Tahquamenon Falls State Park from the Paradise side

This park crosses a county line, and that is the part worth getting straight. The DNR management plan places Tahquamenon Falls State Park in both Whitefish Township in Chippewa County and McMillan Township in Luce County. Paradise is the eastern gateway, and M-123 leads from there to the park. The DNR map places the Upper and Lower falls themselves west of the county line in Luce County.

The Upper Falls is still the main reason for the drive. DNR calls the 200-foot-wide, 50-foot-tall drop Michigan’s largest waterfall and one of the largest in the eastern United States. Tannins from the surrounding swamps give the river its amber color, and the soft water foams as it goes over the ledge.

At the Upper Falls, a new accessible boardwalk leads through old-growth forest toward the brink. Four miles downstream, visitors can reach the Lower Falls island by bridge or rented rowboat. Use only DNR’s designated wading areas there. The park is open year-round, while shuttle, concession, trail, and closure details can change. For a Paradise visitor, the steady piece is the geography: the gateway is in Chippewa County, and the falls are across the county line.