Tahquamenon Falls State Park, located in NW Chippewa and NE Luce Counties, is home to one of the largest waterfalls east of the Mississippi River.
There is so much more to explore than just that one waterfall. And with warmer months ahead of us, now is a great time to visit, or revisit, the spectacular park.
The state park, which is about a 15-minute drive from Paradise, or about a 1-hour and 20-minute drive from Sault Ste. Marie is home to 50,000 acres and stretches 13-plus miles in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The park is home to multiple campgrounds, overnight lodging facilities, a boating access site, 35-plus miles of trails and multiple overlooks to the Upper and Lower Falls.
That largest waterfall is located at the Upper Falls part of the park and has a drop of nearly 50 feet, more than 200 feet across, and has a remarkable maximum water flow of more than 50,000 gallons per second.
The Tahquamenon River’s amber color is caused by tannins leached from the cedar, spruce and hemlock trees in the swamps drained by the river, and the extremely soft water churned by the action of the falls causes the river’s trademark large amounts of foam.
The river starts from Tahquamenon Lakes in western Luce County and flows 89.1 miles to Whitefish Bay on Lake Superior.
Four miles downstream from the Upper Falls, is a much more mellow Lower Falls, but some say, equally as majestic.
The Lower Falls consists of a series of five smaller falls cascading around an island. The falls can be viewed from the riverbank and are accessible by Ronald A. Olson Island Bridge, or by a rowboat rented from a park concession.
If you love hitting the trails, Tahquamenon Falls State Park is for you. With over 35 miles of trails, you will not be disappointed.
Due to the differing terrain, trails have different challenges.
Plan ahead if you are going to hike. Click here for more information about the park.
Please note that there is very limited cell phone coverage at the park.
Drones are not permitted in the park.
