Tobacco River Falls is one of the few waterfalls on the eastern side of the Keweenaw Peninsula. It’s small but picturesque — just before the Tobacco River empties into Lake Superior, it drops over a series of small sandstone ledges. The bright orange-red rocks shine through the water, giving the falls its distinctive color.
If you’re driving along the Gay-Lac La Belle Road, Tobacco River Falls is a lovely place to stop. It’s located across the road from Tobacco River Park, which has a picnic area, pit toilets, and a small beach with impossibly clear water.
How to Get to Tobacco River Falls
Tobacco River Falls is located 0.9 miles north of the small town of Gay, Michigan, and 17.4 miles from Calumet.
Directions to Tobacco River Falls
- From Calumet, take M-26 to Lake Linden
- Turn right at the blinking light onto Calumet St. and drive for one block
- Turn left on 9th Street, and drive 0.6 miles
- Turn left on Trap Rock Valley Road, and drive 1.4 miles
- Turn right on Gay Road, and drive for 10.4 miles
- When you reach the town of Gay, turn left on Main Street and drive for one block
- Turn right on the Gay-Lac La Belle Road, and drive for 0.9 miles
Park in the Tobacco River Park on the right side. To get to the waterfall, walk under the bridge; you can also walk up and over the road and down the other side. You’ll find a short trail on the left side of the river.
Geology of Tobacco River Falls
As you walk around Tobacco Falls, you’ll see glimpses of the long, flat slabs of Jacobsville Sandstone. More than 1 billion years ago, the volcanic Midcontinent Rift appeared in the supercontinent Rodinia and created the Lake Superior basin. Compressive geologic forces lifted the edges of the rift, forming great mountains.1 The rivers flowing down from these mountains transported sands to the rift below — and over time, those sands became the Jacobsville Sandstone.
Water continued to flow through the sandstone, forming hematite and giving the rocks their striking red color.2 (“Hematite” comes from “haima,” the Greek word for blood.)
You can see more sandstone slabs across the street; they’re clearly visible under the water near the shore of Lake Superior. Hungarian Falls is another great place to see enormous Jacobsville Sandstone cliffs.
Things to Do Near Tobacco Falls
If you’re hungry or thirsty, head back into Gay to visit a Keweenaw institution — the Gay Bar, which has been a popular local watering hole since Prohibition ended. Keep an eye out for the tall smokestack (you can’t miss it), which is a remnant of the stamp mill that once operated in the area. Driving up north? Stop at Haven Falls in Lac La Belle.
Sources
1. “The Midcontinent Rift.” Keweenaw National Historic Park, National Park Service. Accessed 5 July 2023.
2. “Jacobsville Geology.” Keweenaw Geoheritage, Michigan Tech Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences. Accessed 5 July 2023.