Lower Leatherby Falls
In the mile between Leatherby Falls and Erick’s Falls, West Branch Huron River drops over 200 feet. This, combined with a marked ‘Leatherby Falls’ on topo maps (downstream of the actual Leatherby Falls), promises some impressive waterfalls along this stretch of river. There is none.
Lower Leatherby Falls is a rough grouping of small drops, most less than a foot tall, along the river between shallow banks. Three clusters sit here, one just downstream of Leatherby Falls, one next to a cabin, and another right above Erick’s Falls. Most of them are smooth, rounded cascades that create a few splashes on the otherwise lazy water.
Directions
Drive south down Black Creek Road to Leatherby Road, which is 4.8 miles from Skanee Road and the first road on the right side past Erick’s Falls. Park about .8 miles down Leatherby Road near an orange gate. Head down to the river to see the middle falls. More drops sit on the river, up closer to Leatherby Falls and down by Erick’s Falls, that can be easily hiked to from those respective spots.
Photographs
Visits
Seen in April and July.
A few showed up right away, about a half mile downstream. They were only a foot or two tall over shelves and boulders that emptied into shallow pools, more rapids than anything else. They did make a long set of cascades that was mildly impressive. We were still at least a mile from the tick mark on the topo map, the supposed actual Leatherby Falls, which turned out to be a swamp.
Leatherby Road split and reformed, turned sharply, and had multiple turn-offs, doing its best to confuse me. Sticking to my directions as close as possible I ended up parking at an orange gate and headed down the creek's bank, finding a tiny set of rapids that I called Lower Leatherby Falls. I would learn later that Leatherby Falls were much further upstream and that the two spots I visited on this stretch could only be very loosely called the lower falls.
Comments
2 comments
Jacob you missed the most impressive falls. They are further up the road and very nice!
Hi Nancy, think I included those drops here: Leatherby Falls. The drops on this page are mostly just rapids.
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