Tahquamenon Falls State Park

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Tahquamenon Falls State Park
Tahquamenon Upper Falls
Location in Michigan
Location	Chippewa and Luce counties, Michigan, United States
Nearest town	Paradise, Michigan
Coordinates	46°36′13″N 85°12′26″W / 46.60361°N 85.20722°W / 46.60361; -85.20722[1]
Area	46,179 acres (18,688 ha)
Elevation	623 feet (190 m)[1]
Established	1947[2]
Administered by	Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Website	Official website

The Tahquamenon Falls State Park is a 46,179-acre (18,688 ha) public recreation area in the U.S. state of Michigan.^[3] It is the second largest of Michigan's state parks. Bordering on Lake Superior, most of the park is located within Whitefish Township in Chippewa County, with the western section of the park extending into McMillan Township in Luce County. The nearest town of any size is Paradise.

The park follows the Tahquamenon River as it passes over Tahquamenon Falls and drains into Whitefish Bay, Lake Superior. The Tahquamenon Falls include a single 50-foot (15 m) drop, the Upper Falls, plus the cascades and rapids collectively called the Lower Falls. During the late-spring runoff, the river drains as much as 50,000 U.S. gallons (190,000 L) of water per second, making the upper falls the second most voluminous vertical waterfall east of the Mississippi River, after only Niagara Falls.

Tahquamenon Falls is also called Rootbeer Falls because of its golden-brown color, caused by tannins from cedar swamps that drain into the river. In winter, the ice that accumulates around and in the falls is often colored in shades of green and blue.

The park receives as many as 500,000 visitors per year, many of whom drive in on the state park's only paved road, M-123. M-123 intersects with Interstate 75 at exit 352. The North Country Trail passes through the park.