Sandstone Creek Falls
Before diving into this one, it’s worth mentioning that I don’t think this one is worth it for most people. The falls are picturesque when there’s enough water to flow, but the journey down is treacherous, costing me some skin. More on that later, though!
I learned about this waterfall from Jacob Emerick’s site, Waterfalls of the Keweenaw. I knew I’d be driving up US-45 on my next trip, so I put it on my list of potential places to go and see. When I was passing through the corridor between Bruce Crossing and Mass City, I had some extra time, so I pulled off to the side of the road to check things out. After looking both ways, I ran across the highway and saw the waterfalls flowing in the canyon below.
The hill down was packed with some sort of construction material; it wasn’t just dirt, which made the trip down extra treacherous. I made it without issue and began photographing the various drops of the Sandstone Creek that makeup Sandstone Creek Falls.
As I walked downstream to get photographs of another drop, some of the manufactured material under my foot eroded, and I slipped, banging my right knee and elbow hard on the ground. It didn’t hurt that bad, but my pants ripped, and I scraped up my knee pretty badly. As I got up, I realized that I nearly fell onto a large turtle trying to get some sun on the side of the creek, but he wasn’t paying me much attention, even after all the commotion I caused.
The trip up the embankment wasn’t awful, but I had to use my hands a few times to ensure I didn’t slide down towards the creek. When I got back to the car, I realized that my knee was much worse than I had previously realized and that I’d have to stop at a store in Houghton for more supplies. While walking through the Walmart aisles, I couldn’t help but think that the trek to this waterfall likely wasn’t worth it. Still, it’s another one I can cross off my list, and it was fairly picturesque in its own right.
Sandstone Creek Falls is worth checking out from the road above (if you’re careful not to get hit by a car), but, as mentioned above, I’m not sure it’s worth the trip down the embankment. If you do go, wear proper footwear, and be careful!
