Moderate one-mile hike with 157 stairs to upper and lower viewing platforms; seasonal road access requires planning.
Michigan Recreation Passport required for vehicle entry
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Per Michigan DNR: in winter the park is accessible only via snowshoe or ungroomed cross-country ski trails; the access road is seasonal, unplowed, and has no turn-around, and can be muddy.
Laughing Whitefish Falls near Sundell is a scenic waterfall walk through beech-maple forest in a Michigan DNR scenic site. The hike is about one mile round trip and rated moderate due to the staircase descent to the viewing platforms.
The wooden staircase is the main feature of this hike. There are 20 steps down to the middle platform and then 137 more steps to the lower viewing area. This means the experience is easier going down but requires climbing back up, which some visitors may find challenging. No numeric height for the falls is published on the official page.
One critical planning point: the access road is seasonal and unplowed, closing during winter and spring. It can be muddy and has no turn-around, so plan ahead. In winter, access is possible only by snowshoe or ungroomed cross-country ski trails. A Michigan Recreation Passport is required for vehicle entry to the scenic site. Best access is during spring through fall when road conditions are manageable.
Spring through fall for easy road access; winter access by snowshoe or ungroomed cross-country ski only.
You need winter vehicle access — the access road is seasonal, unplowed, and has no turn-around; it can be muddy.
Michigan Recreation Passport required for vehicle entry
Via a 1-mile round-trip trail rated moderate by the managing agency.
We track 9 waterfalls in Pictured Rocks.
There are 8 other waterfalls we track in Alger County. All Pictured Rocks waterfalls →
michigan.gov
Michigan DNR site page, checked 2026-09-04. Page states hike is a half-mile through beech-maple forest '(1 mile round-trip)' with a wooden staircase (20 steps to middle platform, 137 to lower platform). No numeric height published on either official page, so left null despite third-party sources citing ~100 ft. No closure notice found; closure check result: open.
Checked September 2026.