Backpacker Magazine – August 2008

Trip Finder: Waterfall Hikes

Nine ways to get your cascade fix from Tennessee to Montana.

by: Steve Johnson

Great Lakes States

St. Peter's Dome, WI
Nestled in a jumble of rock, Morgan Falls drops 70 feet into a tiny grotto in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. It's the focal point of this short dayhike and overnight. Take the two-mile St. Peter's Dome Trail to the top of the red granite dome to spy the falls. Then backtrack to grab your overnight gear and head a half-mile back up to the eastbound Spur Trail for a four-miler to sites near rushing Frames Creek. ($5 parking fee) fs.fed.us/r9/cnnf

North Country Trail, MI
See a mini-Niagara on a 20-mile point-to-point on the NCT in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Access the trail at the mouth of the Big Two-Hearted River, and beachcomb five miles to Culhane Lake Campground. Cruise marshland and stunted pines the next day, camping at flat sites near mile 12. End at Tahquamenon Falls State Park and its roaring spillway. northcountrytrail.org

Superior Hiking Trail, MN
This Lake Superior hike follows the north shore 25 miles from Temperance River State Park to Cascade River State Park, passing through a gorge that churns the river into a series of chaotic falls. You'll head north through boreal forest with constant views of the big lake. Feel quad-burn from Oberg to Lutson Mountains. Campsites are scattered on the route. shta.org

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