A perfect loop of easy activities near Munising starts with Alger Falls and Wagner Falls. From there, move to Au Train Falls, Scott Falls, and finish with the Bay Furnace Ruins. The total drive is less than an hour.
Au Train Falls
Au Train Falls is a pair of waterfalls, Upper and Lower, on the Au Train River. The waterfalls are near highway M-94.
Upper Au Train
Upper Au Train Falls has parking along the curve of the road, with room for 5 cars. It is 40 feet of cascades; although, when we visited it was only a small trickle. There is a short, muddy trail down to get closer to the falls.
They have built a dam on the river for hydroelectric power. The dam makes the water levels fluctuate. Pipes carrying water from the reservoir to the power plant run above the Upper Falls. This spoils the look somewhat.
There is another small stream and cascade near the Upper Falls that feeds into the river.
Lower Au Train
To see Lower Au Train Falls, drive to the lower parking lot which has room for 15 cars. From there, you will have to walk around a gate and 530 feet down a gravel road to the Lower Falls.
Lower Au Train Falls has a 10-foot drop followed by a slanted rock face. There are small openings in the trees near the drop for a closer look.
At the bottom of the road, you will cross a bridge over the river. Here you can get a full view of the Lower Falls on one side of the bridge and the river on the other.
After you cross the bridge, there is a picnic table to enjoy lunch or a snack. Make sure to follow Leave No Trace principles.
Because of the low flow when we visited, I thought Lower Au Train Falls was the prettier of the two.
Scott Falls
Scott Falls is a roadside waterfall along highway M-28 across from the H.J. Rathfoot State Roadside Park. There is a small pull-off near the waterfalls with room for 5 cars. We chose to park at the roadside park and cross the highway on foot instead.
It is a short waterfall, free flowing 10 feet from the ledge. However, if you are exploring waterfalls in the area, it is worth the visit to cross it off your list.
Scott Falls is one of the few waterfalls near Munising that you can walk behind.
Bay Furnace Ruins
The Bay Furnace Ruins are all that remain of Onota, an iron-making settlement destroyed by fire in 1877. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
You will have to drive through a campground on a rough, paved road. There is a large parking area near the trailhead for the ruins.
The trail is a 1/8-mile interpretive loop around the ruins. Multiple information signs give the history of the area. Other buildings which once stood here include a casting shed, charging house, machine shop, blacksmith shop, and storage shed.
Partway along the loop there are stone steps down to the Lake Superior shoreline. You can catch a glimpse of Grand Island in the distance.
I loved that every side of the furnace had a slightly different opening with views of the spectacular stone masonry work.
