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Waterfall

Yellow Dog Falls

Michigan

About

Yellow Dog Falls is a waterfall in the McCormick Wilderness, within the Kenton Ranger District of the Ottawa National Forest in Michigan. The nearest town is Michigamme, about 13 miles away. The falls sit at roughly 1,615 feet of elevation. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical July and August highs reach about 77°F with lows near 50°F, based on averages from a nearby weather station at a similar elevation. Winters there are severe, with January highs averaging around 23°F. Several other outings lie within a short drive. The Margaret hike is about 2 miles away, and the Upper and Lower Baraga Lake hikes are each within about 6 miles. For paddling, the Peshekee River is roughly 8 miles off.

Waterfall Facts

Elevation

1,615 ft

Elevation from USGS 3D Elevation Program terrain data (about 10 m resolution).

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Location

Yellow Dog Falls

Michigan

Name and location: U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). Elevation: USGS 3D Elevation Program. View the GNIS record.

Facts about this place

When to go

Best time to go: May–Sep. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 66–77°F and lows of 35–51°F.

Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Champion Van Riper Pk, MI weather station, 14 mi away. High / low in °F.

  1. Jan23° high2° low
  2. Feb26° high-1° low
  3. Mar38° high9° low
  4. Apr50° high23° low
  5. May66° high35° low
  6. Jun75° high45° low
  7. Jul77° high51° low
  8. Aug77° high49° low
  9. Sep69° high43° low
  10. Oct54° high31° low
  11. Nov39° high20° low
  12. Dec26° high9° low

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020

Where it is

Nearest town
Michigamme, Michigan · 13 mi

Source: Wilderness.net boundaries; USFS EDW boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places

Conditions

Active alerts for Ottawa National Forest as of Oct 9, 2026:

Source: USFS forest alerts

Nearby

Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)

Is Yellow Dog Falls open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Ottawa National Forest. It doesn't name Yellow Dog Falls, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · Ottawa National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Yellow Dog Falls

Best months: May–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

  1. Jan

    23° / 2°

  2. Feb

    26° / -1°

  3. Mar

    38° / 9°

  4. Apr

    50° / 23°

  5. May

    66° / 35°

  6. Jun

    75° / 45°

  7. Jul

    77° / 51°

  8. Aug

    77° / 49°

  9. Sep

    69° / 43°

  10. Oct

    54° / 31°

  11. Nov

    39° / 20°

  12. Dec

    26° / 9°

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Champion Van Riper Pk, MI, 13.6 mi away at 1,599 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.