Michigan’s Upper Peninsula has a root beer waterfall that drops 50 feet into the wild

It’s bigger, wilder, and closer than you’d think

Somewhere in the Upper Peninsula, between the small towns of Newberry and Paradise, a river runs the color of root beer and crashes over a ledge nearly 50 feet down.

This is Tahquamenon Falls State Park, all 50,000 acres of it, and it pulls around 500,000 people a year for good reason. The trails run deep into old-growth forest.

Moose wade the roadside marshes. And the falls themselves make a sound you carry home with you.

The Ojibwe paddled this river long before Longfellow wrote about it

The Tahquamenon River runs through Ojibwe history the way rivers do, quietly and for a very long time. The Ojibwe hunted, fished, and traveled these banks for generations before anyone wrote the name down.

When someone finally did, in 1671, a French mapmaker spelled it “Outakouaminan.” What it actually means has been debated ever since, and the true translation may be gone for good.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow borrowed the river for his 1855 poem “The Song of Hiawatha,” and Michigan made it a state park in January 1947.

Up to 50,000 gallons a second pour over the Upper Falls

Stand at the Upper Falls and you’re looking at a waterfall more than 200 feet wide with a 50-foot drop. During spring runoff, up to 50,000 gallons of water rush over the edge every second.

The amber color comes from tannins leached out of the cedar, spruce, and hemlock swamps upstream. The soft, tannin-rich water churns into thick white foam at the base.

That combination, dark brown water and white foam, is exactly where the nickname comes from. A paved quarter-mile path from the parking lot brings you straight to the viewing areas.

A new boardwalk is replacing the old 94-step stairway

Getting to the brink of the Upper Falls used to mean climbing down 94 steps. That stairway is coming out.

Construction on a new 900-foot fully accessible boardwalk began in Oct. 2024, funded by $3.275 million from the American Rescue Plan Act.

The new path winds through old-growth forest with benches and rest stops along the way, and it’s expected to open in 2026. While crews work, the three viewing platforms above the falls stay open.

The old stairs limited who could get close. The boardwalk changes that.

Row a boat to the island and walk right up to the Lower Falls

Four miles downstream, the Lower Falls splits into five smaller cascades around an island. You can reach the island two ways.

The Ronald A. Olson Island Bridge, a fully accessible pedestrian bridge installed in 2021, crosses over from the mainland.

Or you can rent a rowboat from Memorial Day weekend through mid-October and paddle across yourself. The trail that circles the island puts you right next to the cascades in a way the shore views never do.

The boat ride takes about 10 minutes and the payoff is worth every pull of the oars.

Thirty-five miles of trails cut through old-growth forest and ancient pines

The park lays out more than 35 miles of trails across a range of difficulty levels.

The River Trail runs four miles between the Upper and Lower Falls through hilly, root-covered terrain in old-growth forest, and it’s rated difficult.

The Giant Pines Loop covers 3.8 miles past ancient hemlock groves and two white pine trees that survived the 1800s logging era. A half-mile Nature Trail near the Upper Falls works for strollers and wheelchairs.

And 16 miles of the North Country National Scenic Trail run straight through the park, connecting to a 4,800-mile system across seven states.

Keep your eyes on the wet areas along M-123 for moose

Black bears, coyotes, otters, white-tailed deer, foxes, porcupines, and beavers all live in this park.

More than 125 bird species nest here, including spruce grouse, pileated woodpeckers, and bald eagles that fish the Lower Falls rapids in the early morning.

The 1,500 acres of old-growth forest around the Upper Falls pulls in warblers, wood thrush, and scarlet tanagers during spring migration. Moose are the headline, though.

They feed in the wet areas along M-123 between Paradise and the Lower Falls, and early morning gives you the best shot at seeing one.

Seventeen miles of river paddling, fish and wildlife on every bend

The Tahquamenon River runs calm enough for beginners over 17 miles of paddling between the Lower Falls and the Rivermouth area. You can go upstream or downstream without fighting the current.

Along the way, beaver, mink, otter, blue herons, sandhill cranes, and bald eagles work the riverbanks. The river holds brown trout, walleye, muskie, northern pike, yellow perch, and smallmouth bass.

An accessible fishing pier sits at the Rivermouth boating access site for anyone who wants to cast without getting in a boat.

In February, rangers lead lantern-lit snowshoe hikes under the stars

The Upper Falls keeps roaring all winter. Snow piles up here, and the Lower Falls turns mostly frozen by January.

The park grooms four miles of cross-country ski trails around the Upper Falls area, including the Giant Pines Loop. Snowshoeing runs throughout the park.

On Saturdays in February, rangers lead free guided snowshoe hikes, and some of them go out after dark by lantern light.

Winter is the quietest time in the park, and the falls surrounded by ice and snow look nothing like they do in July.

Camp under red pines beside the Tahquamenon River near Lake Superior

The park runs several campgrounds, from modern sites with electrical hookups and showers to rustic spots along the river.

Rivermouth Modern Campground sits along the Tahquamenon River close to Lake Superior, with sites shaded by tall red pines.

Three backcountry sites near the North Country Trail are available for anyone who wants to get further out. Winter camping is an option for the serious.

The park also has a rentable lodge between the Upper and Lower Falls that sleeps up to eight people, if you want a roof and a door.

Free track chairs are available for visitors who need rougher terrain help

The Upper Falls viewing area has a paved, accessible path from the parking lot, and the new boardwalk will bring that accessibility all the way to the brink once construction wraps.

The island at the Lower Falls is reachable via the Ronald A. Olson Island Bridge without steps. Free track chairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis for visitors who need help on rougher ground.

Heated, accessible restrooms at the Upper Falls stay open year-round, which matters more than you’d think when the temperature drops.

The Fact Shack, guided tours, and a shuttle between the falls

Near the Upper Falls parking lot, the Tahquamenon Falls Fact Shack has exhibits on the park’s natural features. Seasonal naturalists run programs through summer and fall for both families and adults.

Guided tours of the Upper Falls cover the paved walkway to the viewing areas in about an hour.

During summer, a shuttle runs between the Upper and Lower Falls for visitors who’d rather not hike the four-mile River Trail both ways.

A Michigan Recreation Passport is required for vehicle entry, so have that ready before you pull in.

Visit Tahquamenon Falls State Park in Paradise, Michigan

You can get current trail conditions, camping reservations, and program schedules through the official website before you go.

The park sits at 41382 W. M-123 in Paradise, Michigan, and it’s open year-round from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. A Michigan Recreation Passport covers vehicle entry.

Plan on at least one to three hours if you’re just hitting the falls and a trail. Book a campsite or the lodge if you want more time with the river, especially if moose season is calling your name.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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