creek and is surrounded by thick Upper Peninsula forest and a steep rocky gorge. If you are exploring waterfalls in the Keweenaw Peninsula, this is one of those stops you should make simply because of its size. At roughly 110 feet tall, Houghton Douglass Falls is recognized by the Michigan DNR as the tallest waterfall in Michigan. That alone makes it worth seeing at least once.
Is Houghton Douglass Falls Easy to Get To?
Compared with some Upper Peninsula waterfalls, getting to Houghton Douglass Falls is fairly easy at first. You can park near the trailhead and begin walking through the woods toward the falls. A newer accessible trail takes visitors from the parking area to a pedestrian bridge over Hammell Creek. The walk to the bridge is not very long and is a nice little walk through the woods. Once you cross the bridge, however, the trail toward the falls is currently much more rugged. The Michigan DNR specifically warns visitors that the area beyond the bridge remains undeveloped and does not currently have observation platforms or safety barriers around the gorge. So when someone asks me if Houghton Douglass Falls is an easy hike, my answer is yes and no. Getting from your vehicle to the bridge is easy. Exploring around the actual waterfall requires much more caution.
How Tall Is Houghton Douglass Falls?
Houghton Douglass Falls is approximately 110 feet tall. That makes it the tallest waterfall in Michigan. When you finally see it dropping down through the trees and into the gorge, you realize pretty quickly that this is not your average Michigan waterfall. It is tall. Really tall. The narrow waterfall drops almost straight down the rock wall before reaching Hammell Creek below. Pictures are impressive, but they do not completely show the scale of the gorge when you are standing there looking across it.
Is Houghton Douglass Falls Worth Visiting?
Yes. If you are visiting the Keweenaw Peninsula and enjoy waterfalls, photography or exploring the outdoors, Houghton Douglass Falls is definitely worth stopping for. The fact that Michigan's tallest waterfall is relatively close to the road makes it even better. You do not need to spend half the day hiking into the wilderness just to get a view of it. However, this is not currently the kind of waterfall where I would tell everyone to wander around without worrying about where they are stepping. The gorge is steep. Very steep. There are areas where you are looking down from the top of a cliff with no railing between you and the drop. That changes how I recommend visiting Houghton Douglass Falls, especially for families.
Is Houghton Douglass Falls Safe for Kids?
This is probably the most important thing I would tell another parent before visiting Houghton Douglass Falls. Right now, I personally would not take young children near the undeveloped viewing areas around the gorge. I would not even take my 11 year old son to some of the places where I have viewed the falls. There are steep drops, rugged ground and areas without railings or safety barriers. The Michigan DNR also currently advises visitors to use extreme caution because the area immediately around the falls remains in a natural and undeveloped condition. Every parent knows their own child, but this is not a place where I would want a younger kid running ahead of me on the trail. There are plenty of Upper Peninsula waterfalls that I think are excellent for small children. At least in its current condition, this would not be one of my first choices.
Our Houghton Douglass Falls Adventure
The last time I visited Houghton Douglass Falls, I was with my 19 year old daughter. We had already seen the waterfall, but we decided to do a little more exploring. That turned into much more of an adventure than either of us expected. We found what looked like a small path heading down a wooded section of the gorge. It did not look quite as steep as some of the other areas, so we decided to go down a little farther and see if we could find another view of the waterfall. That was our first mistake. It had rained the night before. The ground was wet. And what looked like dirt quickly turned into wet Upper Peninsula clay. Once we started sliding, we realized getting back up the way we came was probably not going to happen.
Getting Down Was Easier Than Stopping
There was almost no traction. The farther we went, the worse it became. At some point our little waterfall exploration turned into a combination of walking, sliding, falling, rolling and trying to grab anything we could to slow ourselves down. Eventually we made it to the bottom. Technically, I guess you could say we accomplished our goal. We were standing near the bottom of Michigan's tallest waterfall. We were also covered in mud. Our cameras were covered in mud. We were scraped up and bloody. And neither one of us had any idea how we were going to get back to the top of the gorge. I do not recommend recreating our adventure.
The View From the Bottom of Houghton Douglass Falls
I will admit one thing. The view was amazing. Being at the bottom of Houghton Douglass Falls gives you a completely different perspective of how tall this waterfall really is. You are looking up at this huge rock wall with the water dropping toward you from above. As someone who loves photographing Michigan waterfalls, it was hard not to appreciate where we had ended up. We got some incredible pictures. Of course, we paid for those pictures with mud, cuts and the realization that eventually we still had to climb back out.
Exploring Near the Falls
We spent some time exploring around the creek and the bottom of the waterfall. There is an incredible amount of rock surrounding the gorge, which gives the entire area a wild feeling. We also came across a cave near the falls. My daughter and I looked inside. Then we looked at each other. Neither one of us was interested in finding out what might be farther back in a dark cave in the middle of the Upper Peninsula. We had already pushed our luck enough for one day. We were muddy. We were bleeding. And we still needed to figure out how to get back to our vehicle. The cave could wait for somebody else.
Finding Our Way Back Up the Gorge
Since climbing back up the wet clay where we came down was not going to work, we started following the creek. Eventually we found another route where a rope had been placed along a less steep section of the gorge. That was our way out. Surprisingly, climbing back up was easier than getting down. It was certainly less painful. Once we finally made it back to the top, I think both of us realized just how badly our little adventure could have gone. We got some amazing photographs and a story we will probably tell for the rest of our lives. But I would not do it again. And I definitely would not recommend that visitors leave the established trail looking for a way to reach the bottom of Houghton Douglass Falls.
Do Not Try to Hike Down the Gorge
I want to make this very clear because I do not want someone reading our story and thinking the route we found is a secret way to the bottom of Houghton Douglass Falls. It is not. Our trip down the gorge was a bad decision that happened to end with us getting back out safely. Wet clay, steep cliffs, loose rocks and waterfalls are not a good combination. If you visit, enjoy the views that are safely available and stay on the established route. No photograph is worth getting seriously injured for. I learned that lesson with a camera full of mud and several new cuts.
Houghton Douglass Falls for Photography
If you enjoy photographing Michigan waterfalls, Houghton Douglass Falls is an incredible place to bring your camera. The height of the waterfall creates opportunities for some dramatic pictures. You also have the surrounding forest, exposed rock walls, Hammell Creek and the deep gorge to work with. You do not need to climb down the side of a cliff to get a good photograph. Trust me on that one. Bring a camera with a good zoom range and work with the safe viewing locations you can reach from the trail. The landscape around the waterfall is impressive enough that you can find plenty to photograph without putting yourself in danger.
Bring Bug Spray
If you are visiting Houghton Douglass Falls during the summer, bring bug spray. You are in the woods in the Upper Peninsula. The mosquitoes know you are there. On some visits they seem to know you are there before you do. Anytime I am hiking through wooded areas of the Upper Peninsula during the summer, mosquito spray is something I want with me. Houghton Douglass Falls is no exception. Good shoes are also important. Even if you stay on the established trail, you are still exploring a wooded waterfall area where the ground can become wet and slippery.
Does Houghton Douglass Falls Have Parking and Bathrooms?
Yes. There is now a designated parking area and a vault toilet near the trailhead. Those improvements were completed as part of the first phase of development at the Houghton Douglass Falls scenic site. I have never personally had a problem finding somewhere to park during my visits, but there is not an enormous amount of space like you would find at a major state park attraction. During busy Upper Peninsula travel weekends, I would still rather visit earlier in the day.
Are They Adding Railings and Viewing Platforms at Houghton Douglass Falls?
Yes, and I think this will completely change how families are able to experience this waterfall. The first phase of improvements was completed in 2025 and included the access road, parking area, restroom, pedestrian bridge and accessible trail to the bridge. The Michigan DNR says another phase is currently planned for 2027. Those plans include continuing the accessible trail from the bridge toward the falls, adding accessible observation platforms, installing safety barriers and creating a veterans memorial. I am looking forward to those improvements. Houghton Douglass Falls is too impressive of a Michigan waterfall for families to miss, and safe viewing areas will make it much easier for more people to enjoy it.
Best Time to Visit Houghton Douglass Falls
Summer is a great time to visit because the trails are easier to explore and the Keweenaw Peninsula is beautiful when everything is green. Late spring can bring stronger water flow, but conditions around waterfalls can also become wetter and more slippery. Fall would also be an incredible time to see Houghton Douglass Falls when the surrounding Upper Peninsula forest begins changing colors. No matter when you visit, pay attention to trail conditions. Recent rain can make a huge difference. I learned that one personally.
Things to Bring to Houghton Douglass Falls
You do not need a huge amount of equipment for a normal visit, but I would bring good walking shoes, bug spray, drinking water and a camera or phone. If rain has recently moved through the area, expect sections of the ground to be slippery. I would avoid sandals if you plan on doing much exploring. And once again, stay away from unofficial routes down the gorge. You do not need climbing gear because you should not be climbing down there in the first place.
Waterfalls to See in the Keweenaw Peninsula
Houghton Douglass Falls is a great stop to include during a larger waterfall trip through Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula. The Keweenaw has several waterfalls, rocky shorelines, forests and scenic drives that make it one of my favorite areas of the Upper Peninsula to explore. If you are already driving through the Lake Linden area, there is really no reason not to stop and see Michigan's tallest waterfall. Even a relatively short visit gives you the chance to check another major Michigan landmark off your list.
Is Houghton Douglass Falls a Michigan Bucket List Waterfall?
Definitely. There are a lot of amazing waterfalls in Michigan. Some are wider. Some have more water flowing over them. Some are much easier to explore with children. But there is only one tallest waterfall in Michigan. Houghton Douglass Falls drops around 110 feet into a rugged Upper Peninsula gorge, and seeing it in person gives you a much better appreciation for its size. Just respect the landscape while you are there. Enjoy the trail. Walk across the bridge. Take plenty of pictures. Look at the waterfall. And learn from my daughter and me. If you see a muddy path disappearing down the side of the gorge, you do not need to know where it goes. We already figured that one out for you.
