Schweitzer Falls
A surprising find in the middle of a swampy area, Schweitzer Falls is a two-tiered drop over rugged volcanic rock. The upper half is short, a little tumble into a small pool of water right before the water pours down a taller cascade to the side. This pool does overflow for most of the year and form trickles over other areas of the outcropping, sprinkling the waterfall lightly over the entire lower half of the rock formation.
Directions
Starting at Palmer head south along M-35 to County Road 565 (just before Warner Falls). Stay on 565 for 2.9 miles and park on the two-track on the right (the first drive past the bridge over Schweitzer River). Head down this track, taking the first trail to the right, and then cutting down to the right about 300 yards from your parked vehicle. The undergrowth around the river is thick enough to cut off the hints of the waterfall but once you crest the top of the bank you should be able to hear them.
Photographs
Visits
Seen in April and November.
- not overfilled as I had hoped
We broke through the thick woods and came out above the roaring and rushing drops. They were not overfilled as I had hoped, though they were sufficiently large to impress my companions. We headed over to the falls, each tackling a different approach; I headed down to the base to get some intimate angles. If we thought the woods along Reany and Holyoke was thick, this stuff was impenetrable.
I was able to find the rocky outcropping, the two-tiered waterfall on the creek. They were not made to walk on. A deep pool sits between the drops, forcing me back into the woods to get around, and the lower drop is a sheer rock face with stagnant water and slick rocks at the base. As much as I enjoy remote waterfalls I found myself wishing for some sort of footpath or animal trail, anything besides this cluster of tag alders and briers.
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