Agate Falls
The Middle Branch of the Ontonagon River flows from Crooked Lake in Gogebic County until it reaches the East Branch near US-45 just south of Rockland. In that span, there are numerous drops on the river, plenty of places to go fishing, and a ton of hiking options.
Two of the Ontonagon River’s mightiest waterfalls are Agate Falls, pictured here, and Bond Falls, located further upstream near the Bond Falls Flowage. What makes Agate Falls unique is the former railroad bridge that runs along the top of the waterfall, making for a unique view from the bottom. Reaching the river below the falls is no easy feat, but we’ll get to that later.
I was the only one there on my first visit to Agate Falls. It had been raining pretty hard for most of the day, and it was a Monday in April, so tourist season was still a few weeks away. The best place to park is in the roadside park on the other side of M-28, which has bathrooms and walking paths. Scrappy and I parked, and we headed for the path.
The view from the wheelchair accessible platform
The view from the observation platform is nice; however, you don’t get a full view of how triumphant Agate Falls is from here. I’m not trying to downplay the view from the trail; it’s quite lovely and wheelchair accessible. Still, if you’re set on getting a proper view of the falls, you’ll have to do more than take the short walk to the viewing area.
On this visit, we hopped off the wooden trail and followed the semi-beaten path down the gorge toward the sound of rushing water. This is by no means a groomed trail—there were exposed roots, rocks, and other obstructions every few feet. It’s manageable for a not-very-in-shape 29-year-old (and a well-trained dog), but not everyone should try this.
The view from the bottom is spectacular and gives you a much better idea of how powerful the waterfall is. In addition to viewing the falls, this is a solid spot for fishing, though Scrappy and I didn’t bring the rod and reel from the car on this trip. The Ontonagon River is known for (and stocked with) trout, so a Parachute Adams fly or spinner like a Rooster Tail or Panther Martin is a solid shout here.
The railroad track visible below the falls and the observation platform was built in 1900 by the American Bridge Company for the Duluth, South Shore, and Atlantic Railway to replace an older wooden bridge. It hasn’t carried freight in decades and was converted into an ATV and snowmobile trail, which is accessible on foot for parts of the year. You can access the bridge from a path that leads from the lot on the north side of M-28. The view of the falls from the top of the bridge is unique but not as good as it is from the bottom of the falls.
Considering how developed nearby Bond Falls is, we may eventually see a similar fate for Agate Falls. The view from the bottom is breathtaking, but I can’t help but be glad I saw it before it was easily accessible!
