The Agate Falls Scenic Site is a
waterfall
A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf.
Waterfalls can be formed in several wa ...
and scenic site located in
Interior Township, in southeastern
Ontonagon County, Michigan
Ontonagon County ( ) is a county in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 5,816, making it Michigan's third-least populous county. The county seat is Ontonagon. The county was set off in ...
. The waterfall is 7 miles (11 km) southeast of
Bruce Crossing, Michigan
Bruce Crossing is an unincorporated community in Ontonagon County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Bruce Crossing is located in Stannard Township at the junction of U.S. Highway 45 and M-28, south-southeast of the village of Ontonagon. The com ...
on the state highway
M-28.
Agate Falls is a 39-foot-high (12 m) waterfall of the Middle Branch of the Ontonagon River. Dropping down from the highlands of the western
Upper Peninsula
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan – also known as Upper Michigan or colloquially the U.P. – is the northern and more elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; it is separated from the Lower Peninsula by t ...
, this river drops from the
Bond Falls Flowage to
Lake Superior
Lake Superior in central North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. and the third-largest by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh wa ...
, and Agate Falls is part of this change in elevation.
The water flows over a shelf of erosion-resistant
sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...
.
The falls can be seen from a trail accessible from a parking lot on M-28 or from a sturdy railroad bridge which now is part of a snowmobile and atv trail. This bridge, which once carried the tracks of the
Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway
The Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway (DSS&A) was an American railroad serving the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and the Lake Superior shoreline of Wisconsin. It provided service from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and St. Ignace, Michigan, west ...
, spans the falls. A roadside picnic area offers simple recreational opportunities.
References
External links
Michigan Department of Natural ResourcesOttawa National Forest - Agate Falls
Protected areas of Ontonagon County, Michigan
Waterfalls of Michigan
State parks of Michigan
Ottawa National Forest
Landforms of Ontonagon County, Michigan
{{OntonagonCountyMI-geo-stub