Canyon Falls & Canyon Falls Roadside Park

It's about a 10-minute walk from the extremely pleasant Department of Transportation roadside park, with its picnic tables, grills, and restrooms, to the first rapids and falls of the Sturgeon River. This is one of four Sturgeon Rivers in the U.P.

The trail, partly boardwalk, follows the pretty, creek-like river through a rocky forest, to the first rapids and falls. Benches are scattered along the improved trail, which ends in a fenced overlook at the first falls.

Hikers can continue on along the river, using an informal trail. MDOT does not encourage this, because it can be dangerous. However, more than one family does it with young children if they are under control and sure of foot. Where the trail seems to stop at a boulder, go around the huge rock and pick up the path again, following the high bank along a dramatic, wild canyon where fragrant pines and balsam grow out of mossy stone walls. Just before the Upper Falls, the stream slides over a smooth trough it has made in the rock before it splits and drops in several extended cascades. It's around a mile to the Upper Falls.

Any part of this walk is wonderful. As you leave behind the highway with its whistling trucks, you enter a world of rocks and roots and the scents and beauty of the evergreen forest, mixed with enough hardwoods for excellent fall color.

The main path is a fine place to snowshoe. The entry drive is gated in winter, but vehicles can and do park along the highway. A trail from the Ford Center at Alberta Village, good for hiking and snowshoeing, leads to Canyon Falls. It's about 1 ½ miles.

The park is on the west side of U.S. 41, 1 1/2 miles south of Alberta or about 23-24 miles west of Michigamme. Wheelchair access: first part of trail.
[Get Directions]

Return to Alberta

ALBERTA
POINTS OF INTEREST

Alberta Village Museum and Ford Historic Sawmill. Henry Ford the social engineer built this showplace sawmill village in 1935, when Ford auto bodies used wood from Ford's vast U.P. timberlands. Now it's a museum/gift shop in mint condition. Millworkers' Cape Cod homes and village community center are now Michigan Tech's conference center. ... more

Canyon Falls & Canyon Falls Roadside Park. A fragrant 10-minute woodland walk leads from a pleasant picnic spot to the Upper Falls of the Sturgeon River. Adventurous hikers can ignore signs and continue on to Canyon Falls and a wild canyon. There pines and balsam grow out of mossy stone walls. ... more

Best of the Best U.P. Maps

See our U.P. interactive maps that locate the best experiences the U.P. has to offer—from camping & hiking to good eating & vistas! We also have created useful maps to major U.P. TOWNS.

Incredibly Useful!
Hunt's Map Guide to the Upper Peninsula • Favorite hikes, beaches, restaurants, shops, lighthouses, scenic drives, waterfalls, & much more
• 13 detailed U.P. maps
• Full color, on sturdy, water-resistant paper
• Folds out to 12”x38”
• Only $6.95
To learn more & buy online, click here