Ever wonder about exploring Tahquamenon Falls in the Winter? Earlier in January we went for a weekend getaway in Michigan’s stunning Upper Peninsula. We stayed one night in Sault Ste. Marie. The following day as we headed south towards St. Ignace we thought about exploring Tahquamenon Falls in the Winter. We had never seen Tahquamenon Falls when the temperatures dipped below freezing.
We have been out the the falls a few times in the past years. The first time was during our 2 week Upper Peninsula tour that we shared with you. We stopped last year too and enjoyed a delicious lunch at the Tahquamenon Falls Brewery.
Anyway, the falls were right on our way so we decided to stop. Did you know that one of the largest waterfalls east of the Mississippi is right here in Michigan? The Upper Falls has a drop of nearly 50 feet and is more than 200 feet across. Four miles downstream is the Lower Falls, a series of five smaller falls cascading around an island. In the Winter it is popular for snowmobiling, cross country skiing and snowshoeing with miles of marked trails. Also, Tahquamenon Fall State Park has more than 40 miles of hiking trails, 13 inland lakes, 24 miles of the Tahquamenon River and approximately 20,000 acres of natural area!
We went to the Lower Falls (there are 2 parks, the Upper Falls and the Lower Falls). There was about 6-8″ of snow on the ground but since it is a state park we figured it was open. When we pulled in we saw 2 other cars so we parked and walked to the trail. Well, we thought we were walking to the familiar trail. It turns out that the state only plows part of the road into the park; we were actually walking to the parking lot that is further in the park. That is the parking lot that we usually park in.
We didn’t realize how long the walk to the start of the path was, but once we were well into the journey we figured it was worth it to keep going. We only saw 2 other couples out that day. The weather was perfect for a walk; it was cold out but no wind. We actually ended up removing our hats and gloves a few times because we were too hot.
We walked surrounded by the peace and tranquility of nature. It was blissful, and one of those moments in life where you allow yourself to be grateful for our wonderful world.
Exploring Tahquamenon Falls in the Winter takes some effort – but just look at the view when we arrived!
We thought you may enjoy this short, fun video.
If you want more information about Tahquamenon Falls you can check out the Michigan.org website.
