Agate Falls is a broad band of interlacing cascades nearly 40 feet high on the Middle Branch of the Ontonagon River in the western Upper Peninsula. A roughly half-mile trail passes under M-28 to an observation platform near the top of the falls. (Note: the scenic site was temporarily closed in 2026 for trestle bridge repairs.)
Its 39 ft drop is taller than about 28% of the 775 waterfalls we track.
The falls are fed by Middle Branch Ontonagon River. It lies in Ontonagon, Michigan. The site is on public land managed by Michigan DNR.
This is a short hike waterfall: reached by a short trail, generally under about a mile each way. The walk in is brief — comfortable shoes are usually all you need. The walk to the main viewpoint runs about 0.5 miles round trip. The nearest town is Trout Creek.
When to go: spring. Flow usually peaks after snowmelt and heavy rain and tapers through late summer — a quick look at recent streamflow and the managing agency's conditions page can save a wasted trip.
