MLive says: “While the beautiful Tahquamenon State Park is split between two Michigan counties, the magnificent Upper Falls of Tahquamenon are located in Luce County. One of the most voluminous falls east of the Mississippi, the Upper Falls is pretty much the pinnacle of Michigan waterfalls (of which we have many). Tourists swarm to this area during the summer months to view the 50-foot drop of the Tahquamenon River at the Upper Falls.”
August 31, 2019
I’ve visited Tahquamenon a few times in my life; most of those visits I was very young and I don’t remember. The last time I was there was in December 2017, and it was a gorgeous sight in the winter. Literally breath taking in every way. While the summer views didn’t impress me quite as much, it was a bit more…comfortable. (our December visit included -18F weather and a frozen fuel line in my vehicle keeping it from starting).
We started our visit at the Lower Falls, where you can rent a row boat and paddle around the lake at the base of the Lower Falls. We skipped a boat rental (because we didn’t think they’d let us use our own kayak) and walked over the observation deck. Being the end of summer, there were little islands full of native wildflowers all throughout the lake: milkweed, goldenrod, vervain, and asters were everywhere. The sun was super bright, making the mist that came off of the falls look pretty magical and photographing that magic nearly impossible (intense highlights can be terrible on water).
After spending some time admiring the Lower Falls, we made the decision to take on the hike to the Upper Falls. It’s 4.5 miles one-way, so we were setting ourselves up for a 9 mile hike, plus some, on day #2 of vacation. The real motivation was Tahquamenon Falls Brewery & Pub, a full service brewery and restaurant, inside the park at the Upper Falls. Tahquamenon is the only State Park with a brewery in it, and I am a big supporter of this. Hey, Michigan DNR: more breweries please. My hikes are so much better with beer at the end of them.
The hike itself was gorgeous. The trails were wet and muddy, but well groomed and at a moderate hiking level. The trail runs along the river for the most part, hugging the banks so you can hear water the entire time you hike. There are ample areas to swim in calm waters, away from the rushing falls. The trails are dominated by cedar and pine, and we found lots of fun plants along the way including two kinds of orchids, milkweed varieties, asters, goldenrod, and a plethora of fern species.
It took us about two hours to hike, partly slowed down with picture taking by yours truly. When we arrived at the Upper Falls, we were so hungry that we went straight for the brewery without stopping to look at anything - there’d be time for that later.
We spent over an hour at the brewery, chowing down on fish tacos and fries and a Belgian waffle sundae; and of course, drinking beer! Upon leaving, it was obvious we’d eaten way too much. The hike back would be feeling a bit heavier, for sure.
After making our way back toward the Upper Falls, we saw that it was crowded with people and were not interested in being close to them, so we admired the falls from afar, on a deck down a large flight of stairs.
The hike back was indeed a heavy and intense one, after consuming close to 1,000+ calories at lunch (without a doubt - the indulgence was excessive). That didn’t keep it from being even more gorgeous than the hike in, though, as the light was changing and made for some picture perfect reflections on the water. There were a lot more people on the trail on the way back though, making it not quite as peaceful as our first hike of the day.
We ended our hike with achey feet and full bellies, back at the Lower Falls. I could have stayed and enjoyed the water all day, but we had a long drive ahead of us that evening. Instead of relaxing at the park, we opted to hop in the car and hit the road, embarking on the next leg of our U.P. adventure.
Tahquamenon is one of my favorite spots in the U.P., and depending on the time of year, you can get the park pretty much to yourself. It’s a new experience in every single season. The next time I visit, I hope it’s ablaze in reds and oranges and yellows.