This scenic waterfall is nestled amongst virgin pine and hemlock trees. There is a small parking area and a half-mile trail with an observation deck overlooking the falls. Two miles east of Munising

See all 360 degrees of this site through Google’s Street View at www.michigan.org/googletrekker/.




Wagner Falls Scenic Site

Laughing Whitefish Falls is one of the Upper Peninsula's many impressive waterfalls featuring a picnic area, three observation decks and 2.5 miles foot trails.

Laughing Whitefish Falls is one of the Upper Peninsula's many impressive waterfalls. The site features a picnic area (with water pump), three observation decks overlooking the falls and 2.5 miles of foot trails that connect to the North Country Trail.

During the winter, this area is only accessible via snowshoe.

Laughing Whitefish Falls State Park

Palms Book is home to one of Michigan's alluring natural attractions - Kitch-iti-kipi. Two hundred feet across and 40-feet deep Kitch-iti-kipi is Michigan's largest freshwater spring. More than 10,000 gallons a minute gush from fissures in the underlying limestone at a constant 45 degrees Fahrenheit.

Palms Book is an exciting side trip for visitors touring the Upper Peninsula. Known as one of Michigan's alluring natural attractions, the park is home to Kitch-iti-kipi or the “Big Spring.” It is Michigan's largest freshwater spring spanning 200-feet across and 40-foot deep. The flow continues throughout the year at a constant 45 degrees Fahrenheit gushing more than 10,000 gallons of water a minute from fissures in the underlying limestone.

By means of a self-guided observation raft, visitors are guided to vantage points overlooking fascinating underwater features and fantasies. Ancient tree trunks, lime-encrusted branches and fat trout can be seen as they slip through crystal waters far below. Clouds of sand kept in constant motion by gushing waters create ever-changing shapes and forms - a challenge to the imagination. The self-guided observation raft and the trail leading to it are ADA accessible.

The legend of Kitch-iti-kipi is said to be about a young chieftain whose girlfriend got the best of him. He told her he loved her far above the other dark-haired maidens dancing near his birch bark wigwam. Prove it, she insisted. As a test of his devotion, she declared that he must set sail in his canoe on the pool deep in the conifer swamp. He was to catch her from his canoe as she leaped from an overhanging bough. His canoe overturned in the icy waters and he drowned. It turns out that the maiden was back at the village laughing at his foolish quest. According to legend, the spring was named Kitch-iti-kipi in memory of the young chieftain who went to his death in the icy waters in an attempt to satisfy the vain caprice of his ladylove.

Other legends tell of Chippewa parents who came to the pool seeking names for their newborn. They supposedly found names like Satu (darling), Kakushika (big eye), Natukoro (lovely flower) and We-shi (little fish) scribed in the sounds of the rippling water. They attributed healing powers to the waters.

A drop of honey on a piece of birch bark dipped into Kitch-iti-kipi and presented to a loved one was to make them true forever. Another legend concerned the tamarack growing on the banks of Kitch-iti-kipi. A small piece of the bark ground in a mortar and pestle and placed in an individual's empty pockets would be replaced by glittering gold at exactly midnight. Whatever the legends, visitors to the spring loved them. Kitch-iti-kipi is said to have many meanings in the Chippewa language-The Great Water; The Blue Sky I See; The Roaring, Bubbling Spring. Others called it the Sound of Thunder and Drum Water, even though the quiet is eerie. Whatever its name and legend, Palms Book State Park continues to draw curious visitors.

Although it was a black hole, all but hidden, in a tangle of fallen trees John I. Bellaire fell in love with the Big Spring in the early 1920's. Bellaire had come south from Seney, leaving the rip-roaring lumbering town after the white pine was gone to open a Five-and-Dime store in Manistique. Around the oval pool (measuring 300 feet by 175 feet) vegetation grew lush, draping over the piles of trash left by a lumber company which operated nearby. The Big Spring wasn't too different in formation from other sink holes in the area, except that it was tapped into a fast-flowing spring. Bellaire, however, saw through the debris, envisioning the beauty of the emerald bottom of the pool. He watched the sand bubble and roll as hydrostatic pressure forced water through the narrow openings at the bottom. Bellaire could have bought the property for himself, but his vision of preserving it through public ownership prevailed. In 1926, through an arrangement with Frank Book, who represented the Palms Book Land Company, arranged for the sale of almost 90 acres (including the Big Spring) to the State of Michigan for $10. Deed stipulations called for the property to be forever used as a public park, bearing the name Palms Book State Park. Additional lands through tax delinqency and land exchange eventually brought the total park acreage to 308.

The Civilian Conservation Corps and other groups eventually constructed a self-guided observation raft, dock, concession stand and ranger's quarters, leaving Bellaire the task of showing tourists the bubbling pool. Taking great pride in the spring, he often closed his store to personally escort interested visitors to the sacred site. In later years, Bellaire confessed that he and a poet of sorts from the Western U.P. made up the Indian legends of Big Springs themselves. Bellaire was known to visit the pool almost daily throughout his life.

Location: Palms Book State Park is located at the northern terminus of state highway M-149, a 15-minute drive north of US-2 at Thompson.


Palms Book State Park

Indian Lake State Park is located on Indian Lake, the fourth largest inland lake in the Upper Peninsula with an area of 8,400 acres. It is six miles long and three miles wide. The lake was once called M'O'Nistique Lake. According to 1850 surveyor records, Native Americans lived in log cabins near the outlet of the lake.

The park is composed of two units which are three miles apart and separated by the waters of Indian Lake. Original land acquisition at the south shore was in 1932 and development began in 1933 using CCC and WPA labor. The original acquisition of land at the west shore was in 1939, however, development did not begin until 1965.



Indian Lake State Park

The 711-acre Fayette Historic State Park blends nature and history. The park features a historic townsite, a modern campground, harbor slips, a boat launch, a beach and 5 miles of hiking and cross-country skiing trails with impressive views from the limestone cliffs that surround the harbor.

The historic townsite, a once bustling iron smelting industrial community, features more than 20 historic buildings. A visitor center provides opportunities to learn about life in a 19th century industrial town through interpretation provided by the Michigan Historical Center. Visitors can take guided tours or self-guided walks.

On the second Saturday of August, the park is transformed back to its glory days with period displays, food and music during the annual Heritage Day event. The event celebrates the "hey-day" of Fayette as a bustling iron smelting company town.

Snail Shell Harbor is located within the park and the protected waters are deep enough for larger pleasure crafts. It features 15 transient slips ranging up to 60 feet with 30/50AMP electrical pedestals. Showers, a boat launch, grills, picnic tables, a visitor center and gift shop are located within walking distance.

Scuba diving is permitted in the harbor during certain times of the day. A fee and use permit is required. All submerged artifacts are to remain in place and nothing is to be removed from the harbor bottom.

Fayette Historic State Park

Muskallonge Lake State Park is situated between the shores of Lake Superior and Muskallonge Lake and the area is well known for its forests, lakes and streams. Muskallonge Lake State Park was the former site of, a lumbering town and an Indian encampment.

Muskallonge Lake State Park is located 28 miles northwest of Newberry in Luce County. The 217-acre park is situated between the shores of Lake Superior and Muskallonge Lake and the area is well known for its forests, lakes and streams. Muskallonge Lake State Park was the former site of Deer Park, a lumbering town in the late 1880s, and prior to its lumbering history, an Indian encampment. Muskallonge Lake was a mill pond for millions of white pine logs that were brought to it by railroad lines. By 1900, the virgin stands of pines were depleted, the mill was closed and the lumbering operation moved away. All that remains as evidence of the lumbering community are piles of sawdust and a few partly submerged pine logs in the lake. The park was also the old site of a Coast Guard Life Saving Station.



Muskallonge Lake State Park

Van Riper State Park is located 35 miles west of Marquette on US-41. This 1,044-acre park is home to 1.5 miles of waterfront on both Lake Michigamme and the Peshekee River. Visitors enjoy the park's fine sandy beach, a picnic area, campgrounds and opportunities for boating, hunting, fishing, hiking and more. The water temperature is generally moderate - a sometimes pleasant change from Lake Superior temperatures.

Van Riper's water park, Water Warrior Island, is located on Lake Michigamme featuring 20-foot water slides, climbing walls, trampolines, floating walkways and a ninja-warrior-like obstacle course. Ticket and reservation information, rules, height requirements and hours of operation can be found at waterwarriorisland.com.

Blueberry Ridge Pathway is managed by Van Riper State Park and located just 35 miles away in Marquette. The trail is one of the Upper Peninsula’s most popular cross-country skiing and hiking trails. Grooming updates are posted to the Blueberry Ridge Ski Pathway Facebook group and on Twitter @MiStateParks.

Wagner Falls Scenic Site Maps

Munising, MI

Wagner Falls Scenic Site Description

Nearby
Parks

State Parks near Wagner Falls Scenic Site

Wagner Falls Scenic Site Maps

Munising, MI

Wagner Falls Scenic Site Description

Nearby Parks

State Parks near Wagner Falls Scenic Site

Nearby
Parks