Sandstone Creek Falls
Running alongside US-45, Sandstone Creek runs over a series of steep sandstone steps and drops quickly before meeting up with the Ontonagon River. This creek is little more than a trickle for most of the year yet swells impressively in the spring melt, cascading dramatically in brown plunges down steep ledges.
Directions
A small two-track sits just south of the US-45 bridge over the Ontonagon River, about 7 miles south of Mass City. The track is small and easily missed, unmarked on the west side of the road a few hundred yards south of the river. Park on the side of the highway near the two-track or a short distance down the road, but do not block the track.
You can be careful at this point, heading down the track to Sandstone Creek (the first creek that passes over the trail) and then follow the creek upstream to the falls. For a quicker and easier hike just head left parallel to the highway (not up the steepening shoulder) until you bump into the creek. Tallest drop sits just below the sign for Sandstone Creek on US-45 and is marked by trees on both sides of the creek.
Photographs
Visits
Seen in April and August.
- a roaring cascade of brown water, bank to bank
Sandstone Creek, normally a trickling thing over wide slabs of sandstone, was a roaring cascade of brown water that stretched wide from bank to bank. It was an amazing sight, even if it did make exploring the creek difficult; we had to inch our way upstream, hugging icy banks and avoiding the swirling waters, stopping often to capture views of the overflowing drops. When we finally reached the main drop all three of us were wet, muddy, and happy.
- even lower than Plover Creek
While the water was just as low, if not lower, at least the rock formations were more impressive. Just like my last visit this trek was difficult, climbing over and around downed trees, avoiding the sucking mud and stagnant pools. When we did reach the rocky slabs no one seemed that impressed. The water was even lower than Plover Creek, and my friends wanted to see some waterfalls, not dry rocks baking in the sun.
- all but dry
The main falls were all but dry, a tiny trickle dribbling down one side of the flat shelves. It was tough to hike up the creek over the sandstone shelves and around multiple downed trees, even though the flow was more sets of muddy puddles than a rushing stream. Also, the creek I had hiked up had run right back up to US-45. I was on Sandstone Creek, not Plover.
Comments
2 comments
To clarify the directions, park on either side of the road between the bridge barriers for the Ontonagon River and Sandstone Creek, which are both marked with green road signs. If you’re headed south (towards Bruce Crossing), it’s definitely safest to follow the ORV trail on the east side of the road to get to and from the falls.
A word to tourists: these falls are completely unimproved and cannot be seen from the road. We enjoyed the challenge of finding them, though, and got some beautiful pictures. I wouldn’t recommend trying this with really young kids since traffic whizzes right on by and the river embankment is so steep. It’s a shy little site; not set up for visitors, but it sure is pretty in the spring. (Visited 4/16/24)
I would have never found this without your guide, very dry right now but still a fun little adventure!!! Thank you!!
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