Scott Falls Roadside Park
Scott Falls is perched on a sandstone cliff right off M-28 just outside Au Train. If you’re traveling west towards Marquette, it’s very easy to miss the falls because of the way that they face. If you’re heading east towards Munising, you’ll be able to view them while flying down the highway. The view from the car is nice, but the best way to view Scott Falls is on two feet.
The easiest way to do this is by parking at the roadside park on the Superior side of the highway and walking over to the falls. M-28 is extremely busy, and cars often speed, so it’s best to use extreme caution when crossing the road. Once across, you can stand under the 10+ foot waterfall and put your hand under the falling water or follow the trail up a steep hill to get a bird’s-eye view. A fall from up here probably won’t kill you, but it’ll hurt a lot, so be careful. The creek that feeds the falls winds a while before tumbling over the edge, which is quite beautiful.
If you fancy a more adventurous route to the falls, there’s a trail behind the falls that offers a nice hike. The Duluth, South Shore, & Atlantic Railway was established in the mid-1850s and carved rail lines through the Yooper wilderness to haul natural amenities that would eventually put America in the driver’s seat of the industrial revolution. As the natural resources in Michigan became less valuable or ran out, the need for rail lines dissipated. The tracks were removed in the early 2000s, and a rail trail was put in place at some point after that.
There’s a parking area in Au Train that offers access to the trail, and from there, it’s roughly a 1.1-mile hike to the falls. Roundtrip, you’re looking at just over two miles, which is a short but nice hike. You also could access the trail from Scott Falls, using the waterfall as a starting and ending point.
Across the street from the falls at the roadside park, there are pit toilets, picnic tables, and access to part of Lake Superior’s sandy shoreline.
While driving across the Upper Peninsula, Scott Falls Roadside Park is the perfect spot to get out and stretch your legs while enjoying one of the most easily accessible waterfalls near Munising.
