Tahquamenon Falls State Park is Michigan’s second-largest state park spanning 50,000 acres stretching over 13 miles. It is between the communities of Newberry and Paradise in Michigan’s upper peninsula. Most of Tahquamenon Falls State Park is undeveloped woodland without access roads, buildings or power lines. The centrepiece of the park is the Tahquamenon River and its waterfalls.

Site Review:

There are 3 modern campground areas within the park:

1. Hemlock Campground: has 87 sites all with electric hook-up.

2. Portage Campground: has 80 sites all with electric hook-up.

Both Hemlock and Portage Campgrounds are in the Lower Falls area. The entrance to this park section is off of M123 as you travel east from Newberry. You will pass the Upper Falls entrance but don’t mistake this as the camping area. The Lower Falls section is about 5 miles further down the road.

3. Rivermouth Campground: From the Lower Falls area, this campground is a further 14 miles towards the community of Paradise where you will make a right turn and travel an additional 5 miles until you arrive at the mouth of the Tahquamenon River and the entrance to the campground.

For this review, I can only comment on the camping at the Rivermouth Campground. We stayed on site R49 during our stay. There are 72 sites, all with electric hook-ups. The sites are spacious and mostly level (minor adjustments may be required).

All sites have a fire ring and a picnic table.

Some sites are pull-thru. All of the sites are within walking distance of the water, with some sites being very close, however, no sites in the Rivermouth Campground have direct water access.

Rivermouth Pines Rustic Campground

Using the same entrance as you would use for Rivermouth Campground, is also Rivermouth Pines Rustic Campground. This isn’t very clear. They are 2 different campgrounds using the same entrance road and registration booth.

Rivermouth Pines Rustic Campground has 35 sites. Some sites are large enough for big RVs. All of the sites in this campground are along a single road parallel to the Tahquamenon River, and 13 have direct water access. You need to be aware that none of the sites in the rustic campground have any hook-ups, including electricity. I was walking my dog as a big fifth wheel was angling itself into one of these sites and the camper asked me where the electric post was. I told her that the sites in this section were unserviced. She was stunned, “but we are here for a week!”

*Also you should note that generators are not permitted at any time.

Activities:

We only camped at Tahquamenon Falls for a short time but intend to return because there is a lot to do at this park and we had not allotted anywhere near enough time to do it properly.

Upper Falls

This section of the park is the furthest away from the Rivermouth Campground. It’s about 20 miles and would probably take 30 minutes to drive.

The Upper Falls is 200ft wide and 50ft tall and is Michigan’s largest waterfall. There are several viewing areas but to reach some of the platforms you will have to manage multiple stairs.

Lower Falls

The falls here are not as dramatic as Upper Falls, but there are 2 of them and the boardwalk hike is accessible and picturesque.Also in the Lower Falls area, you will find a gift shop.The parking lot is big and can accommodate large equipment. There is also a shuttle that you can take (for a fee) that travels between the Upper Falls and Lower Falls.

Hiking:

There are several hiking trails at Tahquamenon Falls State Park. Most of these are quite long. The trail from Lower Falls to Rivermouth Campground is 13 miles one way. The boardwalk hike at Lower Falls is a loop hike and is approximately 2 miles. Click here for a trail map.

Swimming:

I did not note any roped-off swim areas at Tahquamenon Falls State Park, but from the Rivermouth Campground, you are very close to Whitefish Bay on Lake Superior. There is a small park with access and some limited parking where you can enjoy the water. At the mouth of the Tahquamenon River, there is a sandy beach area that would also be good for swimming. You could also swim in the Tahquamenon River right from the campground where there are a couple of accessible spots.

Biking:

You can bike the campground roads. You can also Bike on the M123 into the community of Paradise from the Rivermouth Campground, though I wouldn’t recommend it. There is not much of a shoulder to bike on and it has the rumble grooves at the road edge.

Kayaking/Canoeing/SUP:

The Tahquamenon River is perfect for kayaking/canoeing and SUP.

You can easily put-in at Rivermouth Campground or various other spots along the River. If you are thinking of putting-in closer to the Lower Falls and journeying down to the mouth where it empties at Lake Superior you should consider that 16 miles can be a pretty long time paddling for a day. The nature of this river doesn’t help, with it being wide, flat, and lacking much current. It is however fun for shorter excursions with lots of places to explore.

Note: The speed of a kayak is typically measured in knots, with recreational kayakers averaging speeds of 2 to 3 knots, equivalent to about 2.5 to 3.5 miles per hour.

Boating:

There is access to a boat launch just outside the entrance to Rivermouth Campground for boating on Lake Superior. There are signs that will direct you.

Fishing:

You can fish in Lake Superior, or the Tahquamenon River. There is a fishing dock in the Rivermouth Pines Rustic Campground where you can fish comfortably from shore. In Michigan, everyone ages 17 or older must have a fishing license to fish. You are required to carry your license and the ID you used to purchase it and show both if requested.

Things to Know:

1.  At the Lower Falls, you can rent a row boat for $25 to get a closer look from the base of the falls (arrangements can be made at the gift shop)
2. There is an additional Day Use entry charge per day, (higher if you are not a Michigan resident) AND if you are a motorhome towing a vehicle you will get charged extra per day for that too. I have never been charged extra for a tow vehicle before and when I questioned the park staff about this I was told that the charge is per vehicle. The motorhome is a vehicle and the car is a vehicle- so 2 charges. This amounted to almost an additional $ 20 USD per day on top of camping fees.
3.  There is more to do at the Rivermouth Campground so I would camp there and drive to visit the Falls area instead of camping at the Falls area.
4.  Reservations are recommended during the busy summer months.
5. Leashed pets are permitted.
6.  If limited for time consider this suggestion board’s recommendations on how best to make the most of your stay.

IMO:

We didn’t give this park enough time. It is on my list to return. Even though it irked me to have to pay an additional fee for our tow vehicle, the money does at least go back to the running of the park, I would recommend Tahquamenon Falls State Park as an RV Place to Go!