State Park that follows the Tahquamenon River as it passes over Tahquamenon Falls which include a single 50-foot drop, the Upper Falls, plus the cascades and rapids collectively called the Lower Falls

How to Get There

Overview

The Tahquamenon Falls State Park is a 46,179-acre (186.88 km2) state park in Michigan. It is the second largest of Michigan's state parks. Bordering on Lake Superior, most of the park is located within Whitefish Township in Chippewa County, with the western section of the park extending into McMillan Township in Luce County. The nearest town of any size is Paradise.

Tahquamenon Falls State Park follows the Tahquamenon River as it passes over Tahquamenon Falls and drains into Whitefish Bay, Lake Superior. The Tahquamenon Falls include a single 50-foot (15 m) drop, the Upper Falls, plus the cascades and rapids collectively called the Lower Falls. During the late-spring runoff, the river drains as much as 50,000 U.S. gallons (190,000 L) of water per second, making the upper falls the second most voluminous vertical waterfall east of the Mississippi River, after only Niagara Falls.

The North Country Trail passes through the park. There is a seasonal shuttle service that allows hikers to walk between upper falls and lower falls without doubling back, the Tahqua Trekker.

Tahquamenon Falls is also called Rootbeer Falls because of its golden-brown color, caused by tannins from cedar swamps that drain into the river. In winter, the ice that accumulates around and in the falls is often colored in shades of green and blue.

Much of the park is undeveloped but it has more than 22 miles (35 km) of hiking trails. Row boats and canoes are rented to use to approach the lower falls. The upper falls are accessible from the visitor center parking lot via a paved walking trail.

Nearby attractions include the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point, and the Point Iroquois Light and Museum at Bay Mills on Whitefish Bay.

Tahquamenon Falls

Tahquamenon Falls are two different waterfalls on the Tahquamenon River. Both are located near Lake Superior in the eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The water is notably brown in color from the tannins leached from the cedar swamps which the river drains. Consequently, the upper falls is nicknamed, "The Root Beer Falls".

The upper falls is more than 200 feet (60 m) across with a drop of approximately 48 feet (14 m). During the late spring runoff, the river drains as much as 50,000 US gallons (190,000 L) of water per second, making the upper falls the third most voluminous vertical waterfall east of the Mississippi River, after Niagara Falls and Cohoes Falls.

The lower falls, located four miles (6.5 km) downstream, is a series of five smaller falls cascading around an island which can be reached by rowboat. A hiking trail runs between the falls along the riverside, and visitors often play in the lower falls during the summer heat.

The falls are within Tahquamenon Falls State Park, between Newberry and Paradise. They are a popular tourist destination in the Upper Peninsula during all seasons. Snowmobile trails lead almost to the falls, and walkways are kept clear for most of the winter.

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Tahquamenon Falls State Park", and "Tahquamenon Falls", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0