Tahquamenon Falls State Park - Upper Falls (1.0 mile; d=1.18)
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Upper Tahquamenon Falls Hike Route Map
The approximate track of our quick walk to the Upper Falls at Tahquamenon Falls State Falls...
The short jaunt to the Upper Falls begins in front of 'Camp 33', a combination store/restaurant/brewery named for a logging camp which formerly occupied the site...
The paved path to the falls was only cleared as far as the restrooms, about a hundred yards in...
Honestly, I think that 20" of depth was a bit of a conservative measurement...
Though uncleared, a winters-worth of foot traffic had packed the snow covered trail just about as hard as the pavement underneath...
Radiant heat released by fallen leaves and tree trunks had left countless little depressions in the surface of the snowpack...
A giant yellow birch gleams in the late day sun...
Like on our earlier hike to Lower Tahquamenon Falls, I found myself enjoying my North Woods companions...hemlocks, white pines, birch, aspen, cedar, and spruce...
About halfway to the falls we reached the Y-intersection where we needed to take a right to get to the top of the falls. To the left is a spur trail down to the river's edge to get a view of the falls from downstream...
With the snow still lying thick on the ground this bench was more of a lounge chair...
The second half of the trail follows the top of high bluffs along the north bank of the Tahquamenon. There are some impressively large white pines along this stretch of trail...
A spot I can remember stopping at going back to when I was a kid...this old remnant white pine stump is marked with famous dates to illustrate the great age of the tree...
Famous historical events that occurred during the life of this 200+ year old tree...
Continuing on through the cedars...
A couple overlooks along the top of the bluff reveal the thundering Upper Falls. The Tahquamenon River here crashes 50' into the gorge below...
A ski trail now, a hiking trail in the summer...this sign marks the beginning of a 10-mile loop which heads out into the wilderness heart of this 50,000 acre park. I long intended to hike this loop during my years up north but never found the opportunity to go...someday still, perhaps...
Making a hard left, the trail turns into a long and winding series of metal steps which lead down to the brink of the falls...
Arriving at the Upper Falls observation deck...
From the observation deck you're quite literally looking over the brink. With the falls flowing at spring snowmelt levels, it was an incredible place to be standing this day...
Looking downstream from the falls the view encompassed bluffs lined with massive icicles and a river covered in frozen foam and ice...
The mighty Upper Falls from a slightly different angle...
A panorama of the Upper Falls and the river gorge below...this place never disappoints...
Tahquamenon River - Rivermouth
Reluctantly we had to begin the journey south. Just south of Paradise, MI we stopped briefly at the rivermouth of the Tahquamenon River where the stream empties into Lake Superior. This is a good place to spot moose, though none were seen this day...
Tahquamenon River - Rivermouth
Soaking in every last second I could I bade my farewell's to the Upper Peninsula and Lake Superior, where I had spent so many years and now visit so infrequently. I pray that it is not another three years until I see them again...
Dave Kathy Weemhoff
on September 12, 2015Amazing place -- you are right, it never disappoints!