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Hunts' Guide to Michigan's UPPER PENINSULA
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JUST OUT!
A new edition of Hunts' Mapguide to Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
Over 300 entries, all conveniently located on maps and chosen because we think they are the coolest things to do in the U.P. (No ad tie-ins!) Great choices for restaurants, hikes, shops, adventures, museums, boat trips, waterfalls, vistas, road trips, and much more!
To learn more click UP MAP GUIDE
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RAPID RIVER
POINTS
OF
INTEREST
Bay de Noc-Grand Island Trail. A 40-mile-long non-motorized trail parallels the Whitefish River in the Hiawatha National Forest. It beckons hikers, horseback riders, and, in winter, mushers. Once it was an important portage between Lake Superior and Lake Michigan, used by Indians and for the fur trade. ...
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Haymeadow Falls and trail; Whitefish River trout fishing and canoeing. A short, delightful trail through a hardwood forest takes you to a little waterfall on a high-quality trout stream, Haymeadow Creek, and to a nearby campground ...
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Hiawatha National Forest Interpretive Center & district office. Interpretive displays, a nature store, and excellent maps are a great introduction to this 900,000-acre forest ...
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Rapid River Cross-Country Ski Trail. 19 miles of loops through pine and maple forests, from easy to advanced ...
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Rapid River Falls. An easy walk from U.S. 41 takes you to a beautiful park and falls ...
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Haymeadow Falls and trail; Whitefish River trout fishing and canoeing
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 | | Wayne Premo | Haymeadow Falls, the trail to it, and the nearby Haymeadow Creek Campground are for people looking for an undemanding hiking and camping experience, off the beaten path but not hard to reach. All are part of the Hiawatha National Forest. About nine miles northeast of Rapid River, Delta County Road 509 crosses Haymeadow Creek, a tributary of the Whitefish River. A pretty half-mile trail leads from the road and parking area through meadows into a hardwood forest. The little waterfall, 15 feet wide, has a three-foot drop. At its base the water foams over a tumble of rocks. There a bridge crosses Haymeadow Creek — a nice way to look at the falls.
The creek is a high-quality trout stream known for brook trout. Ferns abound in places. Another trail continues a half mile back to the road and the rustic Hymeadow Creekcampground with 15 sites. (No fee.) Across CR 509 from the drive to the parking area, a half-mile connecting trail leads to the Bay de Noc-Grand Island Trail.
The two branches of the Whitefish River join near Haymeadow Falls. They have been included as part of the federal Wild & Scenic Rivers program. This area is a good place to see deer, waterfowl, and other birds, including bald eagles. The forest service gives out a map and description of 28 miles of canoeing on the east and west branches. In Canoeing Michigan Rivers: A Comprehensive Guide to 45 Rivers, Jerry Dennis recommends and describes in detail a 13-mile stretch on the Whitefish's East Branch from Forest Road 2236. Paddling time is an estimated four to six hours. No canoe liveries serve this river because there's frequently not enough water in summer. That's rough on canoes.
From U.S. 2 about a mile east of the Whitefish River east of Rapid River, take CR 509 north 8 miles, taking care to follow the route at a left turn early on. After 8 miles, CR 509 takes the left (gravel) fork. Soon you'll pass the campground entrance to the right. The separate parking area and trail to the falls is in another 1/4 mile. (906) 474-6442. No fee. Wheelchair access: no.
Return to Rapid River
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