Paradise, Michigan - Tahquamenon State Park
Welcome to Tahquamenon (rhymes with “phenomenon”) - and this place was pretty phenomenal. We realized that prior to leaving Munising (where we had full hookups, mind you), our next campsite had none of that - we were staying at the Rivermouth campsite at Tahquamenon in the “rustic” section. When we were booking campsites back in the February/March timeframe, it was nearly next to impossible to find open campsites, so we were taking what we could find when it came to the size of our rig. Given the spot we landed for the next few days, we were happy to survive without electrical and water hookups just fine. Since we’ve been tent camping for the good majority of our lives, we still feel like we’re walking into the Taj Mahal when we enter our rig. Our spot was gorgeous! Heavily wooded, and steps away from the Tahquamenon River, which empties into Lake Superior (thus, the Rivermouth campsite name). We also discovered wild blueberry bushes behind our campsite area, which made for a nice treat from Mother Nature (and good blueberry pancakes).
We decided to take to the water right away, and inflated the BOTE kayaks. The water was glass, and we paddled for about an hour, downstream from the campsite. We weren’t far from Lake Superior - perhaps a mile. Came across a playful beaver who was fun to watch as he would dive into the water with an enormous splash of his tail, as if we were trying to get us wet (or keep us away). That night, it rained from 9 am until 7 the next morning. There were quite a few campsites around us with nothing but tents and while grateful for our dry and warm spot to sleep, my heart went out to the tenters - we’ve been there before! Not pleasant.
Since the next morning was still a little overcast and wet, we decided to head up to the Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point. Located about 15 miles north of our campground, this museum has exhibits of 12 area shipwrecks, a restored 1860’s era Lighthouse Keeper’s Quarters, and a Lifeboat Rescue Station, detailing how rescues used to be attempted for sinking ships and their crew. This is also the oldest Lake Superior lighthouse still in operation.
The museum houses the original Edmund Fitzgerald bell that was recovered from the Nov. 10, 1975 sinking, as well as a second order Fresnel lens. Tom and Owen have a goal of seeing a first order, but we have to go to the East Coast in order to find one. The second order was pretty cool though. We came here on a relatively calm day, and it was still quite windy and you can just imagine what a place like this must feel like in the heart of winter.
Whitefish Point (the Edmund Fitzgerald sank about 17 miles northwest from here)
After our visit to the museum, we headed to the falls area, which is a main attraction in these parts. There are the Upper Falls and Lower Falls, both easily accessible by a paved footpath. Pretty views too:
Lower Falls, Tahquamenon State Park
Upper Falls, Tahquamenon State Park
On our final day, I (Laurie) decided I wanted to do a through hike from one spot to another and have Tom and Owen pick me up at the end. So I decided I would hike from a path that started near our campground and hike up to the Lower Falls area - about 8.8 miles. I’m calling this hike the “Muggy Buggy Uno” hike because it was hot, it was buggy and it’s likely not going to be the last hike like this. Tom and Owen dropped me off at the trailhead (about 3 miles down a dirtroad in the middle of nowhere), and I gave them about a 2.5 hour estimate as to how long it would take me. A mile in, I realized that maybe I should’ve brought the bear spray because if I was a bear, this is probably where I’d want to be. Complete silence, no other foot traffic, wild berries, lots of water….pretty remote. Oh, and no cell service. I really was on my own! The trail was quite tough - lots of different terrain, some switchbacks and overgrowth so I knew it wasn’t a heavily trafficked path but it was beautiful. I even found myself a “forest wand” to help clear my path. About a mile from the end, my support crew showed up and hiked with me the rest of the way. So nice! During my trail workout, they had found a local basketball court to shoot some hoops, followed by fresh french fries and rootbeer floats.
We finished up the day with a kayak out from our campsite to the mouth of Lake Superior. Between the hiking and the kayaking, I was pretty beat! Good way to wrap up our stay here.
People we met along the way: Two other couples in the surrounding campsites that camped often here - Ted and Norma (and their sweet dog), and Jeff and Sharon
Hiccups and hangups: No hookups was a hangup for Owen :-)
Grateful for: Seeing the Upper Falls (Owen), visiting the shipwreck museum (Tom), and time alone on a nature trek to reflect - and get a good hike in (Laurie)
Duration in Tahquamenon: July 14 - 17, 2021
Next stop: Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan - home of the Soo Locks