Eagle River Falls

large sliding drop down a concave bowl of bedrock

Nestled in the town of Eagle River within easy viewing distance of a pedestrian bridge (once the old highway) the Eagle River makes one final plunge into a deep bowl of volcanic basalt before emptying into Lake Superior. A wooden dam perched on top of the rock diverts the water slightly, pushing the water to the far right side of the concave formation before spilling over the crest, fanning over the grey rock on a long slope. During the spring the thin trail of water becomes a powerful boiling cascade of water covering most of the riverbed.

Directions

Park on the east side of the bridge over Eagle River, a short distance off of M-26. A pedestrian bridge, once for the old, narrow highway, makes an excellent viewing platform. Also, a small footpath leads from the parking area down to the edge of the river for more adventurous visitors.

Photographs

Visits

Seen in January, February, July and October.

February 22, 2009 a huge wall of snow with almost no sign of the river underneath
I was curious what this waterfall looked like in the winter. It looked like a huge wall of snow with almost no sign of flowing river underneath.
January 4, 2009
Another reading saved from the roadside. The sheer volume of snow here on the north side of the Keweenaw was humbling; collecting coordinates during the winter would be a truly difficult task.
October 4, 2008 barely flowing, a small stream down the side of the rock face
Checking the fenced off river banks I noticed a footpath leading down behind a stone monument, right where the chain link fence ended. It was weird down here, almost alien, jagged and grooved basalt forming a huge scoop that Eagle River flowed over and through, and the proportions of the falls and gorge seemed unreal from the lower vantage point. The old wooden dam at the top appears humble on a lot of pictures but is actually fairly busy, holding back a large pond above the falls and diverting the waterfall far to the right.
July 13, 2008
I parked at the small lot near the falls and we walked along the pedestrian bridge, taking photos and letting Logan enjoy the bridge's view down. I was tempted to head down the gorge to see some river-side views of the falls but decided against it, not wanting to subject Katie to another boring wait.