Tahquamenon Falls State Park

Tahquamenon Falls State Park
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
Tahquamenon Falls is the centerpiece of the park (upper falls pictured).
Location within the state of Michigan
Location	Chippewa County and Luce County, Michigan, United States
Nearest city	Paradise, Michigan
Coordinates	46°35′47″N 85°12′30″W / 46.59639°N 85.20833°W / 46.59639; -85.20833Coordinates: 46°35′47″N 85°12′30″W / 46.59639°N 85.20833°W / 46.59639; -85.20833
Area	46,179 acres (186.88 km²)
Visitors	500,000 (in 2010)
Governing body	Michigan Department of Natural Resources
http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/details.aspx?id=428&type=SPRK

The Tahquamenon Falls State Park is a 46,179-acre (186.88 km²) state park in the U.S. state of 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.^[1]

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. There are five campgrounds in the park with a total of 350 campsites. The park receives as many as 500,000 visitors per year, many of whom drive in on the state park's only paved road, M-123. M-123 intersects with Interstate 75 at exit 352.

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

References

↑ Tahqua Trekker shuttle service

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tahquamenon Fall State Park.

Tahquamenon Falls State Park Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Tahquamenon Falls Education Programs Michigan DNR
Tahquamenon Falls State Park Protected Planet (World Database on Protected Areas)

Protected areas of Michigan

See also: Important Bird Areas of Michigan

National

Parks	Isle Royale Keweenaw (Historical) River Raisin (Battlefield)

Lakeshores	Pictured Rocks Sleeping Bear Dunes

Landmarks	Black Spruce Bog Natural Area Dead Stream Swamp Dukes Research Natural Area Grand Mere Lakes Haven Hill State Natural Area Newton Woods Porcupine Mountains Roscommon Virgin Pine Stand Strangmoor Bog Tobico Marsh Toumey Woods Warren Woods State Park

Forests	Hiawatha Huron-Manistee Ottawa

Wildlife Refuges	Detroit River Harbor Island Huron Kirtlands Warbler Wildlife Management Area Michigan Islands Michigan Wetland Management District Seney Shiawassee

Other	Grand Island National Recreation Area Father Marquette National Memorial Saint Helena Island National Scenic Area Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

State

Parks	Algonac Aloha Baraga Belle Isle Bewabic Brimley Burt Lake Cambridge Junction Cheboygan Clear Lake Coldwater Lake Craig Lake Dodge #4 Duck Lake Fayette Fisherman's Island Fort Michilimackinac Fort Wilkins Grand Haven Grand Mere Harrisville Hart-Montague Trail Hartwick Pines Hayes Mill Creek P.H. Hoeft P.J. Hoffmaster Holland Indian Lake Interlochen Kal-Haven Trail Lake Gogebic Lakelands Trail Lakeport Leelanau Ludington Mackinac Island Maybury F.J. McLain Mears Meridian-Baseline Mitchell Muskallonge Lake Muskegon Negwegon Newaygo North Higgins Lake Onaway Orchard Beach Otsego Lake Palms Book Petoskey Porcupine Mountains Port Crescent Rockport Sanilac Petroglyphs Saugatuck Dunes Seven Lakes Silver Lake Sleeper Sleepy Hollow South Higgins Lake Sterling Straits Tahquamenon Falls Tawas Point Thompson's Harbor Traverse City Twin Lakes Van Buren Van Buren Trail Van Riper Warren Dunes Warren Woods Wells White Pine Trail Wilderness William G. Milliken Wilson Young

Recreation Areas	Bald Mountain Bass River Bay City Brighton Fort Custer Highland Holly Ionia Island Lake Lake Hudson Menominee River Metamora-Hadley Ortonville Pinckney Pontiac Lake Proud Lake Rifle River Waterloo Wetzel Yankee Springs

Forests	Au Sable Copper Country Escanaba River Lake Superior Mackinaw Pere Marquette

Underwater Preserves	Alger De Tour Passage Grand Traverse Bay Keweenau Manitou Passage Marquette Sanilac Shores Southwest Michigan Straits of Mackinac Thumb Area Whitefish Point

Other (inc. game areas)	Agate Falls Scenic Site Allegan State Game Area Bond Falls Scenic Site Laughing Whitefish Falls Scenic Site Michigan Islands Wilderness Area Pointe Mouillee State Game Area Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center Sturgeon Point Scenic Site Wagner Falls Scenic Site

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

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