 | | Wayne Premo | A visit to this exceptionally beautiful, secret little waterfall can be attempted by people who are good in the woods; there's no formal trail. Wayne Premo, who has systematically sought out some 375 Upper Peninsula waterfalls over his lifetime, ranks this in his Top Ten - and most of the Top Ten are off limits to the general public. (Four are in the Huron Mountain Club near Marquette.)
The waterfall is just a 15' drop on Nelson Creek as it flows into Lake Gogebic. But the effect is magical. It is tucked into an old-growth forest of cedars and hemlocks on Ottawa National Forest land. Serious waterfall photographers might want to seek this one out
The walk takes less than half an hour. The map in the DeLorme Michigan Gazetteer is quite helpful and accurate. Use it (with a magnifying glass perhaps) and follow these directions carefully, or you could easily get lost. Surveyor's tape (readily available at most hardware stores) or similar tree markers would be a good idea for this adventure.
From M-64 between Lake Gogebic and U.S. 2, look for "Old U.S. 2" (also called C Camp Road). It extends east from M-64, making a sharp Y. In a half mile or so, you will cross a culvert. (It's Nelson Creek.) After the culvert, the road and the creek run parallel for almost a mile. Where the creek turns away from the road, park, look for a two-track to the left that goes up a slight rise. You will see a marsh to your left. The creek flows through it, but to avoid getting your feel wet, follow the two-track. Where the two-track turns right and peters out, you bear left, and angle off toward the creek as it emerges from the marsh into the woods.
Walk into the woods to the creek, marking the spot where you turned with sticks or surveyor's tape, and walk downstream to the falls. Go back the way you came! If you don't find your turnoff, you can always get back to the culvert and road by following the creek, but you will have to slog through marsh.
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