32 Tahquamenon
Falls State
Park 
wildlife viewing | directions and facility information
The Upper Falls
of the Tahquamenon River is one of the premier scenic attractions
in Michigan;
but dont forget to look beyond the falls to the excellent wildlife
viewing opportunities that await throughout the
park.
Photo:© Ray Rustem.
Tahquamenon Falls is the second largest state park in Michigan, covering
more than 38,000 acres. Most of the park is undeveloped with few public
roads and little vehicular access. Two natural waterfalls on the Tahquamenon River give this park its name. The
Upper Falls
is one of the largest waterfalls east of the Mississippi
River. It has a drop of over 50 feet and width of some 200
feet. It is one of the best-known nature attractions in the Upper Peninsula. The Park is mostly forested except
for the more open leatherleaf bogs or
marshlands. Because these lands have been managed as a park for many
years, timber is largely mature or old growth. Forests are a rich mixture
of essentially all cover types found in northern Michigan, from northern hardwoods
(yellow birch, hard maple, basswood, some beech and oak) to red pine,
white pine and hemlock, to aspen, birch, soft maple, and lowland hardwoods.
Extensive acreages are also composed of lowland conifers such as black
spruce, tamarack and white cedar. The North Country Hiking Trail
traverses the park and provides a look at the wilderness interior of this
scenic site. The park has three campgrounds: modern, semi-modern, and
rustic. A restaurant and food concessions plus a nature-based store are
open seasonally at the Upper
Falls, the most
visited area of the park.
 Wildlife
Viewing
Photo: © Bob Hess
This entire park provides unique and wonderful wildlife viewing
opportunities. The Clark
Lake area offers
three pristine lakes that make a beautiful wilderness canoe float.
Contact the park office for access information. The park is home to
several northern bird species including the gray jay, boreal chickadee,
and black-backed woodpecker. It also is one of the states best known
breeding sites for the palm warbler and one of the only known breeding
sites for the rusty blackbird. Both the Upper and Lower Falls
are easily accessible. For the more adventurous, a four-mile hiking trail
runs along the river between the two falls. This trail features an
old-growth American beech-sugar maple community, groves of virgin
northern hemlock, and miles of wild, scenic river. While hiking the
trail, watch and listen for species associated with this unique
combination of habitats. The black-throated green warbler, wood thrush,
osprey, river otter, and several species of ferns and wild orchids are
just a few examples. The area near the mouth of the Tahquamenon River
has a linear marsh running inland along the wide serpentine river
corridor. This sheltered habitat and the bay near the river mouth are
used by waterfowl during migration, especially April and May. Gulls and
terns that work the Lake Superior
shallows and nest in the area are found her throughout the ice-free
months. Moose and bears and river otters are seen occasionally along the
river corridor. Whitefish Point, a premier site for viewing migrating
waterfowl, raptors and songbirds, is near the park just north of Paradise, and is a must-see in spring and fall.
DEER FLIES, BLACK FLIES, AND
MOSQUITOES CAN BE VERY NUMEROUS IN MAY AND JUNE, SO COME PREPARED.
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