Wright Street Falls
Wright Street Falls is often overlooked by those visiting Marquette because of the wide variety of waterfalls in the area; however, it’s well worth a stop because of how easy it is to access and the unique surroundings of the falls. Located within Marquette’s city limits, you likely won’t have to go far to get there if you’re already in the Upper Peninsula’s largest city.
The Dead River is raw, rugged, full of trout, and heavily modified. A short way upstream from Wright Street Falls is Forestville Dam, the second-to-last stopper before the Dead River reaches Lake Superior.
The falls are very accessible thanks to the power company’s roads. There is also a mountain biking trail here, so be careful when hiking for bicycles. In addition to the actual falls, several chutes and rapids on the Dead River make for excellent viewing. There are some large stones and flat rocky areas where you can sit and enjoy the noise from the falls with a beer or a picnic.
The falls are littered with old dam materials, which have become a popular place for local graffiti artists and vandals. Some pieces are unique, but you can tell that most were done just for fun by local kids. While walking to the falls, it’s worth checking out what’s been painted around the hiking trails.
You can hike upriver to the Forestville Dam and Falls from here, though we couldn’t do so during our trip. Next time, right? More waterfalls!
