Map of this blog's locations click this link to open the map
We had really enjoyed seeing all the waterfalls fairly close to camp yesterday but there are many more a bit further away. We also needed to find a geocache in a Michigan county southeast of camp that has very few caches or roads. It looked like our best option for finding one would be from this camping location so we formulate a plan that will get us to a cache and then work in a couple of waterfalls on our return drive. The drive to Iron county was a long one and our first attempt turned out to be missing - or at least we couldn’t find it. We did discover that in the more remote areas of the UP, the mosquitoes are big and abundant. We did spot some butterflies at the shore of a small lake. We had to drive a bit further to go for our second cache choice. This one was at least there but I couldn’t sign our name fast enough in the logbook before loosing a bunch of blood.
 |
| Butterflies |
As we start heading back, we stopped to view Agate Falls. This one has a large rest area with plenty of parking. By now it was lunchtime so we ate before heading out along the trail to get to the falls. The trail that leads along the river to the falls is easy enough but the view of the falls is pretty bad with all the trees. We had seen from the main road that there was an old railroad bridge over the river as well. It seemed like the view of the falls would be much improved from that viewpoint.
 |
| Vehicle Bridge Over River |
 |
| View of Old Train Bridge |
Getting up to the Bergland to Sidnaw Rail Trail was a bit of a challenge since the old railway bed was at least 15 feet above us. We found a route that was challenging but we made it up. By going to this viewpoint, we were able to find one more geocache that was very creatively hidden on the old bridge.
 |
| Bergland to Sidnaw Rail Trail |
The view of the Agate Falls was good from here but a fair distance above the water. A few people were wading in the river fishing just below the falls. It was a pretty sight but probably not worth the effort required to get there. We head back to the car to head south to Bond Falls.
 |
| View from Rail Trail Bridge Looking Upstream |
 |
| Agate Falls from Above |
 |
| Colorful Mushrooms |
We had heard from many people that Bond Falls was the place to go to see nice waterfalls. On our way there, we stop to find a geocache at a small store in the town of Paulding. Since they sell ice cream, we felt we should get some before we go find the container. The fall are just down the road from here and are part of the Michigan State Park system. We already have our annual sticker so we can park in the main lot but if you don’t have one or don’t want to pay for the day use fee, there is some other free parking along the road south of the falls. This place was extremely busy especially given it was a Wednesday afternoon. As we headed down the trail to the falls, we could hear them before we could see them. There is a wide boardwalk all along the downstream side of the falls that offers excellent views of the nearly 200 foot wide falls.
 |
| Bond Falls |
After working our way to the east side of the falls and heading downstream to a geocache hidden in the woods along the river. We came back up and saw there was a dirt path up the side of the hill. It was fairly steep and slippery looking so we only went far enough to get a side view of the falls up close.
 |
| At the Side of the Falls |
We head back over the boardwalk and find that the trail on the west side was more developed with stairs at the steep portions. The only problem was needing to wait for lots of people coming down on stairs only wide enough for one person at a time.
 |
| Narrow Stairs on West Side |
 |
| Close to Falls |
There are some very nice views of the river above the main falls. There are quite a few cascades that are spectacular on their own.
 |
| Smaller Cascades Above the Main Falls |
 |
| Thistle with a View |
At one point there was some sort of manmade structure going across the river with large concrete steps separated by openings for the water. It almost looked like the intention was to allow people to cross, hopping from one step to the next, but there were several of the steps that had deteriorated enough to be either missing or at least of questionable stability.
 |
| Steps Across River |
As we work our way up the trail and got to the road, we discovered that the water coming over the falls below is regulated by a hydroelectric dam. We head up the staircase to check out what is on the input side of the dam and discover the body of water was very large - around 2000 acres surface area.
 |
| Small Hydroelectric Plant |
 |
| Power Plant Outflow |
 |
| Water Above the Dam |
We noticed some people coming up the trail on the east side of the river and falls, so we decided to to head back down that way. There were lots great views from this side and it was less crowded than the other side. It did require us to go down the steep, slippery hill we had passed on going up. It wasn’t a pretty descent but we made it in one piece. Of all the falls we saw in the western UP, they were definitely the best ones.
 |
| View from East Side |
 |
| Iris with Wet Feet |
 |
| Columbine |
We wanted to get another good hike in before leaving the area. One that sounded pretty good was a 4.7 mile loop with around 540 feet of elevation gain. It is the combination of several trails near the south side of the park at the end of Summit Peak Road.
 |
| At Summit Peak Trailhead |
The first half mile is a good uphill climb with the goal of an observation tower at Summit Peak. The 50 foot tall tower does provide for a great view of the valley below and was plenty stable for Chris to climb and take in the views.
 |
| Initial Stairs Leading to Tower |
 |
| Summit Peak Observation Tower |
 |
| Nice Views |
The next half mile is a steady downhill before the trail intersects with the South Mirror Lake Trail. We follow this trail towards the lake and discover there a few spots where the trail goes through some wet areas where the path is just a series of planks. They were wide enough for us to walk on but we were a bit concerned that if someone was coming the other way, we would likely have a very difficult time passing them.
 |
| Walk the Plank |
When we get to our next trail - the Little Carp River Trail - we had not really seen Mirror Lake very well. So we divert from the intended route and head north with the hope of seeing the lake along the way. We didn’t have to go very far to get our view. Turns out there are some rental cabins along this section of the trail and lake. It also looks like the rental might include access to a canoe. Since we were into the 4th of July holiday, there were some of the cabins in use. We stopped to chat with a family of four that was just “checking out” of the cabin. They had full backpacking gear but had sprung for a cabin for one of their nights. We went up along the lake another half mile and found a nice lunch spot before turning back.
 |
| Mirror Lake |
 |
| Rental Cabin |
 |
| Canoe at Cabin |
Heading south along the Little Carp River trail was nice and relatively flat. After a bit over a mile is the intersection with our last trail back to the parking lot. The Beaver Creek Trail seems to be aptly named. This was another wet section of trail with lots of narrow planks to get over the water probably there due to beaver activity. Fortunately we didn’t run into any other hikers along this section since there were few places where we could step off the planks without getting wet. We made it back to the car with almost 6 miles under our boots. A very nice hike on a great day.
 |
| More Planks |
 |
| Possible Beaver Dam |
 |
| Colorful Frog |
Since it was still early in the afternoon, we decided to head into the town of Ontonagon. There is a lighthouse in town that is open for tours but only until 3 PM. The navigation system in the car had a heck of a time figuring out how to get to the Ontonagon Harbor Lighthouse but we eventually figured out the correct road.
 |
| Ontonagon Harbor Lighthouse |
We arrived a little before 2 PM so we should have time to get a tour inside and then wander the grounds. The volunteer couple that was working as tour guides have spent a great deal of their life in this part of Michigan. They asked where we are from which led to a long conversation about our nomadic lifestyle. They were contemplating trying something similar but one was more into the idea than the other? We gave them some pointers and suggested they try doing shorter trips to get a feel for what it is like to live in a small space.
The couple had all sorts of information about the history of the lighthouse. The original wooden building was built in 1851. The present brick building was built in 1866 even though the old one was still operational. Turns out that they don’t guide visitors around the rooms but let us wander the various rooms and floors.
 |
| Lighthouse Memorabilia |
There are all sorts of displays and informational signs explains about the former light keepers and the building and what it was like having this be a job and a home. The spiral staircase leads up to the second floor where the bedrooms are. All around the building are pictures of all the work that has gone on over the years to restore this grand old building.
 |
| Office Space |
 |
| Spiral Staircase |
 |
| Bedroom |
We continue up to the actual room with the light. This lighthouse was decommissioned in 1963 so the lamp is no longer functioning. In fact, the old Fresnel lens is in the museum so there is only a simple brass lantern. Visitors aren’t permitted out onto the platform around the outside of the light but we can still get a pretty good view through the windows.
 |
| View Over River |
 |
| Lake Superior in Distance |
We come back downstairs and talk with the volunteers a bit more before heading out to walk around the grounds. We were glad that we finally made it over to check this place out.
 |
| Kitchen |
 |
| Another Exterior View |
When the fourth arrived, we had one more pleasant day to spend before the rain was to arrive. We weren’t looking for anything too strenuous so we headed down to a couple short trails on the eastern side of side of the park. The Union Mine Trail is just over a mile long and minimal elevation change.
 |
| Big Shovel at Union Mine Trailhead |
 |
| Down at Water Level |
 |
| Small Falls |
It was a pleasant hike and there were a few spots along Union River where we could check out some cascades and rock formations. The remnants of the old mining activities were pretty much taken back by Mother Nature.
 |
| Rock Ledge with Viewpoint Railing Above |
One of the named waterfalls was along the route but Little Union Gorge Falls was barely flowing and it it hadn’t been identified along our route, we would not have even noticed it. There was one geocache hidden along the trail that we found.
 |
| Snake |
 |
| Barely a Waterfall |
Just a bit further south down the road is another old mine. The Halliwell Mine dates back to 1895 through 1910. There is a hole in the ground surrounded by fencing but when I looked into the hole, it didn’t look too inviting. We eventually spotted the geocache hidden here but weren’t feeling up to hiking any of the trails from this parking area. So we headed back to camp and walked along the beach for a little over 1.5 miles. It was a bit odd because the sand along the shore of the lake was very hot - nearly too hot to walk barefoot but the water was extremely cold. We found we needed to alternate between the two in order to stay at a comfortable temperature.
 |
| Halliwell Mine |
Sure enough, we had rain on our last full day in the Porcupines. We probably could have found several more hikes in the area but our seven nights here felt like the right amount of time spent in the region. Our next stop will take us to the northeast about 70 miles to the Keweenaw Peninsula.
