Laughing Whitefish Falls Scenic Site
Encyclopedia
The Laughing Whitefish Falls Scenic Site is a waterfall
and state park
located in Onota Township
and Rock River Township
, in far western Alger County, Michigan
. The waterfall is in the southern part of the site, in Rock River Township, 8 miles (13 km) south of Lake Superior near M-94
.
Laughing Whitefish Falls is formed by an abrupt limestone
escarpment of the Laughing Whitefish River
, which flows northward into Lake Superior
. The falls is located within the Escanaba River State Forest
. The escarpment is shaped so as to draw out the cascade into an unusual fan-shaped wall of water.
From M-94, a 2.8-mile (4.5 km) drive northward on Dorsey Road and a one-mile (1.5 km) hike from the roadhead are necessary to reach the falls.
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
and state park
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
located in Onota Township
Onota Township, Michigan
Onota Township is a civil township of Alger County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 310.-Communities:There are no incorporated municipalities in the township....
and Rock River Township
Rock River Township, Michigan
Rock River Township is a civil township of Alger County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,213 at the 2000 census.-Communities:* Chatham is a village at the junction of M-67 and M-94....
, in far western Alger County, Michigan
Alger County, Michigan
Alger County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 9,601. Its county seat is Munising. The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is located within the county.-History:...
. The waterfall is in the southern part of the site, in Rock River Township, 8 miles (13 km) south of Lake Superior near M-94
M-94 (Michigan highway)
M-94 is a state trunkline in the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. It runs for from K. I. Sawyer to Manistique. The highway is part of the Lake Superior Circle Tour during a concurrency with M-28. M-94 crosses the Siphon Bridge in Manistique, unique for the fact that the bridge roadway...
.
Laughing Whitefish Falls is formed by an abrupt limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
escarpment of the Laughing Whitefish River
Laughing Whitefish River
The Laughing Whitefish River is located in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The river rises in eastern Marquette County and flows east and then north through Alger County to the mouth on Lake Superior at a few miles north of Deerton, Michigan...
, which flows northward into Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
. The falls is located within the Escanaba River State Forest
Escanaba River State Forest
Escanaba River State Forest is a state forest in the central Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It includes forested lands in Alger, Delta, Marquette, and Menominee Counties...
. The escarpment is shaped so as to draw out the cascade into an unusual fan-shaped wall of water.
From M-94, a 2.8-mile (4.5 km) drive northward on Dorsey Road and a one-mile (1.5 km) hike from the roadhead are necessary to reach the falls.