Cliff Diving in Marquette Michigan

Put Some Adventure Into Your Outdoor Experience

A group of friends jump from cliffs into the lake. (photo by benjaminjk – Fotolia)

The city of Marquette is not known for its bustling streets or night life when the city rests. It is known for its pristine wooded areas and the sheer beauty of the nature surrounding the city in every direction you travel. There are plenty of things to do in the outdoors when you visit Marquette but if you ask me, there is one activity that stands out above the rest; Cliff Jumping. Whether you are a daring adrenaline junky, or completely afraid of heights, the Marquette Wilderness has something to offer for you.

Black Rocks

First and foremost we will start off with the least petrifying spot where you can jump, Black Rocks. Located on Presque Isle these 10-15 foot jumps are the easiest spots to jump around Marquette. When driving around the island there will be a cutout to your right for parking about halfway around the island, just before sunset point. Walk towards the lake and you will see these cliffs. There is around 100-150 feet of cliff face and they are all straight up and down so you won’t have to try and clear anything. On a nice day, when the water is not choppy you can even see the bottom through the crystal clear water, but don’t worry, you will not hit it.

Little Presque Isle

Photo of the smaller cliff at Little Presque. (Photo by Joshua Kaiser)

Next up we have the jumps at Little Presque Isle. This island is a short drive on 550 out towards Big Bay, but is definitely worth the drive. After arrival, park and start walking toward the water. You will come out to a beautiful beach and on the horizon you’ll see a small island nestled in Lake Superior. This is Little Presque Isle.

The island is a half mile in width and is covered in trails. First, you must wade through waste deep water to get to the island. Then you will have to make it around to the other side of the island and take the trails down to the cliff face. You will know you have arrived at your destination when you see a graffiti tag of a strangely familiar one eyed “monster.”

Photo of the island on the right and where you wade through the water. (Photo by Joshua Kaiser)

Once here, there are two main spots to jump. The first jump option is straight off the smaller cliff while looking straight out over the lake. This jump is around 10 feet tall and you can literally walk off into the water. The second option is a taller and way more intimidating option. From your previous jumping location walk up to the right and you will find a little “cove.” There is one rock that kind of sticks out and that is your diving platform for your jump. To your right will be ol’ Mike W playing lifeguard and overlooking the jump. This cliff is around 25-30 feet tall and the bottom is lined with rocks close to the cliff face. If you look down you will see a pocket where there are no rocks, this is your target. These other rocks look like you will hit them, but if you push off you should clear these rocks by 5-10 feet.

Dead River Falls

A photo of one of the many waterfalls you will pass on your dead river hike. (photo by Julia Tufano)

Last, but most certainly not least, is my favorite place to go in Marquette: Dead River Falls. To get to these jumps I would recommend good hiking shoes as the hike alone is around a mile. The trail head for Dead River is at Marquette’s hydro-electro plant. Once there, you will see a big hill with a path up the side, this is where your adventure begins.

After trekking up the hill you will see a trail head marked on your left. Follow this trail down to the river and then follow the river for around a mile. These paths are well traveled, but riddled with rocks and roots so be careful. You will pass a few waterfalls before finally reaching the jumps. The two jumps sandwich a little waterfall that opens up into a pool of running water. This pool can be a relaxing oasis to swim in, or a daring place to get your blood flowing.

The first jump is the little rock structure to the left of the waterfall. This jump is around 20 feet, and looks pretty sketchy from up top. You must jump right out in front of the disheveled water that the waterfall is spitting out. Before I go on I must warn you that the final cliff is very dangerous and I would not recommend it to anyone.

This cliff is to the right of the waterfall and is around 45-50 feet tall. While at the top, you must get a running start, as there are rocks and a tree that stick out around 7-8 feet at the bottom. There is also a pocket of deep water that you must land in as it will be deep enough for you to not hit any underwater structures. When I personally attempted this jump, the impact on the water alone broke my tailbone. This final jump should be approached with extreme caution, or not at all, but for the sake of the article I thought I would mention it.

Each of these locations can be found on Google Maps for driving directions. Keep in mind that cliff jumping can be dangerous and injuries can occur, so jump at your own risk. Always jump in safe locations and never jump alone.

by Chad Pajtas

Chad Pajtas is a senior at Northern Michigan University expected to graduate May 2015. He is majoring in Media Production and New Technology and has a minor in communication studies. On his spare time you will likely find him "pretending" he is good at golfing on the links or somewhere on a lake tossing a few lines into the water.