Dead River Falls: The Best Waterfall Hike in Marquette

Marquette’s Dead River Falls hike is one that every adventurer must experience today

Dead River Falls is one of the Upper Peninsula’s best hikes and luckily, it’s located in Marquette. Don’t let the name fool you as this place is teeming with energy and endless beauty.

Follow along as we dive into exploring Marquette’s Best waterfall hike

Dead River Falls Hike Overview (2022)

Directions to Dead River Falls
Finding the Dead River Trailhead
The Hike – Length, Challenge, Experience
Dead River Waterfalls
Dead River Hike Important Info
More Marquette Hikes

Dead River Falls Directions

Getting to Dead River Falls in Marquette County:

Take US41N to Wright Street
Follow Wright Street for approximately 2 miles and make a left onto Forrestville Rd
Drive about 2 miles on curvy roads and follow Ambros Circle to the Dead River Parking Lot
The Parking lot is a circle lot located behind a small powerplant

Dead River Falls Address: 46.56829, -87.47854

Dead River Falls Trailhead

The Dead River Falls trailhead is adjacent to the parking lot. Pass by the gate and scramble up the access hill and follow the steep gravel path for about a .25 mile until you arrive at a set of wooden stairs (above). Follow these stairs down until you hit the water and stay right.

Hiking the Dead River Trail

Seasonality: All seasons are open for exploring this trail! Winter at Dead River Falls is one of the best times to go with dramatic ice formations + smaller crowds!
Hike Length: 1.5 Miles out and back
Hike Difficulty: Medium
Swimming on the Dead River Falls trail: You can swim at multiple parts of the trail but the best spot is the first major plunge waterfall!
Waterfalls: There are 3 main sets. Don’t Stop at the first one
What to expect: Uprooted Trees and Steep Scrambles over Roots and Rocks in the beginning. Definitely not easy but very manageable.
MOST IMPORTANTLY: If you feel lost, follow the trail by the river and it will keep you heading in the right direction

The hike isn’t very demanding as most of it is a trail running alongside the river. However, in the beginning there is a steep section that can be troublesome for inexperienced or weary hikers. Take it slow as you climb or crawl over exposed roots and rocks. This part can be very tricky in Winter!

The Hike continues up stream for about a mile or so and eventually will lead you to the grand falls that people cliff jump off of when the time is right. If you do venture up to cliff jump, you will find another area above the grandeur falls, that provides some nice calm water.

If your group is tired and not athletic and doesn’t want to go up, don’t sweat it, you haven’t missed much.

As stated before, the hike is pretty easy besides the early stretch of steep exposed roots. Depending on your athleticism and energy, there are some incredible lookout points that are definitely worth climbing to.

There are numerous spots to wade in the water and also fly fishermen can bait their lines for some fishing.

Dead River Falls Waterfalls

Many first timers won’t know which set of waterfalls is the grand finale. If you haven’t made it to a VERY challenging trail section, then you haven’t gone far enough

The last waterfall will end at a pool where the trail becomes unscalable for most but some will push their climbing skills.

Related Read: 💦Marquette County Waterfalls to Chase in 2022

Important Dead River Trail Information

Dogs are allowed on the Dead River trail! Although they are allowed, the one section may pose a challenge for a dog who isn’t well acclimated to difficult terrain.
There is a porta-potty bathroom located at the trailhead
If you’re hiking the Dead River in Winter, bring microspikes or crampons to make sure you don’t slip. They are not necessary but make the experience much more enjoyable.
In the Summer bring Water and Bug Repellent! Bugs are relentless when bad
The Trail can get crowded during warm months as it’s a local favorite. If possible, caravan as parking is limited or bike/hike in.
Bring your camera! This hike is gorgeous and lends itself as one of the best places for photography in Marquette. Landscape Photographers will love this hike because of the varying amount of available compositions
There are 3 sets of waterfalls that you will encounter. Don’t stop at the first one
Northern Michigan University students say this is the best place for cliff jumping in Michigan!