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Porcupine Mountains · Little Carp River · State park
Greenstone Falls
A secluded Little Carp River cascade, reached by a forest walk from the same trailhead as nearby Overlooked Falls.
Plan the right arrival
- Land manager
- Michigan DNR · Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
- Legal public visitor access
- Public park trail on state-managed land, reached from Little Carp River Road off South Boundary Road. Road and trail access may change seasonally; no year-round vehicle access is implied.
- Parking and trailhead
- Park only at the marked Little Carp River Trailhead at the end of Little Carp River Road, reached from South Boundary Road in Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. The falls coordinate is not the lot.
- Walking route and viewpoint
- From the signed Little Carp River Road trailhead, cross the first bridge at Overlooked Falls and continue along the Little Carp River Trail toward Greenstone. Plan roughly a 2-mile out-and-back excursion; use the park trail map for current alignment and do not expect a paved path.
- Time allowance
- 60–120 min — editorial planning estimate, not a measured trail time
- Best seasonal character
- Spring rain and snowmelt strengthen this relatively low cascade; autumn adds hardwood color.
Is Greenstone Falls right for your day?
Pick Greenstone for a short backcountry-feeling forest hike and a second possible waterfall stop at Overlooked Falls. This is not a drive-up waterfall.
Greenstone is a small, shaded forest cascade, not a tall vertical drop. The trailhead also serves nearby Overlooked Falls; do not confuse the first bridge cascade with the Greenstone destination farther downstream.
Check the park's South Boundary Road and Little Carp River Road conditions. The river crossing, mud and roots can change the difficulty after storms.
Parking is a different location from the waterfall
Park only at the marked Little Carp River Trailhead at the end of Little Carp River Road, reached from South Boundary Road in Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. The falls coordinate is not the lot.
Parking waypoint: No independently surveyed parking coordinate is supplied for this guide. Use the signed visitor lot described by the responsible land manager; do not drive to the waterfall coordinates.
The map dot locates the geographic waterfall feature for comparison. It is not a road-routing target. Public access belongs to the signed route. An otherwise open scenic site can still have a temporarily closed road, unstable stairs or changed flow conditions.
Trail and what to expect on foot
From the signed Little Carp River Road trailhead, cross the first bridge at Overlooked Falls and continue along the Little Carp River Trail toward Greenstone. Plan roughly a 2-mile out-and-back excursion; use the park trail map for current alignment and do not expect a paved path.
Public park trail on state-managed land, reached from Little Carp River Road off South Boundary Road. Road and trail access may change seasonally; no year-round vehicle access is implied.
Do not use waterfall height or a straight-line map distance to estimate walking effort. Follow the posted corridor and turn back rather than attempting an improvised shortcut through dense vegetation, river beds or inaccessible structures.
South Boundary Road winter vehicle closure
Winter road decision: Michigan DNR states South Boundary Road closes to vehicles at Headquarters Road south to the Pinkerton Trailhead from December 1 through late spring. The waterfall's normal visitor parking is on the affected park road system; do not plan an ordinary drive-up visit during that closure.
Check Michigan DNR's current park road bulletin before driving. A legal public hiking trail is not proof that its summer visitor parking can be reached by vehicle in winter.
Season, river character and hydrology
Spring rain and snowmelt strengthen this relatively low cascade; autumn adds hardwood color.
Hydrography cross-reference: USGS NHDPlus V2 COMID 6789663 and NHD reachcode 04020101000584 cross-reference the named Michigan geographic feature (match distance 40 m). This is a water-network identifier, not a streamgage or an access permit. USGS source.
Hydrologic mapping is a scientific location reference. It cannot tell you today's path conditions, local precipitation, flow volume, hazardous ice, parking capacity or whether a viewing platform is available. This guide does not claim live data.
Research evidence: access, land manager, parking, trail and location
Research reviewed October 27, 2026. Each part of the visitor decision is sourced separately. No same-day observation or land-survey certificate is claimed.
- land Manager · documented
- Michigan DNR manages Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park and its Little Carp River trail system
- public Access · documented
- Michigan DNR park map locates Greenstone Falls within the public Little Carp River trail corridor
- parking · documented
- Western U.P. regional visitor guide identifies Little Carp River Road trailhead parking from South Boundary Road
- trail · documented
- U.P. Travel publishes 2-mile out-and-back hike on Little Carp River Trail from Little Carp River Road
- location · documented
- Michigan geographic waterfall feature 98; not a vehicle-navigation coordinate