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Middle Branch Ontonagon River · Watersmeet Ranger District · Ottawa National Forest
Mex-i-min-e Falls
Just beyond a rustic forest campground, the Middle Branch Ontonagon River slides through an old logging landscape. Mex-i-min-e Falls is small enough to feel personal, with rock shelves, moving water and the sound of the forest close at hand. Here the visitor route is refreshingly clear: follow the short established footpath from the Forest Service's Burned Dam Campground.
Before leaving the car
- Land manager
- U.S. Forest Service, Ottawa National Forest — Watersmeet Ranger District.
- Published road approach
- The Forest Service directs visitors from Watersmeet on US-45 north about one mile, then east on Old US-2 about seven miles, then left onto Forest Road 4500 for about one mile to Burned Dam Campground. Use the campground's designated public access and parking areas. The agency's recreation-page coordinates are a site reference, not a surveyed parking space, and the waterfall GIS marker is a different point.
- Walk to the water
- The Forest Service lists a roughly quarter-mile round trip on the easy-to-intermediate Mex-i-min-e Falls trail, leaving Burned Dam Campground and following the river for waterfall views. The agency calls it short and fairly easy. That is a total round trip, not a quarter mile each way; the exact stepping-stone surface and grade of every section are not published. Stay on the evident path above the water.
- Viewing area and footing
- The river has several modest drops rather than a single tall cliff. An old dam and surrounding forest tell the story of lumber operations along this reach. The trail provides river views without a need to scramble down unstable banks or cross moving water. There is no published accessible viewing deck.
- Season and road use
- The Forest Service lists the falls throughout the year but says site maintenance is typically May 22 through September 30. The campground is described as open until snow closes access, and roads/sites are normally maintained only May through September. In late October or winter, a general 'Site Open' listing does not prove FR 4500 is passable. Current opening and road conditions are unverified.
No measured parking-space GPS location or live route status is supplied. Review official road and forest alerts before departure.
First find the campground, not the waterfall pin
Two closely spaced official geographic references can confuse map apps here. The Forest Service lists the Burned Dam Campground and Mex-i-min-e recreation site near 46.31379535, -89.05313987, while Michigan's state waterfall GIS #19 sits at 46.313443, -89.054153. Neither coordinate proves the exact location of a vehicle stall or the correct side of the stream for driving. The route is Old US-2 to FR 4500 and posted campground parking, then an established short footpath.
A real short walk, not an invented trek
The forest's recreation page gives a quarter-mile round trip and rates the trail easy to intermediate. That makes it different from some online descriptions that claim miles of hiking to this falls. There may be longer trails in the wider area, but the Forest Service describes the simple campground-to-falls path as the standard visitor choice. Allow more time if the road is rough, riverbanks are wet or you want to sit and listen to the water.
Old logging country along the Middle Branch
Before these woods were valued as a place for quiet camping and fishing, the Ontonagon watershed moved timber. The Forest Service interprets Mex-i-min-e as part of that history, and Burned Dam Campground takes its name from the former river works. The cascade is a series of rock steps, not a monumental vertical plunge, but it rewards anyone who likes to watch the shape of a river through the forest.
What the Forest Service provides
Burned Dam is a rustic campground with pit toilets and no potable water. The Forest Service reports no reservation system and no required fee for this particular recreation site. Availability of camping, toilets, road maintenance and water access depends on current conditions. The short waterfall visit does not require camping overnight, and posted campground use restrictions still apply.
Seasonal access is the real decision
The recreation site is shown as open year-round, yet the campground's own text says maintenance generally covers May–September and access lasts only until snow closes the road. In October and beyond, confirm road advisories and never bypass closed gates or assume a map's driveable-looking line is passable. If FR 4500 is impassable, do not invent an alternative cross-country trail from the falls GIS marker.
What the sources actually establish
Reviewed October 28, 2026. This guide distinguishes a public forest destination from road passability and an exact vehicle parking location. Historic maps and current recreation listings are not same-day inspections.
- Falls trail and quarter-mile round trip
- USDA Forest Service Mex-i-min-e Falls recreation page names a 1/4-mile round trip from Burned Dam Campground.
- Land-manager directions and visitor parking
- USDA Forest Service Burned Dam Campground listing gives Old US-2 and FR 4500 road access, with short nearby falls walk.
- Maintenance and season
- Forest Service campground page states site upkeep primarily May–September and access until snow closes the road.
- Natural falls coordinate
- Michigan state GIS #19 marks the natural falls point separately from the Forest Service recreation site point.
- Historical official waterfall guide
- USDA Forest Service 2019 Ottawa Waterfalls guide confirms Old US-2 to FR 4500 and campground trail.
- Current forest advisories
- Forest current alerts are relevant for road closures but not proof of today's campground entrance clearance.