Niagara, Wisconsin
If you are like me, you have never heard of Niagara, Wisconsin. I even lived in Wisconsin for over 30 years and never heard of it.
It’s way up north and literally on the border of Michigan, only separated by The Menominee River. It’s quiet, peaceful and one of those towns that if you blink as you drive through, you will miss it.
I found the town and the property that I stayed in randomly, but it quickly became one of my favorite trips.
The house that I stayed in is an older home but has many updates. It is also close to the river and the neighborhood is quiet and comfortable. As described by the host:
This is a family house that we have owned since 1940. It is located one block from the Menominee River. There are hiking trails, rafting, and many outdoor activities. We love to visit this home in both the winter and the summer. Close by there is cross country skiing in the winter, and plenty of outdoor fun in the summer. We hope that you will enjoy our home!
The driveway has a carport that does have some furniture in it, but I was able to pull my car in far enough to be out of the rain. That was very convenient for unloading, since it started to rain right as I pulled in.
It is an open concept kitchen, dining room and living room and the kitchen is one of the areas that has been updated.
It has a high-top table in the dining area and the entire space has plenty of natural light.
If I had any suggestions for the living space, it would be to get a larger TV, but that is just my preference.
The bedrooms are smaller, but functional and just a side note, they only have double beds.
It was only me there, for the most part, but my kids did stay with me for a couple of nights. My son and his girlfriend one night and then my daughter and grandson the other night. The sleeping was a little tight for them, but manageable.
The basement isn’t finished, but there is a full-sized washer and dryer, which was really nice. And for one more side note, some of the outlets in the bedrooms and other areas of the house are only 2 pronged outlets, so that was a work around for me.
I work when I travel and have a power strip that I use for all of my work items, so I needed to get an extension cord. I plugged into a newer outlet in the kitchen and I set up my workspace by of the windows in the corner of the living room area.
I was there in July and the house does have central air, so I was more than comfortable. I ended up staying for 3 weeks and enjoyed every minute of it.
The Area and My Adventures
The town itself was really just one stretch of road and there was a gas station, a bar/restaurant, I think a couple of churches, a few other small businesses and the rest were homes.
There was also a whole soccer complex, with several fields and a park with the riverwalk. I did go on those trails twice, but there was an overabundance of flies and it was fairly annoying.
There were a few places that I ended up hitting in Wisconsin, but my first adventure was in Michigan.
The Piers Gorge Trail was only about 15 minutes away from the house and it was very cool. So cool, in fact, that I ended up visiting it twice. I went by myself the first day and then went back the next weekend with my daughter and my grandson.
“Piers Gorge is a beautiful gorge that has been formed by the Menominee River. It gets its name from the drops that look like “piers” as they fall over rock ledges. These create four sets of rapids. The biggest of the drops is about 8′ high and is named Mishicot Falls.”
As you start along the trail, it doesn’t take long to come across the first place to take a look at the river and the first small set of rapids.
I was able to walk out onto the rocks and the river is really beautiful.
It’s probably another 10 minutes or so, along the trail, but not too long before you are rewarded again.
These rapids are a little more powerful than the first set and once again, very beautiful.
As you continue along the trail, the big payoff comes with the next set of rapids.
I was in awe as I walked up to these areas and took in every sight and sound.
When I was there the following weekend with my daughter and my grandson, there were rafters coming down the river and we watched them navigate this area.
The rest of the trail is kind of tame, but also very peaceful, and at the end, the is a small rock bluff that overlooks the river.
And finally, you can see up river a bit where the boat launch is and I think where the kayakers start.
It was sunny and warm that day and I had a great time. If you have the chance to be anywhere near this trail, it’s worth the time to stop and explore.
Did you know that there is a world class ski jump in Iron Mountain, Michigan? I had no idea, but I was searching for a great place to watch the sunset and came across the ski jump area.
“The Pine Mountain Ski Jump is known throughout the world as one of the best jumping hills. Every year The Kiwanis Ski Club hosts the best jumping tournament in the United States. Year after year the top jumpers in the world make their way to Pine Mountain to partake in this historic event.”
There is a parking area at the bottom and there are stairs to walk up to the top (I did not do that) and many people use those stairs for a workout. I drove around and parked at the top.
The whole area is pretty cool, but you can walk out on this long, wooden walkway and see forever.
There were a handful of other people milling around, but it was quiet and peaceful.
It was a very clear night and the sun glowed as it went down.
This wasn’t necessarily a highlight of all of the things that I saw, but I do enjoy a nice sunset, so it was well worth it.
The next weekend that I was there, my kids came up to visit. My son and his girlfriend came up on Friday and we had dinner at the local restaurant.
I think you could classify it as a family style restaurant, although it does have a bar in there also. The service was quick and friendly, the food was good and it was affordable. I actually went back there the following night also, with my daughter and grandson.
My son and his girlfriend left on Saturday afternoon and I took my daughter and grandson back to The Piers Gorge Trail that afternoon, but on Sunday, we ventured down to the Dave’s Falls Trail.
“Dave's Falls is named after a lumberjack, Dave Frechette. He was a river crew boss who drowned here in 1881 while trying to free a log jam. A tombstone historical marker is placed here in his memory.”
It’s a relatively short and easy trail, but the natural beauty is amazing.
At the time, my grandson was just a little over 2 years old and the trail was manageable for him. Yes, we needed to keep an eye on him, but I would consider this to be a family friendly trail.
Once again though, the natural beauty of this entire area is amazing.
My daughter and grandson headed out and I had the time to check out one more trail.
It’s a relatively short trail, but as the sign says, there are some steep parts and it turned into a little bit of rock climbing to get down closer to the falls.
There was no one back there that day, which at times is nice, but also a bit creepy at times. I wasn’t that far away from the parking lot, but it’s a remote area and very quiet. Except for the falls, of course.
This last picture is basically as close as I could get to the falls, without putting myself in a possibly dangerous position. I’m glad that I climbed down though!
One more. This is a look up from where I took that last picture and where I climbed down.
The next weekend, I made my way up to Marquette, Michigan. I wasn’t necessarily close to Marquette, but closer than I had ever been before, so why not?
The first stop was Presque Isle Park.
I did some research on this before I drove up there, but I was kind of blown away by this place. It is a full park and recreational stop, with a boat launch, camping, picnic areas, hiking trails and it’s right on Lake Superior, so of course swimming.
And the views. Wow.
I think that I have aged beyond jumping off of cliffs and bluffs, but I watched people doing for a little while and I have to say, it looked like fun!
There is a trail that runs around the entire peninsula, and even though I didn’t go all the way around, I made my way around to a few areas that were quieter.
It was warm, sunny and very little wind, so it was a perfect day.
Regardless of what activity you want to engage in, this place is well worth the stop.
“Forget long, grueling hikes – Dead River Falls offers a cascade of beauty just minutes from Marquette. Along this sweet half-mile stretch, the Dead River plunges a whopping 90 feet, with several individual falls reaching over 15 feet!”
This stop wasn’t planned, I just figured I would do a search on All Trails when I was done at the first stop and either see what was close or what was on the way back to Wisconsin. And I ran across this little gem.
The first thing that I will say is that it was a little confusing as far as where the trail started. There’s a gravel road that goes up the hill and all the people were headed that way, so I followed.
The second thing is that the trail is a little tricky and it is a bit challenging. Up and down the sides of hills, climbing over trees roots, rocks, etc., and you need to cross a creek in the beginning, either by walking across a group of smaller trees that make a bridge, or I used the large tree that had fallen. Both take some balance and some caution.
Lastly, it’s beyond beautiful.
You get to one set of rapids or falls and think, “Wow, that is very cool,” but then another one awaits.
This was another trail that was fairly busy, but it was the middle of summer, on a gorgeous day, so that is to be expected.
The final set of falls did not disappoint.
Yet another random trail that I stumbled upon that has left a lasting impression with me.
Trip Wrap Up
I had always heard how beautiful Northern Wisconsin could be, and of course many people talk about the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. But you don’t have any idea until you have the chance to experience it.
In addition, the property that I stayed in was not only nice and convenient, it ended up being the least expensive place that I have stayed so for (before or since).
I think that you can see why this trip was one of my favorites.