The Black River runs north from Bessemer to Lake Superior, and drops through a series of named falls on the way. Most people see one or two and leave. Done properly it is one of the best afternoons in the Upper Peninsula.
Drive north, stop working your way down
The efficient plan is to drive to the far end first and work back south toward town. You finish closer to where you are staying, and the light is better on the return.
They are not all the same walk
Some of the falls are a few minutes from the car park. Others involve stairs — a lot of stairs — down into the gorge and back up again. Read the trail lengths before you commit the whole group, and be honest about who is walking.
Footwear matters more than you expect
The trails are rooted, rocky and wet near the water. Boardwalk and stairs get slick under leaf fall in October. Trainers will do it; boots will do it comfortably.
Best season
Spring for volume, autumn for colour. High summer is the quietest water. In winter the byway is not maintained to the falls, so this is a three-season outing.
Full details on each of the falls, and other waterfalls in the area.
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