Tahquamenon Falls
The Tahquamenon Falls are actually two different waterfalls on the Tahquamenon River.
The water is notably brown in color because of tannins that are leached from the cedar swamps which the river drains. The upper falls are more than 200 feet across and drop approximately 48 feet. During the late spring runoff, the river drains as much as 50,000 gallons of water per second. This makes the upper falls the third largest vertical waterfall east of the Mississippi River.
The lower falls, located four miles downstream, are a series of five smaller falls cascading around an island. A hiking trail runs between the falls along the riverside, and visitors often play and swim in the lower falls during the hot summers.
The falls are within Tahquamenon Falls State Park, between Newberry, Michigan, and Paradise, Michigan. 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. Come explore this majestic part of Upper Michigan’s landscape.