Three hundred waterfalls rush, roar and flow across Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Best known are the Upper and Lower falls along the Tahquamenon River at Tahquamenon State Park. The Upper Falls, with a 48-foot drop stretching 200 feet across, count among the largest falls east of the Mississippi. Reach the Lower Falls -- five lesser falls flowing around a small island -- by renting a rowboat at Tahquamenon Park State Park's concessioner. Trails and viewing stations sit so close to both falls visitors feel the splash of the the spray.
Whether viewed from the distant shore or from the water, Pictured Rocks inspire awe. Located within the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore along Lake Superior's south shore, the 15-mile-long natural landmark sits between Sand Point and Spray Falls. Pictured Rocks rise dramatically as much as 200 feet above the cold lake waters. Colored by minerals embedded in the rock formations, surfaces are splashed red and orange from iron, green and blue tints from copper, black from manganese and white from lime.
Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park consists of 94 square miles that span parts of Ontonagon and Gogebic counties along the southern shore of Lake Superior. The park includes the Midwest's largest expanse of wilderness and some of its tallest hills. Within the heart of the park sits a 35,000 acre forest, the largest stand of old-growth hardwood in North America. Eighty-seven miles of trails weave through the Porkies, providing hikers a remote and scenic experience.
Wild and remote, Isle Royale National Park sits 60 miles off the Keeweenaw Peninsula in northwest Lake Superior and is only accessible by boat or plane. The park consists of more than 400 islands making up the Isle Royale archipelago. The primary island spans 45 miles and is 9 miles wide. It's designated an International Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization in recognition of its harmonious human and biosphere association.
