Piers Gorge, Norway MI: Trail, Rapids and How to Get There

Piers Gorge is a deep gorge cut by the Menominee River between Michigan and Wisconsin, and granite boulders inside it churn out Class III rapids, according to the City of Norway. The river tumbles over four rocky ledges known as piers. The biggest drop, Misicot Falls, sits just past the quarter-mile mark of a trail that starts at the parking lot.

Whitewater on the Menominee River at the first pier of Piers Gorge near Norway, Michigan. Photo: Tatiana12, CC BY 2.0. — The first of the rapids at Piers Gorge on the Menominee River, September 2010. Photo: Tatiana12 / Flickr (CC BY 2.0).

From 1983 through 1997, the gorge hosted the World Cup Kayak Races, the city says. Today, rafters ride the same water while hikers watch from the bank.

Whitewater in the Piers Gorge unit of the Menominee River near Norway, Michigan. Photo: Seclusive Nature, CC BY-SA 4.0. — The Piers Gorge unit of the Menominee River, December 2020. Photo: Seclusive Nature / Flickr (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Four Piers, One Big Drop

A well-kept trail on the Michigan bank runs past all four piers, according to the waterfall guide GoWaterfalling. The first pier is a short distance from the parking area, and the second is a quarter mile down the trail. Misicot Falls comes right after, where the river spills over a ledge GoWaterfalling puts at about 8 feet. The World Waterfall Database says lidar data suggests a drop of about 5 feet, and lists Misicot as the official name, with Mishicot also in use.

The last pier, Sand Portage Falls, sits a full mile past Misicot. American Whitewater passes along a legend that the rocks there were worn into sand by Native people portaging around the gorge on the river’s left bank. Michigan Backroads says the trail itself was first used by Native Americans to portage around the falls.

Where the Name Comes From

Accounts split on the name. GoWaterfalling says the gorge is named for the natural rocky “piers” the river tumbles over. Wildman Adventure Resort, a rafting outfitter, tells a logging story instead. It says companies floating white pine logs to downstream mills built wooden piers and guide structures along the banks to steer the logs through this stretch.

Whitewater in the Piers Gorge unit of the Menominee River Recreation Area, Michigan. Photo: Seclusive Nature, CC BY-SA 4.0. — Whitewater in the Piers Gorge unit of the Menominee River Recreation Area, December 2020. Photo: Seclusive Nature / Flickr (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Who Runs It Now

The gorge sat on power company land that had always been open to the public through cooperation with We Energies, The Daily News in Iron Mountain reported in 2013. Plenty of travel pages call it Piers Gorge State Park. The Michigan DNR lists it as the Piers Gorge Unit, the northern end of the Menominee River State Recreation Area, which Michigan and Wisconsin comanage. The DNR puts the whole park at 7,652 acres along a 17-mile stretch of undeveloped river.

Michigan’s side was created on November 10, 2011, when DNR Director Rodney Stokes authorized buying 2,354 acres from the Wisconsin Electric Power Company for $2,534,400, according to Wikipedia. An attendant now staffs the Piers Gorge entrance, which the City of Norway says is expected to help public safety and the local economy. The DNR lists three outfitters running rafting trips in the park: Kosir’s Rapid Rafts, True North Outpost and Wildman Adventure Resort.

Seeing all four piers is about a 3-mile walk out and back, and Sand Portage Falls sits about 1.3 miles from the parking area. The paths are rocky, slippery when wet and crossed by old tree roots, so this is a boots outing. Wildman Adventure Resort runs its rafting trips from mid-May to early October, which puts this weekend at the very tail of the season, so call before you count on a ride.

Sources: City of Norway, Piers Gorge page; Michigan DNR, Menominee River State Recreation Area page; Wisconsin DNR, Menominee River State Recreation Area basic information; Downtown Norway, Piers Gorge State Recreation Area page; GoWaterfalling, Piers Gorge; World Waterfall Database, Misicot Falls; American Whitewater, Menominee River Piers Gorge reach; Michigan Backroads, Piers Gorge; Wildman Adventure Resort, “What to Do in Piers Gorge State Park”; Bill Ziegler, “Dickinson waterfalls rich in beauty, history,” The Daily News (Iron Mountain), May 6, 2013; Wikipedia, Menominee River State Recreation Area.

Go See It